| ID | 088610 |
| Title Proper | Politics and Religion |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Mayorov, M. |
| Publication | 2009. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | THE AUGUST 2008 CRISIS in the Caucasus distorted the world agenda and eclipsed for a while much of what could have caused serious international shifts. The present political construction looks less than a pyramid and more like a mobile polygon, another confirmation of the well-known dictum that variety is one of the outstanding features of human evolution and no one can claim the monopoly on truth. The new historical period suggests that the unfolding and potential global problems should be collectively analyzed to be able to stand opposed to challenges and avoid mistakes of the past.
Today we can see, among other things, a revival of the phenomenon that in the 1970s looked safely buried. In February 2007, at a press conference Vladimir Putin said that "the traditional faiths of the Russian Federation and Russia's nuclear shield are two things that strengthen Russian statehood and create the necessary conditions for ensuring the country's internal and external secu-rity."1 On 18 January 2008, speaking in front of the diplomatic corps in Paris President of France Nicolas Sarkozy described two factors - ecological and religious - as two most important challenges to the world in the 21st century. In his book Decisions: My Life in Politics former chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroder wrote that U.S. President George W. Bush had shocked him by his claims at absolute truth; he was even more shocked when the American president confided to him "I am driven with a mission from God."2 No matter how far removed these two statements are from one another they are related to one subject, namely, religion. Are they suggested by short-term considerations or do they reflect reality? |
| `In' analytical Note | International Affairs (Moscow) Vol. 55, No.1; 2009:p57-68 |
| Journal Source | International Affairs (Moscow) Vol. 55, No.1; 2009:p57-68 |
| Key Words | Politics and Religion |