INTS 334 Religion and Politics

Religious politics is on the rise: sectarian conflict is destabilizing the Middle East, Hindu and Jewish ethno-religious parties are
challenging liberal democracies through democratic systems, the Christian Right in the US has become a crucial player in local and
national politics, Christian Democrats in Europe are leading governments, the Catholic Church is reorienting itself with a new global
mission, Evangelical Protestantism is spreading widely and quickly in Latin America and Africa, religious liberties are still a human
rights issue in China, and radical transnational religious movements, such as Al Qaeda and ISIS, are challenging the international system based on nation-states. In this class, we will address this rise of religious politics through: (1) the lenses of comparative politics theories and discuss issues such as the role of religion in democratization, civil wars, national identity, and post-conflict reconciliation, and (2) the lenses of international relations theories and discuss issues such as the global rise of radical religious movements, the role of religion in
foreign policy making and regional conflicts.