Conclusion

This chapter concludes the book by looking at factors that may impact the connections between Christian Humanism, Christian Nationalism and violence committed by Western states against non-Western societies. Among the international changes impacting global politics are the shift to a bipolar or multipolar world due to non-Western powers such as China and Russia; growing political and economic ties between rising non-Western powers; a global decline in democracy; growing independence of Europe amid debates about national and EU-wide identity. Going forward, two political actors may have significant impact on how these factors are handled and what that means for Christianity and international relations: the President of the United States and the Pope. The chapter reviews the policies of Presidents Biden and Trump and speculates about what Christian Nationalism and Christian Humanism may look like for the rest of the second Trump administration. The chapter also reviews the post-World War II history of the papacy and its consistent advocacy for peace and human rights, interpreted through Catholic theology. The chapter concludes with a summary of the book and speculations concerning an opportunity for Christian Humanism to influence less nationalist and less violent relationships between the Christian West and the rest of the world.