Jonathan Agensky
The Wealth and Poverty theme is hosting a research talk, given by Dr. Jonathan Agensky (Political Science), on “Faith, Aid and Global Governance” on Wednesday, April 5, at noon in Baker 231.
This event is co-sponsored with the African Studies program. Agensky’s talk is open to the public, and light refreshments will be provided.
Abstract: Religious groups draw from rich historical traditions in order to act in solidarity with those who suffer. In doing so, they impact the political futures of those in the global South and the lives of those embroiled in chronic emergency. Although many question the compatibility of ‘faith-based’ actors with international norms and practices, a more important question centers on how the international system relies on these actors for establishing order in postcolonial settings. This talk explores entanglements of the ‘secular’ and the ‘religious’ in areas of aid and security, highlighting how religious actors pursue political reform through humanitarian action. Utilizing research on South Sudan’s second civil war and 2011 independence, it provides an overview of how religion, statehood, and liberal global governance intersect through the incorporation of religious institutions into regional and global aid networks.
Jonathan C. Agensky is Assistant Professor of IR/Global Governance at Ohio University, Department of Political Science. He earned his doctorate at the University of Cambridge, specializing in religion and international relations, humanitarianism and global governance, and postcolonial Africa. He works largely within the framework of interpretive IR, drawing on international historical sociology, postcolonial/ African studies, and social and political theory, and has been published in journals like the European Journal of International Relations, Global Society, and Globalizations.
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