Peter Mandaville

Peter Mandaville serves as Professor of Government and Politics at George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government, where he directs the AbuSulayman Center for Global Islamic Studies. He concurrently holds senior research fellowships at Georgetown University's Berkley Center and the Atlantic Council's Freedom and Prosperity Center. His prior U.S. government roles include Director of USAID's Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships (2024-2025) and Senior Advisor at the U.S. Institute of Peace (2022-2024).

His academic foundation includes degrees from the University of St. Andrews and University of Kent, with additional studies at the American University in Cairo.

Mandaville's research centers on religion's geopolitical dimensions, particularly Islam's role in international relations. He examines how states weaponize religious narratives for soft power, analyzes transnational Islamic movements, and investigates U.S. policy frameworks for engaging religious actors. His work bridges theoretical political science with actionable diplomatic strategies, emphasizing religion as both a source of conflict and catalyst for peacebuilding.

Recent publications reveal a cohesive trajectory analyzing religious soft power mechanisms across multiple geopolitical contexts. Key patterns include comparative studies of state-sponsored religious export (Russia, India, Saudi Arabia), contestation over religious authority in foreign policy, and the domestic-international nexus in religious diplomacy. His scholarship consistently addresses how religious narratives reshape global power structures beyond traditional civilizational conflict models.

Mandaville leads the Strategic Religious Engagement Hub, which operates The Missing Dimension blog analyzing U.S. religious engagement in diplomacy, development, and defense. Through the AbuSulayman Center, he directs research on Muslim societies and global Islamic networks, fostering collaboration between academics, policymakers, and religious actors.