What the Farnesina Learned from R. Scott Appleby

Abstract

At the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the “Farnesina”) a special program was created in order to deal with religions and international relations. In this context, the work of R. Scott Appleby soon became a point of reference, especially for the Policy Planning Unit under the direction of the Author. In a series of meetings and conferences with R. Scott Appleby, many useful ideas were discussed and analyzed in view of a more articulated approach of the Italian MAE towards religions abroad and also for the internal organization of the Ministry. Some of these recommendations, drawn from the academic work of R. Scott Appleby, were partially implemented, establishing a bridge between theory and practice on diplomatic religious engagement.

Keywords:

• Religion and foreign policy
• religion and international relations
• religious engagement
• religions and global governance

ORCID

Pasquale Ferrara http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2035-1548

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pasquale Ferrara

Pasquale Ferrara is a Senior Italian Diplomat engaged also in the academic field. He teaches Diplomacy and Negotiation at LUISS—Rome, and International Relations and Integration at Sophia University Institute near Florence. He has published several articles in academic reviews such as “The Concept of Periphery in Pope Francis’ Discourse: A Religious Alternative to Globalization?” Religions, No. 6, 2015, and “An Italian Foreign Policy of Religious Engagements: Challenges and Prospects,” The International Spectator, Vol. 51, No. 1, 2016 (with Fabio Petito). His books include Global Religions and International Relations (Palgrave MacMillan, 2015).