Is contemporary international order truly a secular arrangement? Theorists of international relations typically adhere to a narrative that portrays the modern states system as the product of a gradual process of secularization that transcended the religiosity of medieval Christendom. William Bain challenges this narrative by arguing that modern theories of international order reflect ideas that originate in medieval theology. They are, in other words, worldly applications of a theological pattern. This ground-breaking book makes two key contributions to scholarship on international order. First, it provides a thorough intellectual history of medieval and early modern traditions of thought and the way in which they shape modern thinking about international order. It explores the ideas of Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, William of Ockham, Martin Luther, and other theologians to rise above the sharp differentiation of medieval and modern that underpins most international thought. Uncovering this theological inheritance invites a fundamental reassessment of canonical figures, such as Hugo Grotius and Thomas Hobbes, and their contribution to theorizing international order. Second, this book shows how theological ideas continue to shape modern theories of international order by structuring the questions theorists ask as well as the answer they provide. It argues that the dominant vocabulary of international order, system and society, anarchy, balance of power, and constitutionalism, is mediated by the intellectual commitments of nominalist theology. It concludes by exploring the implications of thinking in terms of this theological inheritance, albeit in a world where God is only one of several possibilities that can called upon to secure the regularity of order.

About the Author
William Bain is Associate Professor of International Relations at National University of Singapore. He is the author of Between Anarchy and Society: Trusteeship and the Obligations of Power (OUP, 2003) and editor of, and contributor to, Medieval Foundations of International Relations (Routledge, 2016) and The Empire of Security and the Safety of the People (Routledge, 2006). He has written widely on the theory of international society and the history of international thought.

Reviews
Theologians versed in Radical Orthodoxy and other post-liberal theological currents will recognize the main thrust of Bain's historical argument ... but they will also be well-rewarded by his careful examination of how the modern view of the international order composed of sovereign states is built on an implicit theology, the theory of imposed order derived from medieval nominalism. * Matthew A. Shadle, Marymount University , Modern Theology *
deeply impressive - this is scholarship of the highest order * Chris Brown, Millennium *
a clear and insightful treatment of the intersections of theology and international relations that raises important questions for theologians and international relations theorists alike. * Matthew A. Shadle, Modern Theology *
In this masterful work, William Bain demolishes many of the myths that still underlie the discipline and history of international relations...Political Theology of International Order is a work of rare depth and texture, which has the undoubted merit of challenging many of the most widespread political mythologies. * Antonio Cerella, Contemporary Political Theory *
Bain has achieved great success. The book offers a thorough and definitive rethinking of conventional narratives about the secular character of modern international order by showing how they fail to acknowledge their continued theological contingency and ultimate Eurocentricity...the depth of detail in which the historical rethinking of internatipronal order is conducted, combined with the breadth of intellectual history covered, suggests that this book will reward reading and rereading by scholars of international order for many years to come. * Aaron McKeil, Ethics and International Affairs *
an excellent recovery of historical theology as fundamental to modern international theory * Robert J. Joustra, The Review of Faith & International Affairs *
To sum up, Bain has written an accessible and potentially game-changing book that seeks to build bridges where there are currently only impassable chasms. Political Theology International Order is precisely the kind of text I would - and someday will - use toward the end of my undergraduate course in Medieval Political Thought...I recommend it...without reservation to all who are interested in - and interested in teaching about - the medieval roots of the modern world order. * Andrew Latham, Macalester College, Cambridge Review of International Affairs *
William Bain has written a great book: it is well conceptualized (instead of just relying on the usual common places that reverberate within the networks of the discipline), careful and nuanced in its argumentation, and illuminating for readers who dare to follow him on this unorthodox exploration. * Friedrich Kratochwil, Journal of International Political Theory *
Bain's story is compelling, woven together through numerous feats of interpretation. It merits becoming a landmark. * Daniel Philpott, Journal of International Political Theory *


Awards
Winner of Honorable Mention, International Studies Association Theory Section Best Book Award.



Book Information
ISBN 9780198859901
Author William Bain
Format Hardback
Page Count 272
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 536g
Dimensions(mm) 245mm * 165mm * 20mm