The Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion is pleased to award its 2026 Book Prize to Dr. Erin K. Wilson, Professor of Politics and Religion at the University of Groningen.
In Religion and World Politics: Connecting Theory with Practice, Wilson contends that the definitions and descriptions of religion which are operative in policy circles and in media are inadequate and misleading, because they fail to incorporate groundbreaking insights from the critical study of religion. Religion “is not an object ‘out there’ that is clearly identifiable, definable and measurable,” she writes, “but rather a fluid, dynamic and ever-changing category made up of rituals, practices, discourses, narratives, institutions, organisations, actors, beliefs and norms that are all context-dependent and variable…”
Religion and World Politics demonstrates how the integration of such reinterpretations of religion provides a framework for analysis that should inform public-facing scholarship, educational programs, and policy deliberations. Religious literacy is no longer a niche interest, Wilson argues, but a vital competency for global stability. The book illustrates this theme with case studies that address three critical policy-relevant issues: conflict and security; development and humanitarianism; and human rights and public life.
The selection committee for this year’s Ansari Book Prize was led by Scott Appleby, the Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Global Affairs and interim director of the Ansari Institute. “Erin Wilson has done a great service to students of religion and global politics by crafting a concise, legible text that serves simultaneously as a re-introduction to the field, a handbook for researchers and policy analysts, and a model of educational method,” Appleby commented. “We look forward to celebrating her achievement during a conference in Rome this summer, where the book will serve as a starting-point and touchstone for a series of discussions of religion’s shifting roles in shaping national and transnational movements, organizations and politics.”
The Ansari Institute Book Prize on Religion and the World highlights the work of scholars who reimagine the connection of religion and global affairs. Such work serves as an example of what Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once described as religion’s capacity “to be a source of systemic and structural good in a manner that is relevant to global affairs.”
Professor Wilson responded to news of the award by writing: “I am surprised, delighted and honoured to receive this award. I wrote this book primarily with the hope of providing policymakers, practitioners, and people new to the field of religion and world politics a clear, systematic way to move beyond the essentialising and homogenising assumptions about what religion is and what it does that have coloured our analysis for so long. This award suggests that maybe I achieved what I hoped for.”
Wilson is set to receive her award at the European Academy of Religion’s 2026 conference, hosted on the campus of LUISS University in Rome. There she will headline an "Author Meets Critics" panel, chaired by Professor Appleby and featuring three distinguished scholars of religion and global politics: Peter Mandaville (George Mason University), Kristina Stoeckl (LUISS University), and Gregorio Bettiza, (University of Bologna).
Wilson will also be the keynote speaker at the Ansari Institute’s Global Fellows Rome Symposium where she will reflect on critical public-facing religion and global politics. The symposium is the culmination of the institute’s inaugural Global Fellows Program. The keynote will be followed by a full day of interactive sessions featuring the global fellows, their faculty mentors, and other invited scholars and practitioners. Participants will also include members of the Rome Summer Seminars on Religion and Global Politics.
The Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion is dedicated to studying, learning from, and collaborating with religious communities worldwide. The institute's work includes research, teaching, outreach, and interaction with religious communities, faith and civic leaders, academics and journalists, and the general public. The institute advances research by embracing diverse faith traditions, partnering respectfully with local and global actors, and collaborating across disciplines in order to foster deliberation, participate in culturally appropriate modes of dialogue, and implement transformative educational programs.