Negotiating the Religious Dimension in Foreign Policy.

There has been a growing pressure on foreign policy-makers in Canada and other societies to pay more attention to religion as they study international relations, formulate policies, conduct diplomacy, and deliver programs abroad. This pressure is multifaceted and has both domestic and international sources. Yet, for a variety of reasons, 'negotiating the religious dimension' abroad carries important caveats. The purpose of this paper is to review the rationale for including religion in the policy process and to work through some of the methodological and normative challenges this endeavour represents for scholars and practitioners. It argues for a modest facilitative approach to creating safe and inclusive forums within which ideas with religious dimensions could be broached and contested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]