Religious Contacts and Conflicts

Content

Religion plays a crucially important role in the lives of billions of people every day. Even in the few regions on earth where its influence seems to be waning, religious traditions have decisively shaped much of the culture and worldview. In this module we will study the world’s major religions with special attention to how they interact with each other and shape the world around them. Religions influence the lives of individuals, but they also impact society in ways big and small. Arguably the most infamous example of religions’ societal impact is religiously inspired violence, which in recent years has come to dominate the media coverage and public perception of religion. In this module we will look at several examples of such violence and consider the role of religion within political and societal processes more generally.