Shaun A. Casey — Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom - with Mike McCurry

Shaun A. Casey discusses his book, "Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom" at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington DC.

Many American policy makers are squeamish about religion's role in diplomacy. Nevertheless, religion plays a crucial and complex part in global affairs, such as in sustainable development, various human rights issues, and fomenting and mitigating conflict. Shaun A. Casey, the founding director of the US Department of State's Office of Religion and Global Affairs, makes a compelling case for the necessity of understanding global religion in Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom. In this fresh and provocative narrative, Casey writes frankly about his work integrating sophisticated, research-driven policy into the State Department under Secretary of State John Kerry. Their new strategy went beyond older paradigms that focused myopically on religious freedom or countering violent extremism. Such reductive approaches, Casey insists, cost thousands of lives and trillions of dollars in the US's ill-fated invasion of Iraq in 2003. Witty and astute, Casey recounts his team's challenges in DC politics as well as in the major global events of his tenure, including climate change, the rise of ISIL, and the refugee crisis. On a global stage with higher stakes than ever, effective diplomacy is imperative. Yet in this critical moment, the United States's reputation has faltered. Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom offers a path forward to better foreign policy.

Shaun Casey was Special Representative for Religion and Global Affairs at the US Department of State and Director of the Office of Religion and Global Affairs from 2013 to 2017. He has taught at Harvard Divinity School, Wesley Theological Seminary, and the Walsh School of Foreign Service and directed the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University.

Casey is in conversation with Mike McCurry. McCurry is a retired communications consultant, political advisor, and seminary professor residing in Kensington, Maryland. He has nearly four decades of experience in the nation’s capital. McCurry served in the White House as Press Secretary to President Bill Clinton. He also served as Spokesman for the U.S. Department of State and Director of Communications for the DNC.

@politicsprose

Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter:

Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online.