God and International Relations

Mika Luoma-aho is the he Head of the Department of Social Studies and a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Lapland, Finland. He also serves on the Editorial Board of Kosmopolis, and has published in journals such as International Political Sociology, Geopolitics, and Journal of European Public Policy. He is the author of four books, including Europe as a Living Organism: Organicist Symbolism and Political Subjectivity in the New Europe (2002).

• 1 Preface; 2 Secularisation of Theological Concepts; Symbolism and Beyond; The Two Political Worldviews; Body Politics-Tradition; Jesus Christ as Model; Appropriation of Secular Authority; Fear and Modern Order; 3 Sacralisation of International Relations; "States are People Too!"; Personality, Morality, and Community; Anthropomorphism and Religion; Political Dogma of IR; 4 Political Theology of The United Nations; The UN and its Indispensable Foundations; Insisting on True Meaning; The Tao; Development and Guilt; 5 Conclusion: States and Death.

"The gauntlet of God is yet again thrown down against the idolization of the state. A worthy challenge to any IR theorist" -- Iver B. Neumann,Director of Research,  Norwegian Institute of International Affairs