Sociology 476

POLITICS AND RELIGION IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

One of the most controversial issues in the world is the proper relationship between religion and politics. In some places, such as the Middle East, Northern Ireland, or the Balkans, the mixture of religion and politics has exploded into violent turmoil, civil war, and even genocide. But conflict between religion and politics is not limited to the so-called "Third World." Even relatively peaceful countries such as the United States experience controversy over both the involvement of religious groups in politics, and the extent to which government should control religion. Issues such as school prayer emerge in every election. And many of the best known "social movements" in American history -- such as the abolition movement, the civil rights movement, or the pro-life movement, have been led by religious activists. These issues are not always resolved peacefully, as the shooting of doctors in Florida, or the Branch Davidian tragedy near Waco, Texas, attest.

This course examines the interactions between politics and religion in the United States and other parts of the world. The central question of the course concerns how two systems of social control -- politics and religion -- sometimes cooperate, sometimes compete, and sometimes conflict. The first half of the course will focus on the U.S., while the second half will specifically try to make comparisons that illustrate both the differences and the similarities between our society and others experiencing religio-political tensions.

This class will be, above all, a sociological look at these issues. That is, we will try to understand religion and politics from both an "insider's" perspective ("what do these groups believe") and from an "outsider's" perspective ("what are the consequences of those beliefs and actions"). We will NOT attempt to pass judgments about what religious or political systems are better or worse, or necessarily develop "answers" to the problem issues of the day. Further, we will NOT make judgments about which religious interpretations are "correct." Because we will try to understand several other religions from a "believer's" perspective, we will have to learn some history about other parts of the world. There is no prerequisite for this course except for an open mind.

READINGS:

Juergensmeyer, M. The New Cold War? Religious Nationalism Confronts the Secular State. University of California Press, 1993.

Kertzer, David I. Ritual, Politics, and Power. Yale University Press, 1988.

Swatos, William H., Jr. (ed.) Religion and Democracy in Latin America. Transaction Press, 1995.

Wald, Kenneth. Religion and Politics in the United States. Third Edition. Congressional Quarterly Press, 1997.