Nationalism, Religion and Conflict: Comparative Approach (DHP-D229M)

Spring 2024 · DHP D229M · Tufts University · 1.5 credits · Undergraduate

Over the past years, the various forms of intersection between religion and nationalism have increasingly been invoked as potent forces in framing and perhaps driving national and international conflicts. This module examines the processes and mechanisms by which religion and religious claims, through their intertwining with nationalism, influence state policies—particularly in relation to conflict and interethnic relations in multiethnic states. The course will comparatively examine if state politics, when determined by or framed in terms of nationalism fused with religious claims, have the potential to provoke protracted conflicts, infuse explicit religious beliefs and theories into politics and modes of governance, legitimize the exclusion of groups—including of fellow citizens—on the basis of interpreting sacred texts, and condone or instigate violence in the name of religiously embedded claims. The course will also examine what types of interaction are needed between religion and nationalism in order to reduce or mitigate intergroup conflict.

Course codes: DHP-D229M

• 1-SEM (Seminar) — Nadim Rouhana