DOES RELIGION MATTER IN GEOPOLITICS? A FUSED PERSPECTIVE TO CONTEMPORARY CONFLICTS

Dokmanović, Mirjana and Maksimović, Marijana (2024) DOES RELIGION MATTER IN GEOPOLITICS? A FUSED PERSPECTIVE TO CONTEMPORARY CONFLICTS. In: Religion in the International Conflicts of the Modern World. Institute of Social Sciences Institute of National Significance for the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, p. 15. ISBN 978-86-7093-278-4

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Abstract

To contribute studies of the nature and tendencies of contemporary violent conflicts, the authors turn attention to the linkages between religion and critical geopolitics. Classical geopolitical thought is based on rational, materialistic and state-centred thinking and explains international relations in terms of territorial aspirations and geographical positions of states, considering them as secular actors. Classical and neoclassical geopolitics neglect culture, religion, and values as factors in international relations, although geopolitical studies show that territorial aspirations of states include tendencies to influence culture, religion and ideology of population in targeted countries. On the other hand, critical geopolitics pays attention to the linkage between religion and geopolitics, particularly in efforts to understand and explain contemporary violent conflicts. The first part of the article presents new terms that have emerged in the theory, such as ‘religious geopolitics’, ‘geopolitics of religion’ and ‘religeopolitics’. An overview of the literature in this field indicates rising interests of authors to contribute to this approach. Some methodological and analytical challenges are also set out. The third part of the article provides examples of ‘religious geopolitics’ approaches to contemporary conflicts and on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The authors conclude that religion is to be considered in the daily landscape of international relations in order to shed more light on international conflicts.

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