Religion and Post-Conflict Statebuilding ─ Roman Catholic and Sunni Islamic Perspectives

Was religion a friend or foe in the post-conflict statebuilding endeavours of Iraq and Afghanistan? An under-explored area in academia and policy circles alike, religious institutions are important non-state actors that wield considerable influence and can draw upon extensive resources. In this book, Dragovic considers how the unique traits of religious institutions can make or break statebuilding efforts. But understanding how religious institutions can contribute does not explain why they would. Drawing from the theologies of Roman Catholicism and Sunni Islam the book diverges from traditional approaches such as rational choice theory and instead embraces a teleological view recognizing the importance of belief in understanding a religious institution's motivations. Using the author's extensive experience as a practitioner, it then applies theory and theology to the practical case study of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Denis Dragovic is Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and an international development expert having worked with various UN agencies and NGOs in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. He holds a PhD in political theology from the University of St Andrews, UK.