Political Theology of International Order

The modern states system is portrayed as a secular arrangement, but William Bain argues that modern theories of international order reflect ideas that originate in medieval theology. This book provides an intellectual history of medieval and early modern traditions of thought and shows how theological ideas continue to shape modern theories of international order by structuring the questions theorists ask and the answers they provide. It concludes by exploring the implications of thinking in terms of this theological inheritance, albeit in a world where God is only one of several possibilities that can called upon to secure the regularity of order.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 24 November 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Theorists of international relations often present a narrative that portrays the modern states system as the result of a gradual process of secularization that surpassed the religiosity of medieval Christendom. However, William Bain challenges this narrative by arguing that modern theories of international order reflect ideas that originate in medieval theology. In other words, these theories are worldly applications of a theological pattern. This groundbreaking book makes two significant contributions to scholarship on international order. Firstly, it offers a comprehensive intellectual history of medieval and early modern traditions of thought and the ways in which they shape modern thinking about international order. It delves into the ideas of Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, William of Ockham, Martin Luther, and other theologians to transcend the sharp differentiation between medieval and modern that underpins most international thought. Uncovering this theological inheritance invites a fundamental reassessment of canonical figures such as Hugo Grotius and Thomas Hobbes, and their contributions to theorizing international order. Secondly, this book demonstrates how theological ideas continue to shape modern theories of international order by structuring the questions theorists ask and the answers they provide. It argues that the dominant vocabulary of international order, such as system, society, anarchy, balance of power, and constitutionalism, is mediated by the intellectual commitments of nominalist theology. It concludes by exploring the implications of thinking in terms of this theological inheritance, albeit in a world where God is only one of several possibilities that can be called upon to secure the regularity of order.

Weight: 426g
Dimension: 233 x 155 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192887382