Samuel Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” theory has been controversial among academics since it was introduced. Jeffrey Haynes demonstrates that the belief that there is a clash of civilizations is having an increasing impact on politics. It fuels populism as well as anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiments in the West. It has also spurred a “dialogue among civilizations” initiative by the United Nations. This book provides a new perspective and insight on how Huntington’s theory impacts politics. It shows that the theory’s greatest influence is not in its ability to explain politics but in how it captures the minds of some political actors and influences their behavior.

- Jonathan Fox, Yehuda Avner Professor of Religion and Politics, Bar Ilan University,