REL3031 Sp Top: God, Country, Nation

What do we mean when we catagorize individuals or groups with terms such as “citizenship,” “nationality,” “race,” and “religion”? And how do these categories help us to make sense of some of the complex, globally significant phenomena taking place throughout the world? These are the topics explored ion this class, adopting an intentionally global and international perspective. We will begin by developing an understanding of the four concepts of “state,” “nation,” “race,” and “religion,” the work they perform in the shaping of individual and group identity, and the ways in which the meaning of any one of these terms necessarily affects the meanings of the others. We will then use these categories as a means of critically examining a number of global phenomena of international significance, examples of which might include Hindu nationalism, global Islamism, the “Rohingya Crisis” in Myanmar, the American Religious Right, Israeli “Jewish Nationalism” legislation, the “reprogramming” of Muslim minorities in China. Students must have completed one 2000-level course in HIS, REL, PHI, or LIT. Credits: 3.000

WRT 1012 Lecture Min Credits: 3.00