As Scott Thomas put it, “it is a bit surprising that Dan Philpott, an early, and one of the earliest, scholars of the religious turn in the study of IR, has not already received this award earlier. It is overdue.”
His work has “challenged the hegemony of rational choice theory in the political science discipline” and examined the relationship between religion and democracy, ethics, peace-building, reconciliation, and religious freedom. He has worked with religious leaders in Kashmir and Central Africa on peace and reconciliation, as well as conducting a major study of forgiveness in the wake of armed violence in Uganda.
He has published award-winning books, as well as in IR journals such as World Politics, a feat very few religion and IR scholars have managed.

See a video honoring Dr. Philpott on our Videos page.

Dr. Jocelyne Cesari is the recipient of the Religion & IR Distinguished Scholar Award in 2020. Her work is among the most prominent, important and impactful in the field of religion in international studies. Her work spans religious minorities in France and the securitization of Islam in the west, to religion in comparative international studies and international relations, and she is one of the most productive and insightful scholars in this field.