Philpott Brings Interest in Religion and Politics to Core Faculty

Daniel Philpott, the newest member of Kroc Institute’s Core Faculty, will bring fresh insights into the relationship between religion and politics to the Institute. Philpott holds a joint appointment as Assistant Professor in Government and International Studies.

Philpott is not a newcomer at Notre Dame. In 1998-99, he spent a year on campus as a visiting fellow at the Erasmus Institute. He also held a visiting appointment at Princeton in 1995-96 after completing his doctorate at Harvard in 1995.

Philpott’s first book focuses on the role of ideas in the historical development of sovereignty. Revolutions in Sovereignty: How Ideas Shaped Modern International Relations was released by Princeton University Press in March 2001.

“The topic was essentially answering the question: How did the world ever get to be organized into sovereign states,” he explains. “The book focuses on two historical episodes: first, the formation of the sovereign state system in early modern Europe that culminated in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, and second, the decline of the colonial empires during the 20th century that culminated around 1960. The latter development resulted in the expansion of the sovereign state system around the globe.”

“One of the things that made me want to look at this was the fact that sovereignty is (now) becoming compromised and circumscribed.” Two major influences, he says, are behind the current challenges to sovereign states. “One is the ongoing extension of the European Union. The other is the increasing incidence of humanitarian intervention in the internal affairs of various nations.”

What has intrigued many about Philpott’s point of view is the bold case he makes for the central role of ideas — particularly religious ideas — in the evolution of sovereign states. While military and economic power cannot be overlooked, only the power of ideas can adequately explain the creation of a world of sovereign states, he argues.

That interplay of religious ideas in politics has particularly preoccupied Philpott. He is a member of a scholarly working group promoting the study of religion and politics. Directed by Harvard’s Samuel Huntington, it includes scholars from across the United States.

Recently, Philpott’s scholarship has turned to issues of reconciliation. “The subject of reconciliation in politics is one that I now want to address in an academic way,” Philpott comments. “Reconciliation has many layers, and it must involve justice, accountability and truth-telling. I am interested in exploring the larger question of how societies deal with past injustices or evils.”

A recent convert to Catholicism, Philpott has been deeply impressed by Pope John Paul II. The pope’s contributions in bringing the language of reconciliation and forgiveness into the broader social context have not yet been fully appreciated or explored, he says.

In 1996, a five-day visit to war-torn Sarajevo deepened Philpott’s commitment to exploring issues of political recon-ciliation. Traveling as part of an international team, he observed the devastating impact of war and was impressed by discussions of reconciliation by diplomats, religious leaders and relief workers from Islamic, Catholic and Serbian Orthodox traditions. Philpott plans to continue field research on reconciliation in other conflict settings.

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