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Released as part of the Palgrave Macmillan Series on Culture and Religion in International Relations, this book offers a broad yet systematic overview of an issue that has become increasingly contentious in the past two decades, namely the role of religion in international relations. According to Jonathan Fox and Shmuel Sandler, the two highly respected international relations experts who authored the book, the "various manifestations of religion and their influence" have settled the controversy: religion is important to international relations research. Their book in fact covers a wide range of issues involving religion, from religious legitimacy and the internationalization of local religious conflicts to transnational religious phenomena and the so-called the clash of civilizations. They also focus on a particular case study, the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Although they recognize that "religion is not the main driving force behind international relations," they believe that "international relations cannot be understood without taking religion into account" (7).
But, readers beware! Their book is not about religion. It is about its influence on the worldview and identity of political actors as well as the legitimacy religion confers upon...