After ten years of teaching medieval
thought at Yale (mostly in the philosophy department), I was selected by the Lutheran World Federation to be a delegated
observer to the Second Vatican Council (1962 - 65), and since then have done most of my research and writing in the context of participation in national and
international ecumenical dialogue, mostly with Roman Catholics.
Speaking days before an election most
observers thought him sure to win, a long - serving Eurasian strongman railed against human rights, malevolent western powers, and rapacious «
international speculators.»