DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power

How States Use Religion in Foreign Policy

Peter Mandaville editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc

Published:27th Nov '23

Should be back in stock very soon

The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power cover

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.

Religious soft power is often alluded to but rarely clarified. This book changes things: the contributors focus on religious soft power in a number of theoretical and empirical contexts and collectively shed much light on the phenomenon. Henceforward, researchers and scholars will have a 'go to' book, to clarify what we mean when we refer to religious soft power. Highly recommended. * Jeffrey Haynes, Emeritus Professor of Politics, London Metropolitan University *
An insightful and compelling exploration of the dynamic relationship between religion and geopolitics. The contributors masterfully navigate the complexities of the relationship between religion and foreign policy, providing thought provoking analysis and engaging case studies of how faith can become an integral part of power and outreach in the international system. A must read for anyone interested in understanding potentials and limits of religious soft power, and how it influences global politics. * Nukhet Sandal, author of Religious Leaders and Conflict Transformation *
This edited volume is the first systematic and comparative analysis of the religious dimension of state foreign policy. It is scholarship at its best, bringing new insights on religion and International Relations. * Jocelyne Cesari, Professor of Religion and Politics, University of Birmingham (UK) and Georgetown University *
The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power stands as a pioneering work, delving into the diverse strategies employed by states as they integrate religion and religious outreach into their external relations...it positions itself as laying the foundation towards understanding this crucial, understudied aspect of international relations, especially in the face of a post-secular, multipolar era. * Omar Ahmed, Middle East Monitor *

ISBN: 9780197605806

Dimensions: 165mm x 229mm x 43mm

Weight: 612g

336 pages