Religion and Conflict

Everywhere we look today, from our television screens to the streets of our cities, we see conflict in the name of religion. Some at verbal level, some at military level, some at a catastrophic level. Why does it appear that religion and conflict seem to go hand in hand? This module will explore the nature of this supposed relationship, first by looking at what actually constitutes 'conflict' (is it the same as 'violence', for example?), second, by looking at whether such conflict is actually inherent in what we perceive as 'religion' today, and third, by looking at the role the media plays in defining these terms and their relationship for us. Finally, this module broadens its perspective to focus on what global lessons can be learned from Europe. The course gives a more critical perspective on what we see happening around us in the name of religion, and insight into why some religions struggle more than others with the nature of conflict.

Excursion(s): Students will attend a guided visit to Stirling Castle.