Culture and Religion in International Relations

1 total work

Bringing Religion into International Relations

by Jonathan Fox and Shmuel Sandler

Published 19 June 2004

This book examines the role religion plays in international relations as well as why this role has been ignored until now by international relations theorists. Fox and Sandler argue that while religion is not the driving force in world politics, international relations cannot be understood without taking religion into account. Religious legitimacy influences policy makers and their constituents; local religious phenomena, especially religious conflicts, cross borders; many transnational issues like human rights and population control have religious components. The authors also examine Huntington's Clash of Civilizations, which touches indirectly upon the role of religion in current world politics, and provide insights into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.