Mark Dowie: On the Fly Podcast: Todd Gitlin On America’s Divine Exceptionalism
The inaugural episode of Guernica editor-at-large Mark Dowie’s interview series features sociologist Todd Gitlin, who argues that the relationship between America and Israel is steeped in the belief that both nations were “chosen” by God.
Today marks the first installment of On the Fly, a new series of audio interviews conducted by Guernica editor-at-large Mark Dowie for Talking Point Radio (of which Dowie is the founder). The inaugural episode features sociologist Todd Gitlin, whose latest book, The Chosen Peoples: America, Israel, and the Ordeals of Divine Election, argues that the relationship between America and Israel is steeped in the belief that both nations were “chosen” by God. Gitlin says, “I’d been troubled by the idea of chosen-ness for a while.” This mentality of divine exceptionalism (the notion that God is always on our side) is dangerously prominent in American foreign policy. Gitlin points us to the Bush administration, which he says brought us “eight years of messianic lunacy.” The interview is broken up into two parts below.
Today marks the first installment of On the Fly, a new series of audio interviews conducted by Guernica editor-at-large Mark Dowie for Talking Point Radio (of which Dowie is the founder). The inaugural episode features sociologist Todd Gitlin, whose latest book, The Chosen Peoples: America, Israel, and the Ordeals of Divine Election, argues that the relationship between America and Israel is steeped in the belief that both nations were “chosen” by God. Gitlin says, “I’d been troubled by the idea of chosen-ness for a while.” This mentality of divine exceptionalism (the notion that God is always on our side) is dangerously prominent in American foreign policy. Gitlin points us to the Bush administration, which he says brought us “eight years of messianic lunacy.” The interview is broken up into two parts below.