This course introduces students to specific case studies involving religious participation in societal and political challenges and the impact of religion on local and international levels. Students will focus on four or five case studies presented by experts in the field and apply relevant theoretical and methodological approaches to inform their analyses. Case studies may include: inter-/intra-faith organisational forms, religious ideologies, conflicts and wars, displacement and migration of religious minority groups, religiously motivated racism and hate crimes, freedom of speech versus religious offenses, human rights violations by religious institutions or regimes, public health and scientific advice in faith communities, and religious responses to environmental crises.

10 x 2 hour seminars

None

None

1 report of 1000 words (20%)

10-minute presentation (20%)

1 essay of 3000 words (60%)

This course aims to:

■ Examine local and global case studies in relation to religion and its role in politics and international affairs

■ Employ religious studies perspectives to analyse specific case studies of global challenges

■ Interrogate documentary and other types of evidence (e.g. literature, newspaper reports, films) in order to study examples of religious influences in their specific socio-political contexts

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Analyse the role of religion in politics and international affairs using specific examples in their historical and geo-political contexts

■ Apply theoretical and analytical religious studies and interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary global and regional issues (e.g. violent conflict, economic crisis, public health, sustainability, migration, etc)

■ Communicate research findings effectively, applying advanced transferable skills involving cultural and religious awareness in both local and international contexts

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.