REL 125 - Religion & Secularism

Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR (students beginning prior to Fall 2024): Meets general academic requirement HU and DE.
The separation of church and state or religion and politics, commonly referred to as secularism, has come to be seen as a defining feature of modern liberal society. When and why did this separation become necessary? Is it universally applicable and/or necessary? What are the implications of secularism for the place of religion in the contemporary world? In order to answer these questions, we will begin by considering different theological accounts of secularism. Then, we will examine the practice of secularism in different geographical contexts including the relationship between secularism and the modern liberal values of democracy, religious freedom, equality, and tolerance, and ask whether the former ensures and/or is necessary for the latter. The course will move across several disciplinary boundaries including religion studies, sociology, political science, and anthropology.