RELI 382 - Radical Religion on the Right and the Left

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

This seminar examines the role of 20th-century religious traditions in both right and left-wing political formations. Religion is most often understood as a right-wing political influence, especially in the contemporary United States. The rise of the Christian Right has impacted so much of contemporary life in the USA, from the striking down of abortion rights in the 2022 Dobbs Supreme Court decision to restrictions on queer and trans rights in Republican-dominated states. Putting the rise of the US religious right in a global perspective, this course profiles related right-wing “radical religion” in the Americas, Asia, Europe. Alongside this, we also unpack a less prominent version of “radical religion”: how religion has mattered deeply for left-wing movements around the world. We cover social movements such as Jewish and Christian Socialism and Anarchism, the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, and Latin American Liberation Theology. This seminar explores how religion often speaks loudest to those who are the most dissatisfied with the status quo and those most threatened by social change. Klaus Yoder.

Prerequisite(s): One course in Religion.

One 2-hour period.

Course Format: CLS