Politics and Religion: A Sign of the Times

Course description

The intersection between politics and religion is a striking characteristic throughout contemporary global affairs, especially for acculturated observers and the narrative that “church” and “state” can be held apart. Drawing on diverse examples, we will consider the latest critical perspectives on how and why religious experiences, doctrine and symbolism have a prominent, political presence and influence. We will discuss environments from cyberspace to political rallies, the asymmetric battlefield to the diplomacy table, and embodied traditions from Christian nationalism in the United States to imperial messianism from places like Russia.