Call for Papers for a Special Issue: Russian Religious Philosophy and International Relations Theory
The MGIMO Review of International Relations announces a call for papers for the special issue on “Russian Religious Philosophy and International Relations Theory.”
The forthcoming issue, scheduled for release in February 2024, aims to illuminate how Russian religious philosophy can contribute to a critique of existing theories of international relations, as well as development of novel ones. As we now understand that IR theory had some of its roots in Protestant theology (most prominently exemplified by Reinhold Niebuhr, but also identifiable in the thought of Hans Morgenthau, Herbert Butterfield, Martin Wight, etc.), it is pertinent to ask: would International Relations look different if seen from an Eastern Orthodox perspective? With mainstream IR theories facing a growing criticism for their inability to account for historical and intellectual experience of non-Western societies, a turn to Russian religious philosophy may well prove instrumental in moving toward the truly Global IR.
We invite prospective authors to submit research papers, review articles, and book reviews that focus on the following areas:
- Reimagining key concepts of international relations theory – including statehood, sovereignty, international anarchy, war and peace, etc. – through the lens of Russian religious philosophy.
- Exploring visions of global order offered by Russian religious philosophy, and evaluating their critical and transformative potential.
- Comparing Russian and Western philosophies’ approaches to international politics.
- Uncovering analyses of international relations found in the philosophical systems of specific thinkers.
We invite submissions that draw upon the thought of most well-known figures (Vladimir Solovyov, Pavel Florensky, Sergei Bulgakov, Aleksei Losev, Nikolai Berdyaev, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Leo Tolstoy) and a broader circle of Russian religious philosophers of the late 19th — mid-20th century (including Semyon Frank, Nikolai Lossky, Nikolai Fedorov, proponents of the neo-patristic synthesis, etc.), as well as more recent thinkers such as Sergei Averintsev and Sergey Horujy.
The submission deadline is October 1, 2023. Prospective authors are requested to submit their contributions online using "Start submission" button on the journal's website. Please, indicate in the "Comments for the Editor" that the submission is for Special Issue: Russian Religious Philosophy and International Relations Theory.
If you are uncertain whether your article aligns with the focus of this special issue, we suggest submitting an abstract to vestnik@inno.mgimo.ru for preliminary assessment. Please note, approval of an abstract does not ensure acceptance of the full article for publication. All received manuscripts will be subject to a rigorous double-blind peer-review process. For detailed information on the structure and formatting of submissions, please refer to the “Guidelines for Authors” section on our website.
