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'The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power' represents a globally comparative study of the varying ways in which states incorporate religion and religious outreach into their external relations. Each chapter demonstrates how the history, religious culture, and geopolitical orientation of a particular country determines its capacity for using religion as part of a soft power strategy while simultaneously dictating the nature and shape of its religious outreach activities, its intended audiences, and likelihood of success or impact.

Religion features prominently in the international relations of many states around the world today. Whether mobilizing religious affinities as a form of public diplomacy, positioning religion as a force to counteract perceived ideological foes, or creating transnational networks of religious populism to support incumbent regimes - governments clearly perceive geopolitical utility in the power of religion. This volume explores how states across multiple regions and a diverse range of faith traditions incorporate religion as an aspect of their foreign policy. Each subsequent chapter is written by a leading expert and explores the role of religion in the global engagement of a particular country. Brazil, China, India, Iran, Jordan, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States are all featured, as are states such as Israel and the Holy See, which by their nature have unique relationships with religion. The case studies illuminate various cross-national patterns, as well as continuities and discontinuities in the role of religion as a geopolitical tool. This volume aims to directly address gaps in scholarly knowledge with data and analysis and seeks to inform and shape scholarship, policymaking, and practice.

For more than half a century, Saudi Arabia - through both official and non-governmental channels - has poured billions of dollars into funding and sponsoring religious activities and Islamic causes around the world. The effect has been to propagate Wahhabism, the distinctively rigid and austere form of Islam associated with the Kingdom's religious establishment, within Muslim communities on almost every continent. This volume features essays by leading scholars who explore the origins and evolution of Saudi religious transnationalism, assess ongoing debates about the impact of these influences in various regions and localities around the world, and discuss possible future trends in light of new Saudi leadership.

"This book is an accessible and comprehensive account of political Islam in the contemporary world. Providing a broad introduction to all major aspects of the interface of Islam and politics, it combines an accessible style with sufficient depth for the academic classroom. Drawing on insights from comparative politics and Islamic studies, this book explains the complex interaction between Islam, society, the state, and processes of globalization. Preserving the previous editions' strong focus on key concepts from Islamic history as they relate to contemporary political Islam, this new edition includes coverage of important developments and updated country overviews from the Middle East, Central and South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America"--

This radical book argues that translocal forces are leading the emergence of a wider Muslim public sphere. It will be invaluable for researchers in international relations, Islamic studies, cultural studies, sociology, religion and politics.

This innovative volume brings together specialists in international relations to tackle a set of difficult questions about what it means to live in a globalized world where the purpose and direction of world politics are no longer clear-cut. What emerges from these essays is a very clear sense that while we may be living in an era that lacks a single, universal purpose, ours is still a world replete with meaning. The authors in this volume stress the need for a pluralistic conception of meaning in a globalized world and demonstrate how increased communication and interaction in transnational s.