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Terror and Religion - GENL1063
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Faculty: Faculty of Law
 
 
School:  Faculty of Law
 
 
Course Outline: See below
 
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Undergraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 6
 
 
EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)
 
 
Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 3
 
 
Fee Band: 1 (more info)
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
 

Description

The aim of Terror and Religion is to explore the historic and contemporary links between religion and terror and to help students understand the complexity of religious violence in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The course investigates legal and other definitions of terrorism and the development of modern doctrines of terror. It examines topics such as religious motivation, and the justification and legitimisation of the use violence in a number of major religious belief systems. It identifies the differences between mainstream and extremist teachings. It analyses significant acts of religiously motivated violence, and explores background issues such as secularisation, modernism and globalisation, as well as more personal ones, such as the nature of religious conviction and its influence on behaviour.

Recommended Prior Knowledge

None

Course Objectives

The course aims to ensure that students become familiar with the complexity of the issues involved in contemporary religious violence. Students will be shown how contemporary religious violence has its roots in the history of religion and how the modern doctrines of terror have evolved. They will learn how religion acts a powerful motivation for attitudes and behaviour and how religious extremists have reinterpreted the mainstream teachings of their religion to justify the use of violence. They will learn how to analyse contemporary acts of religiously motivated terror in a number of religions. They will become familiar with current approaches to counter terrorism.

Main Topics

  • Historic and contemporary examples of religious terror in religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism and new religious movements;
  • The evolution of modern doctrines of terror and their influence on religiously motivated violence;
  • Mainstream teachings on the use of violence in a number of religions and the reinterpretations of these teachings by extremist thinkers;
  • Analytical tools for understanding contemporary religious violence, including aims, goals, and personal, social and political background factors.

Assessment

 Class attendance and Participation  10%
 Short assignment (500 words)  25%
 Classroom test (1 hour)  20%
 Research essay (2000 words)  45%

Course Texts

Prescribed
Students must purchase the course Study Kit from the UNSW Bookshop. There is not prescribed textbook for this course.

Recommended
Refer to the Course Outline and Study Kit for a list of references.

Order from UNSW Bookshop

Resources
Refer to Course Outline and Study Kit.

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© The University of New South Wales (CRICOS Provider No.: 00098G), 2004-2011. The information contained in this Handbook is indicative only. While every effort is made to keep this information up-to-date, the University reserves the right to discontinue or vary arrangements, programs and courses at any time without notice and at its discretion. While the University will try to avoid or minimise any inconvenience, changes may also be made to programs, courses and staff after enrolment. The University may also set limits on the number of students in a course.