A Foreign Policy of Religious Freedom: Theoretical and Evidentiary Foundations
Author: Daniel Philpott
May 1, 2012
How does religious freedom serve American foreign policy interests? What is the evidence? In this chapter, "A Foreign Policy of Religious Freedom: Theoretical and Evidentiary Foundations," former RFP associate scholar Daniel Philpott took the concept of religious freedom promotion and examined the empirical and theoretical support offered for its underlying premises: that authoritarian regimes that suppress religion often sponsor terrorism; that tolerant democratic regimes often moderate terrorism; and that under the right conditions, religious extremists can become more moderate over time. Philpott's presentation of the evidence serves as a foundation to guide the role of religious freedom promotion in U.S. foreign policy. The chapter appears in Challenges to Religious Liberty in the Twenty-First Century (2012, ed. Gerard V. Bradley).
