Chris Seiple

Dr. Seiple is the Senior Fellow for Comparative Religion at the Jackson School of International Studies. He is widely known and sought after for his decades of experience and expertise regarding issues at the intersection of geopolitics, US foreign policy, Asia, conflict resolution, human rights and religion. He has pioneered innovative solutions in the U.S. Marine Corps, at the U.S. State Department, the Templeton Religion Trust, and as the president of the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE), where he developed a “Track 1.5” theory of change rooted in relational diplomacy. He and IGE are perhaps best known for playing a significant role in the removal of Vietnam (2007) and Uzbekistan (2018) from the U.S. State Department’s religious freedom violations list. His 1996 book, The U.S. Military/NGO Relationship in Humanitarian Interventions, is a seminal work in the field. Seiple is the 2003 founder of the Routledge-published journal, The Review of Faith & International Affairs. He is also the co-author of International Religious Freedom Advocacy: A Guide to Organizations, Law, and NGOs, and a co-editor of The Routledge Handbook on Religion & Security, as well as co-editor of the forthcomingHandbook on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy. Dr. Seiple earned his Ph.D. in International Relations at The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy. He also has an M.A. in National Security from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University. He is the recipient of the 2019 Religious Freedom Award from the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, and the 2019 International Award from the International Religious Liberty Association. Chris is a three-time cancer survivor who embraces each day, gratefully.