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Mark R. Amstutz
Professor of Political Science, Department of Politics and International Relations
On faculty since 1972

Phone: (630) 752-5898
E-Mail: Mark.R.Amstutz@wheaton.edu
Education

Ph.D., International Relations, School of International Service, American University, Washington, D. C., 1972.

M.A., Latin American Studies, American University, l967.

B.A., History, Houghton College, Houghton, N.Y., l965.

 
Professional and Personal Interests
Professor Amstutz' major academic interests are in international affairs and, more specifically, the role of ethics in the conduct of foreign relations. He recently published an introductory international relations text titled The Rules of the Game: A Primer on International Relations. The book introduces the subject of international relations using the metaphor of game. Besides explaining the nature, players, and strategies of the IR game, the study highlights key political, economic, legal, and moral principles and rules regulating the game. During the 2007 summer, Amstutz also completed major revisions for his international ethics book. The third edition will be published early in 2008. In the spring semester, Prof. Amstutz will be on sabbatical leave, carrying out research for a book on evangelicals and foreign policy.

For more than three decades Prof. Amstutz' passion has been to teach and equip Wheaton students to serve the Kingdom of Christ in public life-whether through law, political organizations, government, the military, think tanks, education, relief and development agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

Prof. Amstutz grew up in Latin America and has traveled widely as a teacher and scholar. For more than a decade he served as a reserve naval attaché, retiring as a Commander from the U.S. Naval Reserve in l993.

He and his wife Donna, a clinical psychologist, have two married daughters and are the proud grandparents of Tate and Elsa Dahlgren and Eleanor Wiltfang.

Professor Amstutz is a member of a local church and is an avid sailor and windsurfer; he also tries to stay in shape by cycling.

Courses Taught
 

  • International Politics
  • U.S. Foreign Policy
  • Ethics and U. S. Foreign Policy
  • Third World Politics and Development
  • Forgiveness and Political Reconciliation
  • Senior Seminar

Other Courses He Has Taught

  • Theories of War and Peace
  • International Law
  • International Human Rights and Foreign Policy
  • Freedom: Theory and Practice (funded with Templeton Foundation grant)

 

Membership in Professional Societies

  • American Political Science Association
  • International Studies Association

Research
His main area of research interest is international political ethics. His book, The Healing of Nations: The Promise and Limits of Political Forgiveness, was published by Rowman & Littlefield in August 2004. A second significantly enlarged edition of International Ethics was published in December 2004.

Papers Published and/or Presented

Books:

  • Amstutz, Mark R.  International Ethics:  Concepts, Theories, and Cases in Global Politics, 3rd Ed  (Boulder: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008), forthcoming.

  • Amstutz, Mark R. The Rules of the Game: A Primer on International Relations (Boulder:Paradigm Publishers, 2008).

  • Amstutz, Mark R. The Healing of Nations: The Promise and Limits of Political Forgiveness, ( Boulder: Rowman and Littlefield, 2004).

  • Amstutz, Mark R. International Conflict and Cooperation : An Introduction to World Politics, 2 ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1999).

  • Amstutz, Mark R. Christian Ethics and U.S. Foreign Policy (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academie Books, 1987)

Articles:

  • Amstutz, Mark R., "Reinhold Niebuhr's Christian Realism and the Bush Doctrine," in Eric Peterson, ed., Christianity and Power Politics Today: Chrisitan Realism and Contemporary Political Dilemmas (London:Palgrave-Macmillan, 2008), forthcoming.

  • Amstutz, Mark R., "Restorative Justice, Political Forgiveness and the Possibility of Political Reconciliation," in Daniel Philpott, ed., The Politics of Past Evil: Religion, Recondiliationa nd the Dilemmas of Transitional Justice (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 2006), pp. 151-188.

  • Amstutz, Mark R., "Who is My Neighbor? The Moral Responsibility to Halt Genocide," Books & Culture, May/June 2003, pp. l8-20.

  • Amstutz, Mark R., "Faith-Based NGOs and U.S. Foreign Policy," in Elliott Abrams, ed., The Influence of Faith: Religious Groups & U.S. Foreign Policy (Boulder: Rowman & Littlefield, 2001), pp. 175-187

  • Amstutz, Mark R., "Failure and Hope: Church and State in South Africa," Books & Culture, March/April 2000, pp. 18-19.

  • Amstutz, Mark R.,  Charalambakis, John E.  and Ewert, Norman, "Globalization, Human Rights and Civil Society," in Civil Society: A Foundation for Sustainable Economic Development  (published by Coalition for Christian Colleges & Universities and Mercy Corps International, 1998

  • Amstutz, Mark R., "After the Death Squads," Books & Culture, July/August 1997, pp. 25-27

  • Amstutz, Mark R. "Religion and Politics in South Africa:  Christian Churches During the Apartheid Era," Christian Scholar's Review, vol. 25, No. 1 (September 1995), pp. 8-29.  Selected for "Christian Scholar's Award" for 1995.

  • Amstutz, Mark R., "The Churches and Third World Poverty" in Max L. Stackhouse, Dennis P. McCann and Shirley Roels, eds, On Moral Business: Classical and Contemporary Resources for Ethics in Economic Life (Grand Rapids:  Eerdmans, 1995), pp. 817-825.

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