Religion in International Relations Theory

1 Religions, paradigms, and international relations

There is a growing realization among scholars of international relations that religion is an important factor in global politics. The numerous events that led to this realization include the Iranian Revolution, the September 11 attacks, widespread employment of religious discourse in politics worldwide, the rise of Al-Qaeda on the international scene, and the ethno-religious conflicts such as those in the former Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka and Iraq. The successes of religious political parties and groups across the world ranging from the Christian Democrats in Europe to the Bharatiya Janata Party in India similarly illustrate religion’s expanding international profile. There is also ...