3016GIR Religious Fundamentalism, Democracy or Authoritarianism

3016GIR The Politics of Identity: Religion & Globalisation

Workshop Project

Task Description: The Workshop Project requires students to write answers to the 5 questions below based on the course content (lectures, workshops and required reading) for weeks 7 to 12 inclusive. The questions are listed below.

Questions:

1. Is religious fundamentalism a reversion to the pre-modern era, or is it a product of modernity?

2. Are the world’s religions a force for democracy or authoritarianism?

3. Why is there an inherent tension between religious belief and sovereign statehood? Can this tension be ameliorated?

4. What are the main consequences of the global religious resurgence for international relations?

5. What is meant by the ‘Easternisation of the West’? Is this evidence of a post-secular age?