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Mixing religion and public diplomacy can produce volatile results, but in a world in which the dissemination and influence of religious beliefs are enhanced by new communications technologies, religion is a factor in many foreign policy issues and must be addressed. Faith is such a powerful part of so many people's lives that it should be incorporated in public diplomacy efforts if they are to have meaningful resonance among the publics they are trying to reach. This book addresses key issues of faith in an increasingly connected and religious world and provides a better understanding of the role religion plays in public diplomacy.
List of contents
Introduction; Philip Seib 1. Why Religion Matters in the World; Brie Loskota and Richard Flory 2. Pope John Paul II, Radio Free Europe, and Faith Diplomacy; Daniel Hall 3. Vatican Diplomacy in Vietnam and China; Lan Chu 4. China's Faith Diplomacy; Juyan Zhang 5. Public Diplomacy and Transnational Blasphemy Controversies; Najeeba Syeed-Miller 6. Muslims' Online Faith Diplomacy; Mohammed el-Nawawy 7. The Minaret Referendum and Switzerland's Proactive Public Diplomacy; Ambassador Johannes Matyassy and Seraina Flury 8. Capturing the World's Attention: Buddhist Media Diplomacy in Myanmar; Diane Winston 9. Shaping the Narrative of Religious Freedom; Liora Danan Conclusion; Philip Seib
About the author
Brie Loskota, University of Southern California, USA
Richard Flory, University of Southern California, USA
Daniel Hall, University of Southern California, USA
Lan T. Chu, Occidental College, USA
Juyan Zhang, University of Texas at San Antonio, USA
Najeeba Syeed-Miller, Claremont School of Theology, USA
Mohammed El-Nawawy, Queens University of Charlotte, USA
Johannes Matysaay, Switzerland's ambassador to the Republic of Argentina
Seraina Flury, Official at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland
Diane Winston, University of Southern California, USA
Liora Danan, International Center for Religion and Diplomacy
Thomas Farr, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, USA
Summary
Mixing religion and public diplomacy can produce volatile results, but in a world in which the dissemination and influence of religious beliefs are enhanced by new communications technologies, religion is a factor in many foreign policy issues and must be addressed. Faith is such a powerful part of so many people's lives that it should be incorporated in public diplomacy efforts if they are to have meaningful resonance among the publics they are trying to reach. This book addresses key issues of faith in an increasingly connected and religious world and provides a better understanding of the role religion plays in public diplomacy.
Report
"This volume is a significant addition to a meager corpus: scholarly works on the importance of religion to public diplomacy. As Professor Seib notes, religion is - somewhat incredibly - still too often seen as tangential to the work of diplomacy. This group of essays will help change that dynamic." - Thomas F. Farr, Director, The Religious Freedom Project, Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
