The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power: Understanding the Role of Religion in Saudi, Iranian & Turkish Foreign Policy
Professor Peter Mandaville, Schar School of Policy & Government, George Mason University
Talk Abstract
Religion seems to feature prominently in the international relations of many states in today’s world. Whether mobilizing religious affinities as “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. This presentation will explore how states across multiple world regions and faith traditions incorporate religion as an aspect of foreign policy. Its primary focus is on the varying approaches and roles for religion in the external relations of Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey today. Drawing on his own government experience, the speaker will also reflect on these issues in the context of recent efforts by governments, including the United States, to better understand and engage religion in diplomacy.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Peter Mandaville is Professor of International Affairs, Schar School of Policy & Government and Director of the Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies, both at George Mason University. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs. From 2011-12 he was a member of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Policy Planning Staff where he helped shape the U.S. response to the Arab Spring. From 2015-16 he was a Senior Advisor in the Secretary of State’s Office of Religion & Global Affairs where he acted as the U.S. Department of State’s primary subject matter expert on Islam. He has authored or edited many books, including Islam & Politics (3rd edition, 2020), The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power (forthcoming, Oxford UP) and Wahhabism and the World: Understanding Saudi Arabia’s Global Impact on Islam (forthcoming, Oxford UP).
