Course Syllabus

Religion and Politics in Europe

 

 

Semester & Location:	Fall 2024 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Political Science, Religious Studies
Faculty Members:	Michael Perlt - use Canvas Inbox to contact
Time & Place:	Tuesday & Friday13:15-14:35, Classroom N7-A23

Description of Course

Is the liaison between religion and politics a dangerous one? It is surely one that has a growing attraction to many around the world. Religion has resurfaced as a visible player in politics, public life, and international relations, surprising pundits and scholars alike. Modernization did not entail secularization, privatization of religion, and its slow death. God is not dead and religion hasn’t been relegated to an anonymous life in the private sphere. Secularism—the idea that religion and politics, church and state should be kept apart—has come under pressure. The question is – what is the world like after secularism?

Europe has a particularly difficult time dealing with this question. This is in part due to Europe’s secularist tradition. Old European Christian churches have re-mobilized and the introduction of Islam through immigration has caught many Europeans off-guard. This has given rise to a number of tensions, ranging from the so-called ‘veil affairs’ in France and England from late 1980s and early 1990s, to the discussion of the role of Christianity in writing up a draft for the new European constitution. Presently, strong religious voices have reappeared, most vocally perhaps through the actions of militant Islamists, which in turn has been met by the populist call to set nationalist values and old virtues ahead of the universal and humanist principles. 

The purpose of this course is to examine how religion and secularism is understood in present-day Europe. The course combines a sociological explanatory approach with case study driven issues in political theory. In short, the course will introduce you to:

1. Both a historical and contemporary understanding of how religion has resurfaced as a viable political power in Europe, and how historians, sociologist, theologians and political scientists have sought to explain this fact.
2. The main trends in the current politico-religious landscape of Europe in comparison to the US, e.g. through the notions of ‘believing without belonging’ and ‘belonging without believing’.
3. Secularism in the tension between freedom of religion and freedom from religion with a focus on the role of religion in schools.

Throughout, we will compare the findings to the ways this clash is dealt with in the US.

Learning Objectives

In this course, you will learn five things:

First and foremost, this course will provide you with substantial knowledge, comparative material and critical analytical tools to gain deeper insights into - and educate your judgment on - the principled issues at stake in the various liaisons between religion and politics.

Second, you will be introduced to the main trends and current affairs in the politico-religious landscape of Europe. This will include comparisons with the landscape in other parts of the world, in particular the US.

Third, the course will introduce you to sociological theories of secularization and de-secularization (the historical processes and their underlying causes).

Fourth, you will learn about the debates in theology and political theory on the viability and continued justification of secularism versus the alternatives of religiously based world views.

Finally, you will be forced to consider if secularism as a political ideal should be abandoned in the face of the challenges it has faced of late.

Faculty

Michael Perlt holds a B.A. and M.A. in Theology from the University of Copenhagen and a Pre-doctoral fellowship in cultural sociology from Yale University. His research focuses on religion & secularism, religious violence, and collective memory. His current research concerns death, cultural trauma and religious meaning making in the context of an armed conflict.

Reading List (sorted as we read them)

There is no book to pick up at textbook pick-up during arrival workshop.

Course Book: 

The Hedehog Review: After Secularization. Vol.8, Nos. 1-2. (Spring/Summer 2006) Found here: http://www.iasc-culture.org/THR/hedgehog_review_2006-Spring-Summer.php

Other Readings

In God's Name: A Special Report on religion and public life. In The Economist, November 3rd 2007. (On Canvas).

Shah, Timothy Samuel and Monica Duffy Toft, 2006. Why God is Winning. In Foreign Policy July/August 2006: 39-43. (On Canvas). (Optional)

Hobsbawn, Eric 2013 Fractured Times: Culture and Society in the Twentieth Century. Little Brown: 204-223 (On Canvas). (Optional)

Cox, Harvey. 1995. Fire From Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the reshaping of religion in the Twenty-first Century”. Cambridge: Da Capo Press: 299-321. (On Canvas). (Optional) 

Winthrop, John 1630: “A Model of Christian Charity.” (On Canvas) Also: Dr. Andrew Wood’s “Summary of John Winthrop’s “Model of Christian Charity,” Online: http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/wooda/s149/149syllabus5summary.html

Cavanaugh, William T. 1995: "“A fire strong enough to consume the house:” the wars of religion and the rise of the state." Modern Theology 11.4 (1995): 397-420. Also: There is an excellent talk by Cavanaugh about the “Myth of Religious Violence,” Victoria University, Australia, 30 July 2012:Myth of Religious Violence William T. Cavanaugh 30 July 2012(Optional)

Vinding, Niels Valdemar & Christoffersen, Lisbet 2012: “State, Church and Religion in Denmark,” in Vinding & Christoffersen, Danish Regulation of Religion, State of Affairs and Qualitative Reflections, publications from the Faculty of Theology, 2012, pp. 9-18.

In God's Name: A Special Report on religion and public life. In The Economist, November 3rd 2007. (On Canvas)

Casanova, José, 2006. Rethinking Secularization: A Global Comparative Perspective. In: After Secularization 2006 – The Hedgehog Review – Special Issue, Vol. 8, No: 1-2: 7-22. (In Course Book)

Bruce, Steve. 2006. Secularization and the Impotence of Individualized Religion. In: After Secularization 2006 – The Hedgehog Review – Special Issue, Vol. 8, No: 1-2: 35-45. (In Course Book)

Davie, Grace 2006. Is Europe an Exceptional Case? In: After Secularization 2006 – The Hedgehog Review – Special Issue, Vol. 8, No: 1-2: 23–34. (In Course Book)

Rigney, Ann 2018. Remembrance as Remaking: Memories of the Nation Revisited. In: Nations and Nationalism, Vol. 24, No. 2. 240-257 (On Canvas)

Raun Iversen, Hans. 2006. “Secular Religion and Religious Secularism: A profile of the religious development in Denmark since 1968.” In: Nordic Journal of Religion and Society: 19,2: 75-92. (On Canvas)

Christoffersen, Lisbet. 2011. “Sacred Spaces in Secular (Post-) Lutheran Contexts. On Brorson Church Asylum Case.” In: Wyller, Trygve, Rosemarie van den Breemer, and Jose Casanova, eds. Secular and Sacred?: The Scandinavian Case of Religion in Human Rights, Law and Public Space. Vol. 15. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2013, 102-122.(On Canvas)

Heelas, Paul. 2006. Challenging Secularization Theory: The Growth of “New Age” In: After Secularization 2006 – The Hedgehog Review – Special Issue, Vol. 8, No: 1-2: 46-58. (In Course Book)

Vinding, Niels Valdemar, 2013. “Chapter Three: The Governing Models of Church, State and Religion Relations in Europe” in: Muslim Positions in the Religio-Organisational Fields of Denmark, Germany and England, Publications from the Faculty of Theology no. 42, 87-115 (On Canvas)

Jacobsen, Brian Arly, 2014. “Denmark,” in Nielsen (ed) et al., Yearbook on Muslims in Europe, vol. 6, Brill Publishers 2014

Jacobsen, Brian Arly, 2013. “Politics of Mainstream and Extremist Parties on Integration of Immigrants and Minorities - Denmark.” In: Politics and Policies of Integration in Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Denmark and at the EU Level . red. / Radko Hokovský; Jiří Kopal. 1. udg. Brno, Czech Republic & Praha: League of Human Rights & European Values Think-Tank, 2013.

Roy, Olivier. 2007. Islam in Europe – Clash of Religions or Convergence of Religiosities? On Eurozine.  (On Canvas)

Roy, Olivier. 2006. Islam in the West or Western Islam? – The Disconnect of Religion and Culture. In After Secularization 2006 – The Hedgehog Review – Special Issue, Vol. 8, No: 1-2: 127–132. (In Course Book – optional read)

Jytte Klausen, 2005: “Introduction: Islam in Europe,” & “Conclusion: Liberal Muslims and the Emergence of European Islam”, in Klausen: The Islamic Challenge, Oxford University Press, 2005 (On Canvas)

Nilüfer Göle 2006: “Islam in European Publics” In After Secularization 2006 – The Hedgehog Review – Special Issue, Vol. 8, No: 1-2: (In Course Book – optional read)

Bernhard Giesen: 2004 "Triumphant Heroes: Between Gods and Humans", in Giesen: Triumph and Trauma, Paradigm Publishers, 2004, 15-40 (On Canvas)

Fareed Zakaria (2016): ‘Populism on the March,’ Foreign Affairs, November/December 2016. (On Canvas)

Marzouki., & McDonnell, D (2016): “Ch. 1. Populism and Religion,” in: Marzouki, McDonnell and Roy (eds): Saving the People. How Populists Hijack Religion. Hurst & Company Publishers, London (On Canvas)

Roy, Olivier (2016): “Ch. 12. Beyond Populism: The Conservative Right, the Courts, the Churches and the Concept of a Christian Europe,” in: Marzouki, McDonnell and Roy (eds): Saving the People. How Populists Hijack Religion. Hurst & Company Publishers, London (On Canvas)

Roy, Olivier (2016): “Ch. 6. The French National Front: From Christian Identity to Laicité” in: Marzouki, McDonnell and Roy (eds): Saving the People. How Populists Hijack Religion. Hurst & Company Publishers, London (On Canvas)

Bowen, John (2004): Muslims and Citizens: France's headscarf controversy. In The Boston Review, February/March 2004 (On Canvas) (Optional)

Asad, Talal (2006). French Secularism and the “Islamic Veil Affair”. In: After Secularization 2006 – The Hedgehog Review – Special Issue, Vol. 8, No: 1-2: 23–34.  (In Course Book) (Optional)

Peace, Timothy (2016): “Religion and Populism in Britain: An Infertile Breeding Ground?” in: Marzouki, McDonnell and Roy (eds): Saving the People. How Populists Hijack Religion. Hurst & Company Publishers, London (On Canvas)

Bowen, John R. (2010) "How Could English Courts Recognize Shariah?," University of St. Thomas Law Journal: Vol. 7: Iss. 3, Article 3. (On Canvas, optional).

Available at: http://ir.stthomas.edu/ustlj/vol7/iss3/3

Frank Peter, 2010; “Welcoming Muslims into the Nation. Tolerance Politics and Inte-gration in Germany,” in Cecari (2010), J., (ed), Muslims in Europe and the United States since 9/11, London: Routledge (On Canvas, optional)

John Vinocur, 2015: “A Novel Approach to France’s Future, and Present -  
Michel Houellebecq’s new book raises questions about the political fictions that shape Paris’s current immigration debate.” in the Wall Street Journal, http://www.wsj.com/articles/john-vinocur-michel-houellebecqs-novel-approach-to-frances-future-and-present-1420490457

Tariq Ramadan 2015;
“Leading Muslim Scholar Tariq Ramadan: Attack on Paris Magazine "a Pure Betrayal of Our Religion, "

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/1/7/leading_muslim_scholar_tariq_ramadan_attack  

Field Studies

• "The Citadel"
• Christiansborg Palace 

Guest Lecturers

TBA

 

Course content and modules

In the first module, you will be introduced to key examples of the historical and contemporary manifestations of religion and politics in Europe, as well as complete an outline of some basic conceptual distinctions; especially the distinction between ‘secularization’ (the historical process and its underlying causes) and ‘secularism’ (the political philosophical ideal), but also the difference between the church-state and religion-politics distinctions. Basically in this module we dive head on into history, and try to get our bearings and we re-emerge into the present in the next module.

From a European perspective, religion plays a surprisingly large role on the political stage both in the Middle East and in the US. The question is if Europe is an exceptional case. Is the wide-spread perception of Europe as a secular continent fact or myth? The second module takes a look at how religion and politics have changed so as to challenge the old secularist tradition. Some of the headlines are believing without belonging and belonging without believing. In sum, modules one and two will give you an introduction to the state of affairs, the historical processes and some of their underlying causes that the sociological term secularization is typically invoked to give expression to.

In the third module, we reflect on what happens when Islam enters the European stage. Who are the Muslims? How should we understand what is going on? What is new, and what merely looks new? In particular, we discuss religious extremism and fundamentalism, and try to make sense of freedom and security in the face of these threats.

In the fourth module, we will take a close look at Populism and the Islamic challenges to Europe in recent years. After introducing the concepts and ideas involved, we dive into the national debates of France, Britain and Germany. Through these cases, we will discuss how Populism and the Islamic challenges are the defining issues and we explore, in the minds of the populists, ‘what went wrong, who is to blame and what can be done to fix the situation?’ Religion is part of all three questions, and draws on related issues like the limits for free speech, the legitimacy of the secular private/public distinction, and the relation between religion and national identity.

The fifth module concludes the class with a final case assignment where you are invited to give your assessment of the future of politics and religion in Europe. This is inspired by the 2015 novel by Michel Houellebecq, which guesses at the Islamification of France in 2022. During the week of the publication, 12 were killed in the horrible shooting at the satiric magazine Charlie Hebdo, very much calling into question the future of politics and religion in Europe.

 

Grading

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.

Assignment	Percent
Engaged Participation	20%
Mid-Term Exam	00%
Mid-Term Paper	15%
Presentations including Preparations	25%
Final Paper	40%

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.

 

Course Policies and Expectations of the Students

On Notes: Notes are always nice to have and important to do. However, I would recommend that you take only the necessary notes in class, and follow the class reflections and recapture the period by writing your thoughts down. Ask yourself; what were the main points? What was difficult? What did I understand and what did I not understand? What should I read more on? What questions do I have for the next class? You could use the online tools for this kind of notes and reflection. In my opinion, this is the best way to make the learning your own, rather than mindlessly writing down everything I say.

On Reading and Reading Groups: I expect you to read between classes, and I expect you to look up terms and phrases you are not familiar with, and I expect you to prepare questions for class. I recommend that you form small reading groups and work together on the texts and the questions in between classes. This is a great way to facilitate your own learning – maybe you can talk about the difficult issues and help each other along? I suggest you meet at least once per lesson, that is, twice a week. DIS has excellent facilities for this.

On Questions and Comments: If you have questions between classes, you are of course welcome to write me. However, if the question is of general relevance to the rest of the class or is a question that others might be able to answer, I suggest you post it to the forum on Canvas. I will of course answer, but everyone is invited to post their responses. This is part of learning.

Using the Online Tools and Course Webpage: In addition to posting your questions online to the benefit of the whole class, I suggest that you familiarize yourselves with the online tools and the webpage. Try writing a blog post, use the self-reflective journal tool for your notes, or start a discussion on a relevant topic. You can arrange the calendar of your reading group on the course page too.

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Attendance
• Coursework, Exams, and Final Grade Reports

 

 

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