Please join us for a talk by Dr. John Rees next Tuesday, October 16th in Thomson Hall 317 at 4:45pm!
The inclusion of religion as a factor in the making of foreign policy is now as contested as it was once ignored. John A. Rees (Notre Dame Australia) identifies important fault-lines in the debate and argues that scholars and policymakers must first understand the landscape of power where religion readily resides before deciding how (or whether) to prioritize religion in foreign policy formulation. He proposes a framework intended to enhance religious literacy among policymakers and increase the value of religion as a vital resource for policy development. The framework is comparatively applied to the foreign policy orientations of the United States and Australia, allies that share common strategic interests but with strongly contrasting approaches toward religion as a policy resource.
John A. Rees, PhD, is Associate Professor in International Relations and Director (Acting) of the Institute for Ethics and Society at The University of Notre Dame Australia. He is an award-winning university educator and a recognized scholar in the study of religion and global politics. He holds a PhD in International Relations (University of New South Wales) and Masters degrees in theology, ancient history and international relations.