He is the co-director of Berkeley's Religion, Politics and Globalization Program and the founder and first chair of the International Studies Association's section on Religion and International Relations. His first book, War on Sacred Grounds (2009), examines the causes and characteristics of disputes over sacred places around the globe and analyzes the conditions under which these conflicts can be managed. He has also published on the topic of religion and conflict in International Security, Security Studies, Civil Wars, International Studies Quarterly, Terrorism and Political Violence, and others. He has contributed chapters on similar themes to several edited volumes.