Admission requirements
Admission to the Master International Relations or the Master Theology and Religious Studies. Other students who are interested in this course, please contact the co-ordinator of studies
Description
Religion is front and centre on the contemporary international stage, manifest in diverse forms spanning from violent conflict to initiatives that address the environmental crisis. Yet the commonplace recognition of religion’s everyday presence on the international stage today is far removed from the lack of recognition indicative of the study and practice of International Relations only a couple of decades ago. How could scholars and practitioners have deemed religion so irrelevant? And, what would it mean to take religion seriously in the present international context? This course explores the ways in which secularism has shaped the study and practice of International Relations. The course begins by pursuing questions concerning the character of religion and how particular characterizations influence the determination of which international phenomena are of scholarly and practical importance. By introducing students to several approaches to understanding religion distinct from standard secular portrayals, the course brings into relief neglected international trends; religion, from the perspective of these approaches, takes unseen and even surprising forms. The course then investigates the character of and challenges facing (cosmopolitan) democracy in the late modern era; it pays particular attention to whether (cosmopolitan) democratic community should be secular, and, if so, what that might mean in practice. The latter portion of the course explores whether religious traditions—focusing on Christianity and Islam—might offer potential insights for understanding the possibilities and limits of politics at the international level; case studies related to such topics as the politics of asylum, the politics of free speech and the politics of the environment facilitate the endeavour to think about politics with and through religion rather than merely thinking about religion as an object of political study. The course concludes with an examination of one foreign policy issue to which several western democracies have recently directed their attention—the issue of international religious freedom.
Course objectives
Gain an understanding of key concepts and debates regarding the characterization of religion
Deepen grasp of how notions of the secular, secularization and secularism have filtered into the study of international politics
Expand awareness of the multi-faceted presence of religion on the international stage
Develop critical thinking skills while exploring the various contributions that religious traditions make to the understanding of international politics
Cultivate the ability to distil complex arguments
Improve writing skills through assignments
Improve public speaking skills through engagement with peers in class discussion
Timetable
Visit MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminars.
Assessment method
Participation 15%
Reflection paper (1500wds.) 20%
Seminar leadership 10%
Research paper proposal (750wds.) 5%
Final research paper (5000wds.) 50%
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Resit
Students who submitted their assignments on time but scored an overall insufficient grade for the course are entitled to a resit. For the resit, students are given a chance to hand in a new version of the final research paper.
inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
T.B.A.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch.