Religion and Violence (Rel. 462), Section 60125
2:00 PM-4:50 PM GFS 111
MondaysFall 2012
Course Description
What religious teachings lead to and legitimate violence? How do religious traditions interpret themselves authoritatively for their followers? Just because someone says that an act is religiously motivated, is that act in fact an authentic expression of the religion? Who can determine what is an authentic religious act, or just a politically motivated one? Does an emphasis on ethics unite people while an emphasis on religious doctrine divides them? Do religions inevitably lead to violence when the political, economic and ethnic conditions are “right”? Is it true that there would be less violence if religious belief were kept a private matter, and function as only matter of personal opinion? And is it true that ethics rightly belong to the public sphere since it is based on reason, which everyone can make use of, whether they are religious or not? Is it really possible to separate culture and religion? Is a USC football game, with all its rituals and devoted congregation, less religious than the devout participating in a service in a mosque, a synagogue or a church? In the “secular” western democratic nation states, is violence now legitimated by the state (the military, the police) but not permitted for religions?
This course examinesrecent instances of violence associated with various religions, asks whether there is any intrinsic relationship between religion and violence, whether religion in contemporary society is especially vulnerable to political exploitation, and whether religions are less dangerous when they are limited by political authority only to forms of interior piety and charitable works. Specific cases that have been connected to various religions will be studied. Particular attention is given to the developments in Catholicism as they relate to religious authority, violence, and the relationship between politics and religion.
Expectations
This course will be conducted as a seminar; therefore, the size of the class is limited. It is a 400 level course. That means two things: (1) there will be a good deal of reading; and (2) informed participation is expected during every class meeting. Attendance is, of course, important, especially since we meet only once a week. There will be two written examinations, one a midterm and one a final. There will also be two papers: one five page paper due midway through the semester, and a second longer paper (10pages) due at the end of the semester. For any graduate student, additional requirements will be determined. At the beginning of any class meeting, a quiz may be given on the required readings for the day. Plagiarism will result in an automatic F.
Required Texts:
Heft, James, Ed. Beyond Violence (FordhamUniversity Press, 2004). ISBN 0-8232- 2334-5.
Himes, Kenneth R. Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching (Paulist Press, 2001). ISBN 0-8091-4042-X.
Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the Mind of God (University of California Press, 2003;
3rd ed.). ISBN 978-0-520-24011-7
Course Reader. Please purchase it immediately at “Magic Machine: University Graphics Printing and Copy in University Village, 3309 S. Hoover St. LA. Cost: $23.16.
Recommended Texts:
Appleby, Scott. The Ambivalence of the Sacred (Rowman and Littlefield, 2000).
Boswell, J. S., F. P. McHugh and J. Verstraeten, Eds. Catholic Social Thought: Twilight or Renaissance? (LeuvenUniversity Press, 2000).
Casanova, Jose. Public Religions in the Modern World (University of Chicago Press, 1994).
Himes, Kenneth, Ed. Modern Catholic Social Teaching (GeorgetownUniversity Press;
2004).
Phan, Peter. Being Religious Interreligiously (Orbis Press, 2004).
Syllabus
August 27th: Introduction: Religion, Violence and Peacebuilding:
Juergensmeyer, Terror, “Terror and God” (pp. 3-15) and “The Mind of God” (pp.
219-249).
The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion, Violence and Reconciliation,
Chapter 1,“The Growing End of the Argument,” (pp. 25-56).
September 3rd: No Class
September 10th: Catholic Social Teaching: An Overview:
Globalization and Catholic Social Thought, chapter 1, “Making the Connections: Globalization and Catholic Social Thought,” by John Coleman (pp. 9-27); Responses to101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching, by Kenneth Himes, Questions 1-8 (pp. 5-11), 18-91 (pp. 25-100).
September 17th: Christianity and Violence:
Juergensmeyer, “Soldiers for Christ” (pp. 19-43).
Phan, Being Religious, “The Claim of Uniqueness and Universality” (pp. 85-93).
September 24th:Christianity and Violence Continued:
Scott Appleby, BV, “Resources for Nonviolent Peacebuilding” (pp. 113-144).
Americamagazine, “Hard Questions about Just War,” by Kenneth Himes (pp.
13-15); Robert McElroy, “War Without End,” America, Feb. 21st, 2011.
October 1st :Judaism and Violence:
Juergensmeyer, “Zion Betrayed” (pp. 45-60).
Firestone, BV, “Judaism on Violence and Reconciliation” (pp. 74-87)
October 8th:Judaism and Violence Continued: (Guest Speaker)
BV, “Religion as a Force for Reconciliation and Peace,” I. Greenberg (pp. 88-
112).
October 15th:Review, Pinpointing and Clarifying Issues:
First Paper Due
October 22nd: Buddhism and Violence: (Guest Speaker)
Juergensmeyer, “Armageddon in a Tokyo Subway” (pp. 103-118).
Phan, Being Religious Interreligiously (pp. 194-209: will be given out).
An Additional Article Suggested by the Speaker
October29th:Hinduism and Violence
Juergensmeyer, “The Sword of Sikhism” (pp. 85-102)
First Examination
November 5th: Hinduism and Violence Continued (Guest Speaker)
Modern Indian Interpreters of the Bhagavadgita, ed. By Robert N. Minor, “Ghandi and the Bhagavadgita” (pp. 88-109); Religious Nationalism: Hindus and Muslims in India, by Peter Van Der Veer, chapter 1, “Religious Nationalism,” (pp. 1-24).
November 12th :Rwanda: Christian Genocides? (Guest Speaker):
Christianity and Genocide in Rwanda by Timothy Longman, chapter1, “People Came to Mass Each Day to Pray, Then They Went out to Kill.”
November 19th: Islam and Violence: (Guest Speaker).
Juergensmeyer, “Islam’s ‘Neglected Duty’”, pp. 61-84.
BV, “Judaism, Christianity, Islam: Hope or Fear of our Times,” by Mustafa Ceric
(pp. 43-56).
BV, “God is the All-Peace, the All-Merciful,” by Fathi Osman (pp. 57-73)
November 26th: Islam and Violence (con’t):
Video, Obsession; “A Common Word Between Us” (access at Benedict XVI, Regensburg Address, September 12, 2006 (access at Vatican
website:
september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060912_university-regensberg_
en.html.
December 3rd: Catholic Social Teaching and the Politics of Forgiveness:
Modern Catholic, “The Reception of Catholic Approaches to Peace and War in the United States,” by Todd Whitmore (pp. 493-531);The Ambivalence,
chapter 5, “Reconciliation and the Politics of Forgiveness (pp.
167-204); and 101 Questions: Questions 92-101 (pp. 103-112).
Craig Calhoun, “Religion’s Many Powers,” (pp. 118-126) in The Power of
Religion in the Public Sphere, eds. Eduardo Mendieta and Jonathan
Vanantwerpen (Columbia University Press; New York, 2011).
Origins (Vol. 37, #40, Mar. 08), “The Bones of Jesus: Bodily Resurrection and Christian Faith” by Donald Senior (pp. 642-647);
Tony Blair, Interview with LaStampa, Vatican Insider, July 15, 2011.
Final Paper Due in the Office Noon Friday, November 30th.
Final Exam at 2:00 TO 4:00 PMon December 14th.
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