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Discussions of religion in international relations have often focused narrowly on religious fundamentalism and on the potentially negative consequences of religious differences. This book attempts to take a more balanced and much broader view of the subject, bringing together new research-based studies by specialists from international relations, history and theology. Case-studies and thematic analyses examine both seldom-discussed issues - such as the political consequences of large-scale religious change - and review old themes in new ways

Today religious concerns stand at the center of international politics, yet key paradigms in international relations, namely realism, liberalism, and constructivism, barely consider religion in their analysis of political subjects. Whether the issue is Islamic terrorism, the Christian Right's foreign policy predilections toward Israel and Southern Sudan, the complications of faith-based Western activism abroad, the potential destabilization of atheist China by the Dalai Lama and Falun Gong, or the threat Burmese monks pose to Myanmar's military regime, the rising prominence of religion challen

"Gender, Religion, and International Relations" published on by Oxford University Press.

Cover -- Half-Title -- Series -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Series Editors' Introduction -- Introduction -- A diplomatic journey -- A methodological overview -- Integrating religion in international relations? -- Religions and violence: myths and reality -- The role of religions in conflict prevention and resolution -- Non-state transnational religious actors -- Book structure -- Part I A Theoretical Overview -- 1 Religion and World Politics -- Religions and inter-state relations -- Religions and internationalism -- Religions and transnationalism -- Religions and globalism -- 2 Religions and Global Governance -- Polity -- Politics -- Policy -- Secularization and governance -- Part II Issues and Applications -- 3 Islam between National and International Politics -- Geopolitics and identity -- Political transitions in the Arab-Islamic world -- Politics and religion in Pakistan: international and transnational dimensions -- The international context -- The analytical context: transnational religions -- Religions and "soft power" -- Transnational Islam: Pakistan as a case-study -- 4 The Catholic Church and the Global Shift of Power -- Interpreting globalization. Between Augustine and Thomas Aquinas -- The Church and the "New World" -- 5 Religious Freedom in the International Practice -- Reciprocity? -- Reporting on religious freedom: credibility and legitimacy -- Standards, actors, legitimacy and policy -- Current practices -- Italian foreign policy and religious freedom -- A case study: the Italian "Observatory on Religious Freedom" -- Index

This comprehensive Handbook examines the relationship between religion and international relations, mainly focusing on several world religions - Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism. Providing a timely update on this understudied topic, it evaluates how this complex relationship has evolved over the last four decades, looking at a variety of political contexts, regions and countries.

This book has several main themes and arguments. International Relations has been westerncentric, which has contributed to its ignoring religion; while religion is not the main driving force behind IR, international politics cannot be understood without taking religion into account; the role of religion is related to the fact that IR has evolved to become more than just interstate relations and now included elements of domestic politics. The book proceeds in three stages. First, it looks at why religion was ignored by IR theory and theorists. Second, it examines the multiple ways religion influences IR, including through religious legitimacy and the many ways domestic religious issues can cross borders. In this discussion a number of topics including but not limited to international intervention, international organizations, religious fundamentalism, political Islam, Samuel Huntington's 'clash of civilizations' theory, and terrorism are addressed. Third, these factors are examined empirically using both quantitative and case study methodology.

1. Introduction -- 2. Religion, secularization and politics : a postmodern conspectus -- 3. Religious fundamentalism and politics -- 4. Religion and politics : what is the impact of September 11? -- 5. Religion and democratization in Africa -- 6. Religion, ethnicity and civil war in Africa : the cases of Uganda and Sudan -- 7. The political and social context of intercivilizational conflict and the possibilities of peace building -- 8. Conflict, conflict resolution and peace building : the role of religion in Mozambique, Nigeria and Cambodia -- 9. Religion and international relations : what are the issues? -- 10. Religion and foreign policy making in the USA, India and Iran : towards a research agenda -- 11. Politics, identity and religious nationalism in Turkey : from Ataturk to the AKP -- 12. Transnational religious actors and international politics -- 13. Transnational religious actors and international order -- 14. Religion and a human rights culture in America -- 15. Al-Qaeda : ideology and action -- 16. Islamic militancy in East-Africa -- 17. Conclusion.

Religion is high on the agenda of international politics today. Though there has been a retreat from religion in Europe, the international debate on the meaning and relevance of religion has intensified after the Iranian revolution and has gained new strength with the recent terror attacks, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the proliferation of intrastate conflict, and the process of European integration.The issues of secularism and its relationship to democracy, globalization and foreign policy are explored in this book. It is most relevant for politicians, policymakers, academic researchers, non-governmental organisations, peace and development practitioners, as well as the media. The book deals with the practical and policy-related consequences of the debate for development organisations and their views on poverty, religion and conflict.The Society for International Development (SID) has brought together eminent international writers and leading authorities in the field of religion, coming from different backgrounds and regions. Among the contributors are Peter Berger, Leonardo Boff, Abdullahi An-Na'im, Riffat Hassan, Thomas Pogge, Scott M. Thomas and Jonathan Fox

1. Religions, paradigms, and international relations -- 2. Religion and its influence in the international arena -- 3. Religion and classical realism : interactions within power politics -- 4. Religion and neorealism : interactions within the international system -- 5. Religion and (neo)liberalism : interactions within the market of ideas -- 6. Religion and the English school : interactions within international society -- 7. Religion and constructivism : interactions, ideas, and identities -- 8. Religion in international relations theory : interactions and prospects.

There is a growing realization among international relations scholars and practitioners that religion is a critical factor in global politics. The Iranian Revolution, the September 11 attacks, the ethno-religious conflicts such as the ones in the former Yugoslavia and Sri Lanka are among the many reasons for this increased focus on religion in international affairs. The rise of religious political parties across the world ranging from the Christian Democrats in Europe to Bharatiya Janata Party in India similarly illustrated religion's heightened international profile. Despite all thi.

Bringing together in one collection his most influential essays spanning two decades of research, Jeffrey Haynes seeks to explore the complex relationship between religion, politics and international relations.

Scholars in International Relations concerned with religion and its relations to world politics are rhetorically constructing a powerful modern myth. A component of this myth is that religion is inherently violent and irrational unless controlled by the secular state, which is inherently rational and only reluctantly violent. Timothy Fitzgerald discusses how, in this modern myth, 'religion' appears as a force of nature which either assists or threatens the sacred secular order of things, and how religion is portrayed as a kind of universal essence which takes many forms, its recent most danger