Religion and Politics in International Relations : The Modern Myth ebook MOBI, DOC, EPUB
9781441142900 English 1441142908 >, Critical analysis of the modern myth of 'religion' and its distinction from 'secular politics' as it appears in recent International Relations literature., Illustrates that the essential distinction between irrational religion and rational secular politics appears as an unquestioned preconception on the basis of which policy is conducted, countries invaded and wars fought. The author demonstrates how a historically contingent discourse has been transformed into a powerful set of global assumptions., There are two notably different images of 'religion' in public discourse One is that religion is essentially peace-loving, non-violent, non-political, concerned with the inner spiritual life and the other world. Religion has nothing to do with power. Religion is kind, gentle, non-political and non-profit-making. Religion is a matter of personal faith and piety, essentially separated from the non-religious rough-and-tumble of practical politics and economics. The other image of religion is that it is essentially barbarous, violent and irrational, a malign agent in the world, causing conflict and mayhem and threatening the essentially peace-loving and reasonable nature of the non-religious secular state., This book illustrates that the essential distinction between irrational religion and rational secular politics appears as an unquestioned preconception on the basis of which policy is conducted, countries invaded and wars fought. Arguing that this rhetorical construction of religion provides the foundation for faith in the rationality of modern liberal capitalism, Fitzgerald demonstrates how a historically contingent discourse has been transformed into a powerful set of global assumptions., This is a critical analysis of the modern myth of 'religion' and its distinction from 'secular politics' as it appears in recent International Relations literature. Scholars in International Relations concerned with religion and its relations to world politics are rhetorically constructing a powerful modern myth. A component of this myth is that religion is inherently violent and irrational unless controlled by the secular state, which is inherently rational and only reluctantly violent. Timothy Fitzgerald discusses how, in this modern myth, 'religion' appears as a force of nature which either assists or threatens the sacred secular order of things, and how religion is portrayed as a kind of universal essence which takes many forms, its recent most dangerous manifestation being 'Islamic terrorism'. This book illustrates that the essential distinction between irrational religion and rational secular politics appears as an unquestioned preconception on the basis of which policy is conducted, countries invaded and wars fought. Arguing that this rhetorical construction of religion provides the foundation for faith in the rationality of modern liberal capitalism, Fitzgerald demonstrates how a historically contingent discourse has been transformed into a powerful set of global assumptions.
9781441142900 English 1441142908 >, Critical analysis of the modern myth of 'religion' and its distinction from 'secular politics' as it appears in recent International Relations literature., Illustrates that the essential distinction between irrational religion and rational secular politics appears as an unquestioned preconception on the basis of which policy is conducted, countries invaded and wars fought. The author demonstrates how a historically contingent discourse has been transformed into a powerful set of global assumptions., There are two notably different images of 'religion' in public discourse One is that religion is essentially peace-loving, non-violent, non-political, concerned with the inner spiritual life and the other world. Religion has nothing to do with power. Religion is kind, gentle, non-political and non-profit-making. Religion is a matter of personal faith and piety, essentially separated from the non-religious rough-and-tumble of practical politics and economics. The other image of religion is that it is essentially barbarous, violent and irrational, a malign agent in the world, causing conflict and mayhem and threatening the essentially peace-loving and reasonable nature of the non-religious secular state., This book illustrates that the essential distinction between irrational religion and rational secular politics appears as an unquestioned preconception on the basis of which policy is conducted, countries invaded and wars fought. Arguing that this rhetorical construction of religion provides the foundation for faith in the rationality of modern liberal capitalism, Fitzgerald demonstrates how a historically contingent discourse has been transformed into a powerful set of global assumptions., This is a critical analysis of the modern myth of 'religion' and its distinction from 'secular politics' as it appears in recent International Relations literature. Scholars in International Relations concerned with religion and its relations to world politics are rhetorically constructing a powerful modern myth. A component of this myth is that religion is inherently violent and irrational unless controlled by the secular state, which is inherently rational and only reluctantly violent. Timothy Fitzgerald discusses how, in this modern myth, 'religion' appears as a force of nature which either assists or threatens the sacred secular order of things, and how religion is portrayed as a kind of universal essence which takes many forms, its recent most dangerous manifestation being 'Islamic terrorism'. This book illustrates that the essential distinction between irrational religion and rational secular politics appears as an unquestioned preconception on the basis of which policy is conducted, countries invaded and wars fought. Arguing that this rhetorical construction of religion provides the foundation for faith in the rationality of modern liberal capitalism, Fitzgerald demonstrates how a historically contingent discourse has been transformed into a powerful set of global assumptions.