Politics and Religion OpenCourseWare: A Free Online Grad-Level Political Science Class by MIT

Published Feb 04, 2009

RSS Feed

How do religious beliefs shape or influence political attitudes? Through a social science perspective, 'Politics and Religion' offered by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) examines the values, circumstances and opinions that are born when religion and politics come together. This OpenCourseWare may be of interest to those who are studying graduate-level Political Science or research and theory in the social sciences.

Politics and Religion: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Graduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
No Yes No

Politics and Religion: Course Description

This OpenCourseWare offered by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) examines religion as it relates to its position and influence in the political arena through theories in social science. It analyzes the part religious ideologies, institutions and actors have in war, conflict, regime change, democratic politics, state-building and policymaking. Empirical research and theoretical ideas are introduced through current social science writings. Topics explored include secularization, nationalism, church and state interaction and terrorism. The goal of this free course is to gain a better understanding of the relationship between religion and politics through social science data and literature. The Political Science Department of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) originally offered this course as a reading seminar.

'Politics and Religion' OpenCourseWare includes a syllabus, a detailed reading list and examples of student works. More information about this course can be found on the social science study of religion course page.

Featured School Choices: