ABSTRACT
The demise of religion, or religion’s relegation to the private sphere, has been a recurrent theme for over two centuries. However, recent decades have witnessed a global resurgence of politicized religion, with religious motivation being claimed by various actors who seek to change societies, to bring down authoritarian regimes, to promote both conflict and reconciliation. Religious motivation has also played a strong role in modern global terrorism. This chapter will examine this phenomenon through an examination of the relationship between religion and international politics. The first section will explore and explain the alleged absence of religion from the study of international politics. Second, the development of a global resurgence of political religion will be analysed. Finally, several case studies will be used to demonstrate how religion has entered the international political arena.
