This function is a part of a collection of interviews with the contributing authors of Foundations of Worldwide Relations.
John A. Rees is a Professor of Politics and Worldwide Relations on the College of Notre Dame Australia. His analysis focuses on the intersection of faith, nationalism, and worldwide coverage, in addition to theories and strategies within the social scientific examine of faith. Dr Rees is the 2022 Milward L. Simpson Visiting Fulbright Professor on the College of Wyoming. He’s the creator of ‘Faith and Tradition’, in McGlinchey, S. Foundations of Worldwide Relations (2022: Bloomsbury).
You chapter in Foundations of Worldwide Relations offers with faith and tradition – how did you first get entangled in serious about this space of focus?
My curiosity in faith and tradition has many ‘origins’. Maybe the one most related to the textbook is that I labored for a number of years as an educator for a world growth group. The event house is formed by engagements with cultural and non secular practices and communities. I used to be confronted then, as now, with the necessity to grapple with these classes and the implications that totally different interpretations can have for our understanding of worldwide relations.
When it comes to your journey from one-time scholar to educational, how did you discover your manner into this occupation, and might you give a short abstract of your profession so far?
My educational journey started in theology, then prolonged to historic historical past earlier than lastly touchdown within the self-discipline of IR. I used to be drawn to IR due to its policy-orientation. I had a longstanding curiosity within the political theologies of various spiritual traditions, from Shia Islam, to Catholic liberation theologies, to Buddhist resistance actions, and Shinto practices for post-atomic peace. As a result of I had the beginnings of what we now name spiritual literacy, the put up 9/11 worldwide order turned a spot to discover questions of faith and politics in fairly particular methods. My educating, analysis, and public talking – together with a latest Fulbright Fellowship in the USA – has been formed by these components.
How has the best way you perceive the world modified over time, and what (or who) prompted essentially the most important shifts in your pondering?
That may be a nice query. My pondering has advanced via the enter of many gifted students. I might say I’ve shifted from being a scholar to ‘show’ the significance of spiritual and cultural practices in world affairs, to 1 who now investigates how spiritual and cultural traditions adapt to the dynamic political worlds round them (for higher and for worse). When it comes to technique, I describe my work as ‘integrative’ as a result of I are likely to be taught from the sides of a discourse and apply these insights to the center floor, each conceptually and within the coverage area. For instance, I be taught from these essential students who maintain that ‘faith’ is just politics by one other identify, however translate this declare into extra of a essential realist view that preserves the reality and integrity of spiritual traditions.
On the conceptualisation of faith, I’m grateful for the foundational work of Scott M. Thomas, Jocelyne Cesari, R. Scott Appleby, Jeffrey Haynes and plenty of others. On engagements with spiritual custom, post-colonialism, and questions of globalisation, I’ve learnt from students comparable to Robert Orsi, Atalia Omer, and Jose Casanova. On nationalism and beliefs, the work of Anthony D. Smith, Michael Freeden, and Sinisa Malesevic are very influential. I’ve left so many names out! Evidently, I’m humbled by, and indebted to, the work of those and plenty of others.
Do you assume it’s extra necessary for teachers (and college students by extension) to dedicate most of their time to understanding the world, or as a substitute actively to working to alter it?
I believe I’m swimming towards the tide to say that my educating and analysis apply has at all times positioned a precedence on understanding earlier than motion. I’m actually not negating the crucial to behave, however I’m cautious of action-impulses that may make us impatient about first studying a number of sides of a problem (and the sources behind them) previous to critique and/or assist for varied positions within the public realm. Literacy is central. I learnt this throughout my doctorate, which focussed on the World Financial institution’s early engagements with spiritual actors and communities. When explaining my analysis context I shortly found that many individuals had very agency views in regards to the World Financial institution even when they’d an equally restricted data of its historical past, multi-organizational construction, and evolving applications. Non secular custom is one other difficulty the place deepening literacy is crucial.
I believe many students (notably within the secular West) don’t dwell in social worlds which can be often formed by spiritual concepts and communities. In consequence, media-informed responses on faith can too usually stifle tradition-informed studying in scholarly debate. If my scholarly views are merely the sum whole of views from my favorite podcasts, information shops and social media networks, then I’ve wasted the chance to domesticate and apply studying that results in extra grounded (and arguably, extra sustainable) motion.
The place do you see essentially the most thrilling analysis and debates taking place in and across the self-discipline of Worldwide Relations?
The put up/decolonial flip within the self-discipline may be very important. It stays to be seen whether or not totally different colleges of thought emerge inside it, or whether or not it turns into a extra unified ideological motion. I favour the previous over the latter, which might result in a really wealthy custom inside IR.
I additionally assume nationalism – lengthy rejected by globalisers and important faculty structuralists alike – will re-emerge as a area of focus in lieu of Covid and the tectonic shifts attributable to the Russia-Ukraine battle. There’s a longtime literature going again 70 years that’s value reengaging along with the brand new forward-facing views that will probably be written.
My longstanding curiosity in spiritual and cultural identities connects to put up/decolonialism and nationalism, so I’m very to see how each discourses evolve.
What’s crucial recommendation you possibly can give to college students who’re beginning their journey with Worldwide Relations?
At all times evaluate – singular ideologies are the top of thought. Respect how concepts started after which developed over time. Keep in dialog with a number of views inside a discourse. Be as dedicated to the (complicating) particulars of historical past as to the ideas that drive your curiosity. Domesticate sluggish studying. Preserve a large and (politically) diversified set of buddies.
Those that learn your chapter in Foundations of Worldwide Relations will take away many concepts and ideas with them, however is there one thing particular you wish to depart of their minds?
Cultural and non secular traditions are by no means static. Search for how they evolve and adapt over time in response to world occasions.
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