Callings

Chasing Hope: Shaun Casey

Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education Season 3 Episode 3

Shaun Casey’s work explores the overlapping concerns among religion, diplomacy, and public life. Trained as a theologian with an interest in public policy, Shaun held many academic positions before he was called to set up the Office of Religion and Global Affairs at the U.S. State Department by Secretary of State John Kerry. In this conversation, Shaun offers us ways to think about vocations that have a public face and to consider how we might contribute to the major issues of contemporary life. He reflects on the importance of sitting down and talking together to find common ground. He also shares stories from his time at the State Department, some of which he chronicles in his new book, Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom: The Future of Religion in American Diplomacy. A common theme emerges as Shaun discusses his career in higher education, government, and public affairs: hope.