Bringing Religion Into International Relations

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.

Jonathan Fox received his PhD in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland in 1997 and is currently a Lecturer in the Political Studies Department of Bar Ilan University (Ramat Gan, Israel). His research interests include the role of religion in conflict, international relations, and politics, as well as issues of separation of religion and state. He has published numerous articles on these topics in journals as well as his recent book Ethnoreligious Conflict in the Late Twentieth Century.
Shmuel Sandler is Professor of political science and international politics, and the holds the Sara and Simha Lainer Chair in Democracy and Civility at Bar Ilan University (Ramat Gan, Israel). . He authored and edited over 10 books and over 50 articles that appeared in professional journals and edited books. His recent research concentrates ethnic politics and international relations