Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3080: The International Politics of Religion

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

 

Part I: Concepts and Theories

  • Introduction
  • Understanding Religion and Secularism
  • Religious Resurgence, Post-secularism and Multiple Modernities
  • Religion in IR: Realism and Liberalism
  • Religion in IR: Constructivism
  • Religion in IR: Critical Approaches
  • Debate

Part II: Issues and Challenges

  • Religion, Sovereignty, State and Nation
  • Transnational Religious Actors, Networks and Identities
  • Religion, Violence and Security
  • Clash of Civilizations: Myth or Reality?
  • Religion, Peace, Justice and Conflict-resolution
  • Religion, Liberalism and Democracy
  • Debate

Part III:  Policies and Practices

  • Religion and Foreign Policy
  • Religious Engagement
  • International Religious Freedom
  • Faith-Based Humanitarianism and Development
  • The War on Terror and Countering Violent Extremism
  • Revision and Reflection
  • Debate

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
442560

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities4422 x 2 hour seminars
Guided Independent Study80Seminar preparation: complete assigned reading and other possible tasks
Guided Independent Study140Essay preparation: reading, conducting research, and writing the finished product
Guided Independent Study36Presentation preparation: reading, conducting research, and written and oral preparation

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

 

Web based and electronic resources:

 

Georgetown University Berkley Centre For Religion Peace and World Affairs: http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/programs

Council on Foreign Relations Religion and Foreign Policy Initiative: http://www.cfr.org/about/outreach/religioninitiative/index.html

LSE Programme for the Study of Religion and Non-Religion: http://www.lse.ac.uk/anthropology/research/PRNR/Home.aspx

Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life: http://www.pewforum.org/

The Immanent Frame: http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/