Bringing Religion Back to the Forefront: An Opinion-Oriented Study from IR Scholars in Malaysia’s Research Universities

Abstract

In the wake of major global events such as 9/11, it is becoming increasingly necessary to consider Religion as a tool to analyse these conflicts. Unfortunately, the field of International Relations (IR) has sidelined Religion in favor of other mainstream, secular theories, particularly in the West. This research aims to highlight the non-Western perspective of Religion in IR and discusses how to effectively implement it in the discipline. The study was conducted by analysing data collected during interviews with 13 IR scholars from three Malaysian research universities (RU). The findings revealed a strong consensus on the importance of integrating Religion into IR. Scholars largely dismiss the field’s secular bias, and suggest a constructivist approach when analysing Religion in IR due to its emphasis on ideational factors and normative change. Lastly, the scholars recommended multidisciplinary and experiential approaches to prepare students to engage with the complexity of Religion in IR.