Syllabi
Scholarship on religion and international affairs continues to expand, and many universities are offering courses discussing religion’s role in politics. The Center on Faith & International Affairs offers a selection of syllabi from universities in the U.S. and abroad.
Religion and Politics
By Walter Brown-Foster
This course surveys the role of religion in global politics, international relations, and domestic policy, recognizing the role of major religions in shaping politics.
Download "Religion and Politics."
Religion and Politics in Current 'Fundamentalist' Movements
By Harvey Cox
This course surveys manifestations of fundamentalism—covering Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Islamic variations—in religious education, violence, and politics.
Download "Religion and Politics in Current 'Fundamentalist' Movements."
Politics and Religion
By Sean Evans
This course examines the relationship between religion and the state, discussing the opposite positions of theocracy and secularism, as well as a variety of more centrist models.
Download "Politics and Religion."
World Religions, Violence, and Conflict Resolution
By Marc Gopin
This course analyzes the ways that world religions play a role in conflict, war, peace making and conflict resolution.
Download "World Religions, Violence, and Conflict Resolution."
Religion and International Relations
By Jeff Haynes
This course examines theories involved with the study of religion and international relations, and investigates case studies that provide examples.
Global Religion and American Foreign Policy
By Allen Hertzke
The course aims to assess how global religious forces impinge on the United States, and how religious developments at home reflect global trends and global developments.
Ethics, Religion, and International Politics
By David Hollenbach
This course focuses on the problems that arise with the competing values and ethics held by various religions in an international arena, examining religious conflict and war.
Faith and Politics
This course is designed as a political science survey of some of the basic normative and theological issues of religious engagement in politics.
Download "Faith and Politics."
Religion and International Affairs
This course focuses on relationships between religion and public life internationally, discussing the roles of religion in politics and religious conflict.
Religion and Human Rights
By David Little
This course will consider the legal, historical, theoretical, and practical connections between religion and human rights.
Download "Religion and Human Rights."
Religion, Nationalism, and Peace
By David Little
This course samples the literature on nationalism and ethnicity as it bears on conflict, with special focus on the role of religion.
Download "Religion, Nationalism, and Peace."
Religion and International Politics
By Rachel McCleary
This course introduces students to the major social science theories of religion, looking at the explanatory value of these theories.
Religion and International Relations
By Elizabeth Prodromou
This course explores the role of religion in contemporary international relations as part of a broader inquiry into what constitutes the common core of modernity.
Fundamentals of Global Engagement
This course is an introduction to global engagement, an overview of global structure, economics, the environment, conflict, and human rights.
Download "Fundamentals of Global Engagement."
Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective
By Christopher Soper
This course introduces theories of religion and culture and examines religiously-motivated political action in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
Download "Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective."
Ethical Assessments of Globalization
By Max Stackhouse
This course examines social, economic, political, and religious assessments of globalization and locates each perspective in the context of its basic presuppositions.
Seminar in Religion and Politics
By Kenneth Wald
This course introduces the major social scientific theories of religion and applies them to understanding the interaction of religion and political life.
Download "Seminar in Religion and Politics."
History of Church-State Relations in the West
By John Witte, Jr.
This course focuses on the history of church-state relations, examining the Roman Empire, Medieval Period, Protestant Reformation, and foundation of America.
