A marvelous article in Foreign Affairs on the three main strands of protestantism (fundementalist, liberal and evangelical), particularly as seen from the US and how they influence US foreign policy. This should be required reading for anyone who lazily uses ‘fundementalist’ too often when describing US christianity. It also quite rightly points out some of the good stuff that religiously motivated policies have contributed to the US over the past few years, particualrly in aid. Yes, it’s clearly not enough but it’s getting better.

For the record I’d probably describe myself as a Liberal Evangelical if I had to use those terms but really they, and the whole dialectic presented there are most relevant to the US. Although Protestantism is still very US dominated in its current theology Rowan Williams is doing a surprisingly good job of showing a ‘british difference’ whilst taking the majority of his concregants along with him.