Many historians consider the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War in 1648, to mark a watershed in European international relations. It is generally agreed that Westphalia brought to an end more than a century of religious conflicts and marked the beginning of a new era in which secular power politics was the prime motivating factor in international relations and warfare. The purpose of this volume is to question this assumption and reconceptualise the relationship between war, foreign policy and religion during the period 1648 to 1713.

Some of the contributions to the volume directly challenge the idea that religion ceased to play a role in war and foreign policy. Others confirm the traditional view that religion did not play a dominant role after 1648, but seek to re-evaluate its significance and thereby redefine religious influences on policy in this period. By exploring this issue from various perspectives, the volume offers a unique opportunity to reassess the influence of religion in international politics. It also yields deeper insights into concepts of secularisation, and complements the research of many social and cultural historians who have begun to challenge the idea of a decline in the influence of religion in domestic politics and society. By matching the relationship between conflict and religion with this scholarship a more nuanced appreciation of the European situation begins to emerge.

Contents: Introduction: the 'dark alliance' between religion and war, David Onnekink; Plus royaliste que le pape: Louis XIV's religious policy and his Guerre de Holland, Paul Sonnino; The role of religion in Spanish foreign policy in the reign of Carlos II (1665–1700), Christopher Storrs; After Westphalia: remodelling a religious foreign policy, Andrew C. Thompson; The last war of religion? The Dutch and the 9 Years War, David Onnekink; Diplomacy, religion and political stability: the views of 3 English diplomats, Stéphane Jettot; The blessed Trinity: the army, the navy and providence in the conduct of warfare, 1688–1713, K.A.J. McLay; Schomberg, Miremont and Huguenot invasions of France, Matthew Glozier; The States General on religion and war: manifestos, policy documents and prayer days in the Dutch republic, 1672–1713, Donald Haks; An English dissenter and the crisis of European Protestantism: Roger Morrice's perception of European politics in the 1680s, Stephen Taylor; A righteous war and a Papist peace: war, peace and religion in the political rhetoric of the United Provinces, 1648–1672, Jill Stern; Defending the true faith: religious themes in Dutch pamphlets on England, 1688–1689, Emma Bergin; Conclusion, Benjamin J. Kaplan; Index.

About the Editor: David Onnekink is Lecturer at the Universities of Utrecht and Leiden, The Netherlands.

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Introduction

Index