"Mixing religion and public diplomacy can produce volatile results, but in a world in which the dissemination and influence of religious beliefs are enhanced by new communications technologies, religion is a factor in many foreign policy issues and must be addressed. Faith is such a powerful part of so many people's lives that it should be incorporated in public diplomacy efforts if they are to have meaningful resonance among the publics they are trying to reach." (Publisher) "This book came about as part of the Faith Diplomacy Initiative begun in 2011 by the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy. The initiative has included a conference, at which some of this book’s contributors were participants, and numerous online and print publications. This is an ongoing project that we hope will lead to additional material that will be of use to scholars and policymakers." (Acknowledgments)