2019/20 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

THEO1920 Religion, Politics and Society in the Modern World

10 creditsClass Size: 60

Module manager: Professor Sean McLoughlin
Email: s.McLoughlin@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2019/20

Module replaces

Though this module will not be a direct replacement, THEO1165 is no longer being taught.

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

How does religion intersect with politics and society in the modern world? To what diverse ends are religious values and ideologies used by more or less powerful political actors, from governments to ordinary members of society? This module draws upon perspectives from anthropology, sociology and political science to introduce students to the contentious role of religion in public settings at different scales from the local to the national and the international. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the relationship between religion, individuals, communities and their governance, key questions about secularity, liberal democracy and human rights, as well as pressing concerns associated with globalisation, development, ecology and multiculturalism. They will also explore how relationships between religion, politics and society can play out quite differently across traditions such as Christianity, Islam and Indian religions, as well as in diverse regional contexts, including the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South / South East Asia.

Objectives

The objectives of the module are:
- To introduce students to the key concepts, scales and actors associated with social scientific approaches to the study of religion, politics and society, as well as to selected themes and debates.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will have acquired:
- Foundational knowledge and understanding of the inter-relationships between religion, politics and society, grounded in key approaches and concepts drawn from across political science, sociology and anthropology.
- Core knowledge and understanding of key themes and debates in the study of religion, politics and society, e.g. nationalism, democracy, human rights, development, fundamentalism, multiculturalism and ecology.
- An ability to recognise the complex intersection of religion, politics and society across different traditions, in different regional contexts, at local, national and transnational scales, as well as among different types of actors (e.g. citizens, movements, governments).
- Enhanced academic skills in terms of reading, listening, thinking and writing critically and effectively.
- A sound academic basis for more advanced modules studying intersections of religion, politics and society at Levels 2 and 3.

Syllabus

PART 1 – THEORIES OF RELIGION, POLITICS AND SOCIETY

Week 1: A Social Sciences Framework & Global Comparative Perspective
Week 2: Religions, Secularity and Multiple Modernities
Week 3: Religious Belief and Identity
Week 4: Religious Legitimacy and interests, Institutions and Political Mobilization

PART 2 – KEY REGIONAL CONTEXTS, TRADITIONS AND THEMES IN A GLOBAL COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

CHRISTIANITY, SOCIETY AND POLITICS IN AFRICA
Week 5: Decolonization and Democratization; The Contribution of Catholic and Mainline Protestant Churches
Week 6: Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches and the Emergence of a New Political Culture

ISLAM, POLITICS AND SOCIETY IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Week 7: Secularism, Islam and the Postcolonial Nation-State
Week 8: Islamism, Democratisation & Jihad Beyond the Nation-State

RELIGIONS, POLITICS AND SOCIETY IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA
Week 9: . Religion and Global Development
Week 10: Religion & Women’s Rights

Week 11: Exam Revision and course summary

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Class tests, exams and assessment	1	2.00	2.00
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	5	1.00	5.00
Private study hours			82.00
Total Contact hours			18.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Private study

This will be used by students to prepare for lectures, seminars and assessment:
- Preparation for lectures: 11 x 2 = 22 hours
- Preparation for seminars: 5 x 3 = 15 hours
- Preparation of short essay: 17 hours
- Exam preparation: 30 hours

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress is monitored through attendance and contributions/feedback during seminars, as well as opportunities for other face-to-face and/or electronic exchanges including office hours.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1 x 500 words	25.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		25.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Unseen exam	1 hr 30 mins	75.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		75.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 07/10/2019

Disclaimer

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