Beyond dualism: Expanded understandings of religion and global justice

Abstract

The world's religions have strong traditions of contributing to theories and practices around justice. Recent debates on global justice within International Relations (IR), however, have largely overlooked possible contributions from religion. This article explores why religion is neglected, despite its potential for constructive involvement in the pursuit of global justice. I argue that dominant macro-level conceptions of both global justice and religion within IR have been limited by dualism. Combining Kristeva's (1986) reading of Bakhtinian dialogism and Prokhovnik's (2003) relational thought, I propose expanded understandings of both religion and global justice that move beyond dualism. These expanded understandings open up creative ways for IR scholars and practitioners to engage in processes aimed at overcoming global inequalities and injustices. © 2010 International Studies Association.