Religion and International Relations Theory

by Jack Snyder (Editor)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231526913
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	03/31/2011
Series:	Religion, Culture, and Public Life , #10
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	232
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Jack Snyder is the Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Relations at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, Columbia University. His books include Electing to Fight: Why Emerging Democracies Go to War; From Voting to Violence: Democratization and National Conflict; and Myths of Empire: Domestic Politics and International Ambition.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction, by Jack Snyder
2. The Fall and Rise of Religion in International Relations: History and Theory, by Timothy Samuel Shah and Daniel Philpott
3. Secularism and International Relations Theory, by Elizabeth Shakman Hurd
4. Another Great Awakening? International Relations Theory and Religion, by Michael Barnett
5. Religion, Rationality, and Violence, by Monica Duffy Toft
6. Religion and International Relations: No Leap of Faith Required, by Daniel H. Nexon
7. In the Service of State and Nation: Religion in East Asia, by Il Hyun Cho and Peter J. Katzenstein
8. Conclusion: Religion's Contribution to International Relations Theory, by Emily Cochran Bech and Jack Snyder
List of Contributors
Index

Editorial Reviews

impressive

Foreign Affairs - G. John Ikenberry

Though religion has returned to the global public square with a vengeance, until now international relations theory seemed oblivious. This book changes that. Its timely and thoughtful essays bring religion back into the picture, exploring major aspects of international relations theory and providing new ways of thinking about religion within major theoretical frames of reference. Written with clarity and grace by leading thinkers in the field, this landmark book will be read by scholars and students of international relations theory for years to come.

Mark Juergensmeyer

... the book is easy to read and is a great source for scholars who are interested in the roots of secularism and the resurgence of religion. The contributors also elegantly tie their research to international relations theory in their respective conclusions.

Nukhet A. Sandal

This book will become essential reading for anyone studying the importance of religion in international relations. Indeed, it will be relevant for anyone who wishes to understand key dynamics in international affairs more broadly.

Hendrik Spruyt

A remarkable collection that brings religion, in all its multiple forms, into international relations theory. These erudite chapters show the origins of secular theories in religious values and institutions, the ways in which religion can be incorporated into established theories, the other ways in which religion continues to rival secular world views, and the variety of consequences that we should expect from a world in which religion appears to be becoming increasingly salient. An essential addition to the library of international theory.

Michael W. Doyle

... the book is easy to read and is a great source for scholars who are interested in the roots of secularism and the resurgence of religion. The contributors also elegantly tie their research to international relations theory in their respective conclusions.

— Nukhet A. Sandal

Perspectives on Politics

impressive

— G. John Ikenberry

Foreign Affairs