Religion and Politics in International Relations

Religion and Politics in International Relations
Author: Timothy Fitzgerald
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2011-10-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1441195351

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 dangerous manifestation being "Islamic terrorism". This book illustrates that the essential distinction between irrational religion and rational secular politics appears as an unquestioned preconception on the basis of which policy is conducted, countries invaded and wars fought. Arguing that this rhetorical construction of religion provides the foundation for faith in the rationality of modern liberal capitalism, Fitzgerald demonstrates how a historically contingent discourse has been transformed into a powerful set of global assumptions.

Religion and International Relations Theory

Religion and International Relations Theory
Author: Jack Snyder
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2011-03-31
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0231526911

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. The essays in this collection rectify this. Authored by leading scholars, they introduce models that integrate religion into the study of international politics and connect religion to a rising form of populist politics in the developing world. Contributors identify religion as pervasive and distinctive, forcing a reframing of international relations theory that reinterprets traditional paradigms. One essay draws on both realism and constructivism in the examination of religious discourse and transnational networks. Another positions secularism not as the opposite of religion but as a comparable type of worldview drawing on and competing with religious ideas. With the secular state's perceived failure to address popular needs, religion has become a banner for movements that demand a more responsive government. The contributors to this volume recognize this trend and propose structural and theoretical innovations for future advances in the discipline.

The Politics of Secularism in International Relations

The Politics of Secularism in International Relations
Author: Elizabeth Shakman Hurd
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 261
Release: 2009-01-10
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1400828015

Conflicts involving religion have returned to the forefront of international relations. And yet political scientists and policymakers have continued to assume that religion has long been privatized in the West. This secularist assumption ignores the contestation surrounding the category of the "secular" in international politics. The Politics of Secularism in International Relations shows why this thinking is flawed, and provides a powerful alternative. Elizabeth Shakman Hurd argues that secularist divisions between religion and politics are not fixed, as commonly assumed, but socially and historically constructed. Examining the philosophical and historical legacy of the secularist traditions that shape European and American approaches to global politics, she shows why this matters for contemporary international relations, and in particular for two critical relationships: the United States and Iran, and the European Union and Turkey. The Politics of Secularism in International Relations develops a new approach to religion and international relations that challenges realist, liberal, and constructivist assumptions that religion has been excluded from politics in the West. The first book to consider secularism as a form of political authority in its own right, it describes two forms of secularism and their far-reaching global consequences.

Religion, Politics and International Relations

Religion, Politics and International Relations
Author: Jeff Haynes
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2011-04-07
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1136737537

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.

Religion in International Relations Theory

Religion in International Relations Theory
Author: Nukhet Sandal
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2013-06-19
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1135045631

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 this attention, it is challenging to situate religion within a discipline which has been dominantly secular from its inception. Only a few existent works have ventured to integrate religion into core international relations theories such as Classical Realism, Neorealism, Neoliberalism, Constructivism and the English school. This work is the first systematic attempt to comparatively assess the place of religion in the aforementioned theoretical strands of international relations with contemporary examples from around the world. Written in an accessible and systematic fashion, this book will be an important addition to the fields of both religion and international relations. Nukhet A. Sandal is Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department at Ohio University. Jonathan Fox is Professor in the Department of Political Studies at Bar Ilan University, Israel.

Religion and International Relations

Religion and International Relations
Author: K.R. Dark
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2000-01-26
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1403916594

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.

Global Religions and International Relations: A Diplomatic Perspective

Global Religions and International Relations: A Diplomatic Perspective
Author: P. Ferrara
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2015-12-24
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 113740082X

With a religious re-emergence in international relations, this book provides an introduction to the role religions play within the global political arena. Culled from theoretical, practical, and real-world experiences, Ferrara explains the role religion now plays in global affairs on diplomatic and political levels.

An Introduction to International Relations and Religion

An Introduction to International Relations and Religion
Author: Jeffrey Haynes
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 447
Release: 2014-04-23
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1317860632

Not so very long ago it seemed reasonable to assert that the influence of religion on global politics was on the wane. As the Western world became increasingly secular and the process of globalisation deepened, it seemed inevitable - on the surface at least - that the voice of religion was to be heard softly if it was to be heard at all. This has now changed, and changed perhaps irrevocably. As Jeff Haynes argues in this thought-provoking and important new book, various religious 'actors' are now significantly involved in international relations and have become a crucial influence on policy in a post-Westphalian world. International Relations and Religion guides the reader through the complex issues at the heart of this topic with clarity and insight. This updated second edition starts with a close reading of the many theoretical and analytical concepts - notably Huntington and the clash of civilisations - that have grown up around this area and then concludes with a summary of the issues under discussion and attempts to put into context what it means to live in a world that is increasingly shaped by a whole host of diverse religious groups. Essential reading for students of International Relations and Politics.

Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective

Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective
Author: Ted Gerard Jelen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2002-04-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1316582744

Religion is resurgent across the globe. In many countries religion is a powerful source of political mobilization, and in some a potent social cleavage. In some religion reinforces the state, in others it provides the space for resistance. This book contains a series of detailed studies examining religion and politics in specific countries or regions. The cases include countries with one dominant religious tradition, and others with two or more competing traditions. They include Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Hinduism, Shinto and Buddhism. They include states where religion and politics are closely linked, and others with at least a low wall of separation between church and state. The cases are organized by the type of religious marketplace, but allow many other comparisons as well. We develop some generalizations from the cases, and hope that they will be a fertile source of theorizing for others.