Religion in International Relations Theory

Religion in International Relations Theory

by Nukhet Sandal, Jonathan Fox
Released June 2013
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781135045623

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Book description

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.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. 1 Religions, paradigms, and international relations
    1. A brief overview of the current state of religion in international relations thought
    2. Approaches to integrating religion into international relations theory
    3. Goals, structure, and methodology
  7. 2 Religion and its influence in the international arena
    1. The multiple influences of religion
    2. Religious worldviews
    3. Religious legitimacy
    4. Religious states
    5. Non-state religious actors
    6. Local religious issues and phenomena cross borders
    7. Transnational religious movements
    8. Transnational religious issues
    9. Religious identity
  8. 3 Religion and Classical Realism: interactions within power politics
    1. Religious worldviews and Classical Realism
    2. Religious legitimacy and Classical Realism
    3. Non-state religious actors and Classical Realism
    4. Religious states and Classical Realism
    5. Transnational religious actors and Classical Realism
    6. Transnational religious issues and Classical Realism
    7. Religious identity and Classical Realism
    8. Religion and Classical Realism: interactions within power politics
  9. 4 Religion and Neorealism: interactions within the international system
    1. Religious worldviews and Neorealism
    2. Religious legitimacy and Neorealism
    3. Non-state religious actors and Neorealism
    4. Religious states and Neorealism
    5. Transnational religious actors and Neorealism
    6. Transnational religious issues and Neorealism
    7. Religion and Neorealism: interactions within the international system
  10. 5 Religion and (Neo)liberalism: interactions within the market of ideas
    1. Religious worldviews and Neoliberalism
    2. Religious legitimacy and Neoliberalism
    3. Non-state religious actors and Neoliberalism
    4. Religious states and Neoliberalism
    5. Transnational religious actors and Neoliberalism
    6. Transnational religious issues and Neoliberalism
    7. Religious identity and Neoliberalism
    8. Religion and (Neo)liberalism: interactions within the market
  11. 6 Religion and the English School: interactions within international society
    1. Religious worldviews and the English School 119
    2. Religious legitimacy and the English School
    3. Non-state religious actors and the English School
    4. Religious states and the English School
    5. Transnational religious actors and the English School
    6. Transnational religious issues and the English School
    7. Religious identity and the English School
    8. Religion and the English School: interactions in international society
  12. 7 Religion and Constructivism: interactions, ideas, and identities
    1. Religious worldviews and Constructivism
    2. Religious legitimacy and Constructivism
    3. Non-state religious actors and Constructivism
    4. Religious states and Constructivism
    5. Transnational religious actors and Constructivism
    6. Transnational religious issues and Constructivism
    7. Religious identity and Constructivism
    8. Religion and Constructivism: norms, meanings, and narratives
  13. 8 Religion in international relations theory: interactions and prospects
    1. Religious worldviews and international relations theory
    2. Religious legitimacy and international relations theory
    3. Non-state religious actors and international relations theory
    4. Religious states and international relations theory
    5. Transnational religious actors and international relations theory
    6. Transnational religious movements and international relations theory
    7. Religious identity and international relations theory
    8. Some final thoughts
  14. Notes
  15. Bibliography
  16. Index

Product information

  • Title: Religion in International Relations Theory
  • Author(s): Nukhet Sandal, Jonathan Fox
  • Release date: June 2013
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781135045623