RELIGION AND POLITICS

POLISCI 323

Examines the multifaceted nature of political Islam in the contemporary world. Starting with the basic tenants of Islam, and key concepts and theoretical understandings of the relationships between Islam and politics, the course builds on the approaches developed in the first part of the course examining how Islam has influenced politics differently in various parts of the world including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Students will familiarize themselves with theoretical debates about the roles of Islam in politics; analyze the impact of Islam on politics in the contemporary world; and gain empirical knowledge about how Islam functions differently in various countries.

POLISCI 364

Exploration of key themes, developments, and figures in Christian political and ethical traditions.

POLISCI 856

Introduction to leading concepts and theories in the field of comparative politics, including those relating to states, nations, regimes and development. Includes work on many different regions and countries employing a range of research strategies and methodologies.

CHICLA/POLISCI 231

Race, ethnicity, and religion as political factors; cultural pluralism, politics, and policy in the United States and selected other multi-cultural politics.

POLISCI/RELIGST 433

Explores the relationships and interactions between religion and politics from a comparative perspective. Discuss the appropriate relationship between religion and state. Investigate the implications of the various ways in which the religion-state relationship have been involved in political conflict. Building on this, turn to several of the current issues in religion and politics asking: Why is religion apparently more important than ever despite an increasingly secular world? What is religious nationalism? What is fundamentalism? How can we explain the similarities and differences between religious fundamentalist movements across the globe? How should democratic states cope with the emergence of fundamentalist movements? In order to begin answering these questions, integrate the theoretical frameworks we develop with explorations of the historical and local context of relevant case-studies from around the world.