POL17: Politics and Religion

Politics and Religion begins by introducing students to a range of social science approaches to the study of religion in relation to institutional formation and change, empire, state power and authority, legitimacy and resistance, nationalism, democracy, and the secular. Course readings are supplemented by material from media, performance, and the public sphere. In the second half of the course, students select two modules, which explore these themes in a range of global and political contexts.

These introductory readings serve as a guide for those considering this course and should be consulted before choosing the course (all available online):

• Jose Casanova, "The secular and secularisms," Social Research, 76(4) 2009, 1049-1066.
• Eric Hobsbawm, "Introduction: Inventing Traditions," in E. Hobsbawm & T. Ranger (Eds.), The Invention of Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1983.
• Elizabeth Hurd, “The Political Authority of Secularism in International Relations.” European Journal of International Relations 10, no. 2 (June 2004): 235-262.

Download the full paper guide (Download PDF)