Subject Area: Asian Studies
This course can also be studied in the following specialisation: Globalisation Studies; History

This course explores the different roles that religion plays in the modern world. The dominant trend in social science and humanities analysis has been to reduce the role of religiosity in history to a material set of interests (informed by dominant Marxist presumptions). This is beginning to be overturned with more nuanced studies of the way in which religion is used to inform identities and underpin grievances internationally. The course attempts to engage with these, and view religion from an analytical, historically-minded point of view, incorporating anthropological, sociological and political science methodologies. The main focus will be on modern religions and modern history. This is not a course on theology, although some theology will be covered as a means to understanding history. We aim to cover the big 5 ‘world religions’ in our analysis (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism), as well as some of the important trends that relate to religion (secularisation, sacralisation, New Age, fundamentalism and religious violence).