In a new episode of NetVUE’s podcast series Callings, hosts Erin VanLaningham and John Barton speak with Shaun Casey, founding director of the Office of Religion and Global Affairs at the U.S. State Department.
Shaun’s work explores the overlapping concerns of religion, diplomacy, and public life. Trained as a theologian with an interest in public policy, Shaun held multiple academic positions before he was called to his work at the U.S. State Department by Secretary of State John Kerry. “I want to be a faithful disciple,” he says, “wherever I end up.”
In this podcast conversation, Shaun shares the story of his own “zigzag” career as well as insight into diplomacy and other public-facing vocations. As in all vocational journeys, “the universe hands you issues and undercuts and defies and challenges your preset ideas,” which means that “you’re always toggling between what you have to do and also what you want to do.” He cares deeply about interreligious dialogue, and his experiences in finding common ground with others are chronicled in his new book, Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom: The Future of Religion in American Diplomacy. A common theme emerges as he talks about his roles in higher education, government, and public affairs: hope.
Callings can be accessed at the link below and through Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms. We invite you to listen to this and other episodes, and ask you to share them with your friends and colleagues.
Click here to listen to the episode featuring Shaun Casey, titled “Chasing Hope.”
Stephanie L. Johnson is the editor of Vocation Matters.