CSP 8 Religion and Violence

This course interrogates the relationship between religion and violence. Through a survey of the scholarship on religion and violence and a series of focused studies on topics like the "revolutionary suicide" at Jonestown, the Cristero Rebellion in Mexico, and 911, this course will offer a broad overview of religion and violence in the Americas. Using these case studies, we will ask a series of analytical questions: Can religion motivate violence, or do they merely sanctify it? What are the sources of religious authority (such as leaders, scripture, tradition, and ritual practice) that can militate for or against violence? And what kinds of speech and action are properly understood as violent?