Catholicism and international relations

For educators attempting to engage their students to think christianly in their respective academic endeavours, Daniel Philpott's essay is a welcome and inspirational effort rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition of political reflection: One Professor’s Guide To Studying International Relations and Peace Studies From a Catholic Perspective. From the introductory paragraph:

Whatever else this passage [Colossians 1:15-20] means, it seems to say that all things, including thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities — that is, politics — were created and redeemed by Christ. There is nothing in the universe which escapes this fact, this logic. Does not this then imply that political pursuits are to be oriented towards Christ and his creative and redeeming work? This may seem like a difficult thing to imagine in a world where Stalin’s logic — or at least the logic of power and interest — seems again and again to prevail, tempting us to conclude that what the Church professes only has a limited and circumscribed significance. But if we believe what the Church professes, then this is not the case. The victorious resurrection of Christ is a total victory, applying to all things, even if it is not yet consummated. And if we believe what the Church professes, then we are called to participate ourselves in this victory.