Religion and World Politics 2: Critical Case Studies

This course follows on from Religion and World Politics - and takes Religion and World Politics as its prerequisite. It builds on the conceptual outlines of that course but introduces in greater depth salient case studies drawn from contemporary politics. Where it builds upon Religion and World Politics is in its investigation of theological reasoning and its interaction with political reasoning as applied to questions of nationalism, pan-nationalism, and internationalism. Five major case studies are presented from different parts of the world to illustrate the interactions of thought required for religion to become a critical issue in the practice of internatioanl relations.

Prerequisites

Please note: In order to take this module you must also take 153400162 Religion and World Politics in Term 1.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

On successful completion of this module a student will be able to:

• Understand key case studies in religion and world politics in a detailed form
• Apply analytical skills in assessing the impact of key religions on world politics
• Be able to distill contentious information into coherent scholarly form
• Be able to appreciate the distillation of contentious information into policy memorandum, or briefing, form

Workload

1 hour lecture per week

1 hour tutorial per week

Method of assessment

Assessment is 50% coursework (one 3000 word essay) and 50% unseen examination (2 hours).

Suggested reading

• Stephen Chan, The End of Certainty
• Stephen Chan, Plural International Relations in a Divided World
• Stephen Chan, Spear to the West
• al-Rasheed, Madawi (2010) A History of Saudi Arabia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Adib-Moghaddam, Arshin (2013). On the Arab Revolts and the Iranian Revolution - Power and Resistance Today. London: Bloomsbury

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules