From New World Order to War on Terror

This chapter covers post-Cold War era United States foreign policy through two comparative examinations of American presidents. During the presidencies of George HW Bush and Bill Clinton, the United States operated as the world&s;s lone superpower and American foreign policy displayed a mixture of Nationalist and Humanist intentions. The influence of the Church can be seen in the lobbying and activities of conservative Evangelicals as well as other Christian actors, including a globalized Church increasingly comprised of non-Western Christians and focused on the priorities of the developing world. The presidencies of George W Bush and Barack Obama were shaped by the War on Terror. Bush, a committed adherent to Evangelical Christian beliefs who was faced with an attack committed in the name of radical Islamist ideology, set the stage for a renewed Christian Nationalism in American policy. By contrast, Obama represented a rejection of Bush era politics and a chance for secular and Christian Humanism to reassert influence over American policy. Nevertheless, the Bush administration displayed aspects of Christian Humanism while the Obama presidency continued parts of Bush&s;s aggressive foreign policy. Obama, in particular, reflected the influence of Niebuhr&s;s Christian Realism in his approach to foreign affairs.