Living Critically and ‘Living Faithfully’ in a Global Age: Justice, Emancipation and the Political Theology of International Relations

• Published in: Millennium 2010-12, Vol.39 (2), p.505-524
• Main Author: Thomas, Scott M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 21st century; Climate Change; Conflict; Contemporary problems; Critical Theory; Criticism; Domestic politics; Emancipation; Freedom; Global perspective; Globalization; International Relations; International relations theory; Justice; Modernization; Politics; Poverty; Religion; Religion & politics; Religions; Religiosity; Religious Beliefs; Religious influences; Spirituality; Theology; World Problems
• ISSN: 0305-8298; 1477-9021
• DOI: 10.1177/0305829810385053

This article asks is there a place for religion and spirituality in a critical theory of international relations (IR)? The usual answer is ‘no’ because of critical theory’s generally negative assessment of religion in domestic and international politics. However, while many of these criticisms can be acknowledged, a critical theory of IR still has to grapple with the more complex understanding of religion that already exists in critical theory, and the global resurgence of religion how Eurocentric its concept of religion actually is and how rooted it is in the European experience of modernisation. For the people of the global South — which comprises most of the people in the world — the struggle to ‘live faithfully’ amid the problems of world poverty, climate change, conflict and development can not be separated from their struggle for justice and emancipation. Therefore, a greater dialogue between critical theory and theology is necessary if critical theory is to more fully and creatively contribute to our understanding of some of the most important global issues in the study of IR in the 21st century.