REL-247 God, War and Empire

GER: UQ (Ultimate Questions)
Examine the intersection of politics and religion in the context of armed conflict. Read a range of classic and contemporary texts and apply concepts to historic and contemporary case studies. Topics include violence and the state in the Hebrew Bible and in Hellenistic philosophy, the political aims and pacifism of Jesus; the emergence of “just war” traditions of theology and jurisprudence in Christianity and Islam; and religious rhetoric in American foreign policy. Discuss the ways theology and political theory bring insights to the most pressing contemporary legal and foreign policy issues. 4 credits.