The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power : How States Use Religion in Foreign Policy

Religion features prominently in the international relations of many states around the world today. Whether mobilizing religious affinities as a form of public diplomacy, positioning religion as a force to counteract perceived ideological foes, or creating transnational networks of religious populism to support incumbent regimes--governments clearly perceive geopolitical utility in the power of religion. This volume explores how states across multiple regions and a diverse range of faith traditions incorporate religion as an aspect of their foreign policy. Each subsequent chapter is written by a leading expert and explores the role of religion in the global engagement of a particular country. Brazil, China, India, Iran, Jordan, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States are all featured, as are states such as Israel and the Holy See, which by their nature have unique relationships with religion. The case studies illuminate various cross-national patterns, as well as continuities and discontinuities in the role of religion as a geopolitical tool. This volume aims to directly address gaps in scholarly knowledge with data and analysis and seeks to inform and shape scholarship, policymaking, and practice. Cover The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power Copyright Contents Acknowledgments List of Contributors 1. Thinking about Religion and Religious Soft Power in International Relations and Foreign Policy Analysis 2. Tragedy or Irony: Geopolitical Grand Narratives, Religious Outreach, and US Soft Power 3. “Putin-​Phonia”: Harnessing Russian Orthodoxy to Advance Russia’s Secular Foreign Policy 4. Chinese Buddhism and Soft Power: Geopolitical Strategy and Modality of Religion 5. Turkey’s Ambivalent Religious Soft Power in the Illiberal Turn 6. The Modi Government and the Uses and Limits of India’s Religious Soft Power 7. Shi’i Diplomacy: Religious Identity and Foreign Policy in the Axis of Resistance 8. Hassan II and the Foundations of Moroccan Religious Soft Power 9. Religious Diplomacy in the Arab Gulf and the Politics of Moderate Islam 10. Indonesian Islam as Model for the World? Diplomacy, Soft Power, and the Geopolitics of “Moderate Islam” 11. Moderation as Jordanian Soft Power: Islam and Beyond 12. Israel’s Religious Soft Power: Within and Beyond Judaism 13. Soft Power of the Catholic Papacy 14. “Brazil above Everything or God above Everyone?” The Sources of Brazil’s Religious Soft Power 15. Religious Soft Power: Promises, Limits, and Ways Forward Notes Index