Religion in Foreign Policy: A Comparative Series
Religion seems to feature prominently in the international relations of many states around the world today. Whether mobilizing religious affinities as a form of “soft power,” positioning religion as a force to counteract perceived ideological foes, or creating transnational networks of religious populism, governments clearly perceive geopolitical utility in the power of religion. During the 2020-2021 academic year this webinar series looked comparatively at how states across multiple world regions and a diverse range of faith traditions incorporate religion as an aspect of their foreign policy. Leading experts from around the world explored the role of religion in the global engagement of countries such as Brazil, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States. States such as Israel and the Holy See, which by their nature have a unique relationship with religion, were also considered. This series was made possible by generous support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Henry Luce Foundation as part of the Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power project.
