The New Geopolitics of Religion:听Sacred Statecraft in a Changing World Order
Peter Mandaville
George Mason University
Date:听Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Time:听12 - 1pm
Location:听Boisi Center, 24 Quincy Road, Conference Room听听
听
Around the world today we see a trend whereby great powers鈥攁nd those aspiring to that status鈥攊ntegrate religion and religious outreach activities into their foreign policy and external relations. Manifestations of this trend vary widely, from informal efforts to cultivate solidarity with global co-religionists by states whose history and identity are entangled with religion, to more direct deployment of religious institutions and actors in the service of specific foreign policy and national security objectives. This talk will provide a broad overview of this 鈥渘ew geopolitics of faith,鈥� drawing on recent examples from U.S., Chinese, Russian, Turkish, Saudi, and Emirati foreign policy. Through a global comparison of varying motivations, strategies, and practices associated with the deployment of what might be termed 鈥渞eligious soft power,鈥� the presentation will reveal patterns, trends, and outcomes that will enhance our understanding of religion鈥檚 role in contemporary geopolitics.
Dr. Peter Mandaville is professor of international affairs and director of the AbuSulayman Center for Global Islamic Studies at George Mason University, a senior research fellow at Georgetown University鈥檚 Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. His government experience includes serving as a member of the State Department鈥檚 Policy Planning Staff (2011-12), Senior Advisor in the Secretary of State鈥檚 Office of Religion and Global Affairs (2015-16), and director of the Center for Faith-Based Partnerships at USAID (2024-25). His other affiliations have included the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Brookings Institution, the RAND Corporation, the Pew Research Center, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is the author or editor of multiple books including The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power: How States Use Religion in Foreign Policy and Wahhabism and the World: Understanding鈥檚 Saudi Arabia鈥檚 Global Influence on Islam (both Oxford University Press), Islam and Politics (Routledge, 3rd edition 2020), and Reimagining the Umma: Transnational Muslim Politics (2001). He has also contributed to Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, and The Atlantic online and testified before the U.S. Congress on political Islam, countering violent extremism, and human rights in Saudi Arabia. He is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations.