Religion, Politics and Science in Global Society

The course focuses on the activities of trans-national actors and international organisations, and the conceptions of religion, nation, ethnicity and science which guide them. Regional focus is mainly (but not exclusively) the Middle East. Examples of relevant problem-areas are debates about multiculturalism and integration on national levels, and the corresponding debates about democracy, human rights, science, natural resources, and security on the level of the global society. The course will also provide further study of the methodological and theoretical issues related to the study of religion, as well as deeper study of selected topics in the history of the discipline. The course will thereby provide a further understanding of various approaches, how theories are formed, and related issues.

According to the course curriculum, a candidate who passes this course is expected to have the following learning outcome (defined as knowledge and skills)

Knowledge:
The candidate has attained
- insight into recent research pertaining to the course’s research questions
- the ability to update his/her own knowledge of the disciplines research questions
- knowledge of what constitutes good scientific practice regarding sources and references

Skills:
The candidate has acquired skills to
- analyse the roles which religion plays both for trans-national actors and international organisations, and their conceptions of nation, ethnicity and science
- analyse how religion is expressed by these actors and organisations in current global debates about democracy, human rights, and science, and their reception in national debates about multiculturalism and integration
- analyse the relationship between research problems and policy problems

The teaching consists of lectures and seminars. The lectures and seminars aim at outlining broad frameworks for thinking about the issues which are treated in the course readings, and raising the policy issues touched upon. In order to take the exam the students have to attend at least 80 % of the teaching, and pass three assessment thresholds, subject to the lecturer’s evaluation. The obligatory course requirements can only be approved in the semester when the course is taught, but are valid in this and the subsequent term.