Religion, War, Peace, & Security in the Twenty First Century #GLST 4346.02 Senior Seminar Offered by Dr. Sharyl Cross Kozmetsky Center
[email protected] St. Edward’s University Spring 2014
“…those who neglect religion in their analysis of contemporary affairs do so at great peril….The assumption that we live in a secularized world is false. The world today… is as furiously religious as it ever was, and in some places more so than ever. This means that a whole body of literature by historians and social scientists loosely labeled ‘secularization theory’ is essentially mistaken…” Peter L. Berger “…religion has surged its political influence in every region of the globe and within virtually every religious tradition, fueling democracy movements, terrorism, peace agreements, civil war, reconciliation initiatives, economic development programs, transformation of domestic regimes, and laws that promote its cultures ends.” Timothy Samuel Shah & Daniel Philpott “Americans tend to separate their spiritual lives from public lives” they “face a certain difficulty in comprehending the depths to which religious and political considerations interact in shaping the perceptions and motivations of individuals from other societies.” David Johnston “In order to effectively conduct foreign policy today, you have to understand the role of God and religion…” Madeleine K. Albright
Course Learning Objectives • To explore approaches among international relations/security scholars and practitioners for understanding the influence of religion the international security environment • Assess the implications of secularization and modernization trends for religion and religious influence in world politics and security • Examine the relationships between religion and democratization by reviewing several illustrative case studies from different historical, national, and cultural contexts
• Explore the influence of religion in contemporary and emerging world security both in addressing critical challenges (human rights, mitigating conflict, economic development, and other areas), and in terrorism, conflict, etc.
Course Features • INTEGRATES PERSPECTIVES OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY WITH PERSPECTIVES OF PRACTIONERS & THE POLICY COMMUNITY • MAKES NO CLAIMS TO OFFERING RIGHT ANSWERS OR SOLUTIONS; OFFERS A VENUE FOR STUDY & EXCHANGE OF VIEWS AMONG PROFESSIONALS REPRESENTING A RICH DIVERSITY OF NATIONAL, CULTURAL, & RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS • CONCLUDES BY ATTEMPTING TO GENERATE SOME SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS USEFUL FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY/SECURITY COMMUNITIES CONCERNING THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN THE CONTEMPORARY & EMERGING INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
• Requirements: Seminar Readings & Discussions, Case Study Presentations/Final Papers
Course Features • Course includes visiting guest lecturers/panelists in person & via VTC • VTC sessions will be held in Global Classrooms with students at universities in London & Moscow to exchange perspectives on relevant course issues
Participation • Readings – Comments – Questions • Presentations • Discussion • Seminar provides a venue for exchanging assessments and sharing perspectives among participants representing a rich diversity of national, cultural, and religious traditions • Raise questions or comments at any time • Atmosphere of mutual respect
Seminar Course Paper/Presentations • Each participant will be asked to prepare and final course paper and presentation based on research and analysis of the role of religion with respect to a critical issue area involving domestic or international security referencing a specific national or multi-nation/regional/global case study; including policy-relevant conclusions recommended • 15 minute presentation; followed by seminar discussion, questions, suggestions • Power Point 7-10 slides for distribution to seminar colleagues • Topic must be discussed/approved/scheduled in advance • Must be well-prepared, developed, organized; offering original insights/analysis to overall seminar content/experience • Library research required
Course Final Papers • Final / Presentation Topics; Proposals due on Thursday February 6 • Final 20 page paper due on Thursday May 1 • Must include significant research based on library sources (books, academic journals, interviews etc.); consistent citation system for documenting sources required • Must be well-prepared, developed, organized; offering original insights/analysis to overall seminar content/experience • Final culminating presentation/paper should contribute to the overall seminar experience
Final: Seminar Recommendations • As a seminar, we will conclude by attempting to generate some suggestions or recommendations that might be useful to policy practitioners and citizens concerning the role of religion in the contemporary and emerging international system • Please consider this task throughout the seminar preparing to contribute to discussion of concluding recommendations
Faculty/Contact Information Dr. Sharyl Cross • Kozmetsky Center, Main Building • Phone 512-637-1928 • Email:
[email protected]
Seminar Member Introductions • Name • Background; Interests • Objectives for the Seminar; Expectations for this Seminar Experience • Thoughts on Preferred Presentation Topics
Questions ?/Seminar #GLST 4346.02 Our Seminar Participants: Emily Colwell Isabelle George Stephanie Keinz Erin Kloc Ashley Mackay Matthew Madrano Pauline Rivera Austin Roark Kareena Slayton Patricia Torres-Rengel
Kali Walker Sarah Watley Ethan Willinger Michael Yamma Monica Guadelupe Zarate
