RELS-327

Religion and Violence

Spring 2011 MW 1:30-2:45, Olin 217 rels-327.pbwiki.com

Instructor: Nathan Rein Office hours: MW 3-4 (in my office), Th 10-12 (in Blend Café)

Olin 211, 610-973-7186, nrein at ursinus dot edu

Course description In recent years, religiously-motivated violence has been a regular part of the news. Where does this phenomenon come from, and how should we understand it? Who are the violent extremists who appear daily in headlines around the world, and what kind of religious beliefs could cause a person to behave so destructively? Historically, religious ideas have been used to justify both war and peace, both violence and reconciliation. This course will examine the relationship between religion and violence in various historical contexts. This will be a seminar-style, discussion-based course. Most of your work will consist of reading and discussing -- in written and oral form -- widely varying treatments of religious violence. In general, there will be no lecturing. Religious violence is a slippery topic -- religion in general can always be said to be a "moving target" for scholars, and religious violence tends to be even more problematic than religion itself. Defining "religion" is notoriously difficult. Defining "violence," for many, turns out to be just as tricky. Due to the nature of the topic, then, this course will have an exploratory nature. We will be inquiring together into the history, causes, and characteristics of religious violence, but none of us should expect to leave the class in December with a definitive explanation for it. There are, at this point in our collective human history, no clear "right answers" that cannot be questioned. What we can do, however, and what I hope we will accomplish in this course, is to learn to ask the right questions. What might some of those questions be? There are many possible starting points, and you will undoubtedly bring your own questions and ideas with you. For this course, we will initially organize our inquiry around the following questions:

• Should we understand violence as an intrinsic part of human nature?

• When does religion promote, and when does it discourage, violent acts?

• And given that religious violence will inevitably strike most of us as repugnant, what does it mean to "understand" something that we find morally reprehensible or simply bizarre? Is it true that "tout comprendre, c'est tout pardonner" (to understand is to forgive)? What do we have to know about such acts in order to feel we have understood them?

Course goals In this course, you are asked to:

• Develop the skills of analyzing, critiquing, and drawing inferences from acts of religious violence and statements about those acts (this should

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make you, among other things, a much more informed consumer of the news media);

• Understand and analyze the arguments of a variety of scholars of religion, drawing on a variety of sources and contexts, about religious violence

• Sharpen your ability to make critical judgments and formulate your own arguments about religious violence and related topics

Assignments and grading Four written and two oral assignments will be required in this course, in addition to focus papers and responding in writing to your peers' work:

Three papers (900-1200 words each) 2/7, 2/28, 3/23 10% each One paper (1200-1500 words) 5/2 15% First in-class presentation

} dates to be determined 10% Second in-class presentation 15% Focus papers due weekly 10% Classroom participation 20%

Informal writing This course requires regular informal writing in the form of "focus papers" (10% of final grade), keeping up regular blog entries, and peer responses to formal papers (counted as part of your participation grade). 1. BLOGGING: The more blog entries, the better. This is a kind of writing that increases in effectiveness the more frequently you practice it. At a minimum you must write twenty blog entries over the course of the semester to receive full credit. They can take almost any form you want, as long as they deal with the class in some kind of substantive way, and they can be quite short. Aim for frequency. I reserve the right to let you know if your blog entries are too short or too unrelated to the class, but I am pretty open-minded about this. Treat your blog like an open-ended journal about the class, and feel free to refer not just to the assigned readings but to current events, the news, class discussions, and so forth. 2. FOCUS PAPERS. The purpose of these assignments is to help you focus your reading (that's why I call them focus papers). They are due via email each Wednesday at eleven a.m. and will not be accepted late. Period. You must write ten over the course of the semester. A focus paper has two components. First, identify and give a precise summary of some element of the week's reading assignment (it must be current -- in other words, not last week's reading). You can choose a particular passage that struck you as interesting or problematic; you can describe an overarching theme; you can give a capsule summary of the author's argument; etc. Second, give your own perspective on what you have just identified and summarized: a critical analysis of what you find interesting or compelling. In writing your analysis, ask yourself questions that probe into the underlying meanings and problems in the texts. Examples might include:

• What is the author's unstated agenda? Is he/she trustworthy?

• What is at stake in this text? Is there some underlying conflict?

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• What historical conditions or causes might explain the author's point of view? Would I have written something like this given the same circumstances? Why or why not?

Sometimes I will give you specific questions to think about as you write. Focus on the assigned readings, not on other texts or ideas from outside the course material. Length: approx. 300-600 words (one to two pages). Include the date and a word count. Focus papers will not be graded. If you hand in ten papers over the course of the semester that meet these requirements, you will receive an "A" for the focus paper portion of the grade; if you hand in nine, a "B"; if eight, a "C", etc. 2. PEER RESPONSES: All papers will be available to the entire class. Within a week from the due date of each paper (except the last one), each of you will be responsible for choosing two papers you find particularly interesting and writing a short response (a few paragraphs) in the form of a letter to the paper's author. These responses will also be available to the class. Guidelines for in-class presentations Everyone in the class will present twice during the semester. The presenter's responsibilities are to (1) introduce the material for the day, (2) connect the day's readings to material we have read previously, and (3) act as a discussion leader and "resource person" for the rest of the session. This can take many forms, but in general, you should plan to speak for fifteen to twenty minutes at the start of class, giving a basic introduction to the day's assigned material. This can mean, among other things:

• outlining the author's argument;

• identifying the author's underlying assumptions or unstated agenda;

• providing background information for understanding the reading;

• pointing out connections between different texts or different ideas, or between the primary sources and the textbook reading;

• showing how the day's readings represent a continuation of or a departure from themes and positions we've seen before;

• drawing the class's attention to significant, confusing, difficult, or problematic areas for discussion.

You should be as comfortable with the day's readings as possible. If you wish, this may involve some library research, but you will never be penalized for sticking exclusively to the assigned text or texts. You don't have to have a perfect understanding of the texts for the day; but if there's something you don't understand, be honest about it. Come to class prepared to talk about what you found interesting or confusing, give us the benefit of your ideas, and ask your classmates what they thought. You will also lead the day's discussion. Determine what you think are the most central questions that the class needs to talk about. Bring a list of questions and of the most important themes and quotations from the reading. (Since everyone in the class is responsible for bringing ideas and questions to class, you won't be completely on your own.) A handout may be very helpful. It is highly recommended that you schedule a short meeting with me several days before your presentation is scheduled so that we can go over your ideas.

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Your grade for this assignment will be based on your engagement with and insight into the readings, as reflected by your introduction and the questions you raise for discussion. Assigned texts Six texts have been ordered for purchase.

R. Scott Appleby. The Ambivalence of the Sacred. Inge Clendinnen. Aztecs: An Interpretation. Mark Juergensmeyer. Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of

Religious Violence (third edition, 2003). Bruce Lincoln. Holy Terrors: Thinking about Religion after Sept. 11

(second edition, 2006). Jonathan Riley-Smith. The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading.

The fine print CONTACTING ME: I do my best to be as available as possible, but I have two very young children at home so I can't be on campus late. However, you can feel free to email me (I'll get back to you within 48 hours), phone me (610-933-4686 at home, call before 9:30 pm), or IM me (nathanrein on AIM). You can also usually track me down via Facebook, if you're into that kind of thing. WRITTEN WORK: All written work must be submitted in order to receive a passing grade for the class. Late papers will be penalized by one grade-step (from B+ to B, etc.) for each day they are late, unless you have arranged with me for an extension well in advance of the due date. Informal writing will never be accepted late. All written work must include both page numbers and a word count in the upper right corner of the first page. Submitting work via email (as an attached Word document) is fine; in fact, it's preferred. If you give me a hard copy, make sure it's stapled, or it may end up in the trash (really. This is important). ATTENDANCE: Attendance at every class meeting is expected. Missing class shows disrespect for your classmates and professor and for the collective enterprise of the class. Missing two class meetings may result in the issuance of an academic warning slip. Missing three or more meetings may result in a failing grade for the course. In general, absenteeism will harm your participation grade. ACADEMIC HONESTY: Plagiarism is a serious offence, and today it has become very easy to detect. In written work, all quotations must be properly attributed and appear in quotation marks. But at least as importantly, any time you are drawing on someone else's work you MUST cite it! (Either parenthetical citations or footnotes are appropriate.) This includes paraphrases, summaries, or any time you make use of an idea that's not your own. Anything else is plagiarism and can result in one or both of the following: (1) a failing grade for the course or (2) College-level disciplinary action, including expulsion. At best, you will have an extremely unpleasant meeting with the dean and get an "F" for the assignment, and I guarantee it will ruin your day and mine. If you have questions about the proper use of sources, please don't hesitate to contact me. You are probably better off turning in nothing at all than turning in a plagiarized paper. INCLEMENT WEATHER: In the event that class must be cancelled due to inclement weather, I will let you know via email as early as possible the day of class.

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Schedule of readings and assignments The following schedule is subject to change. Please complete all reading by the date listed. Mon 1/17 Introduction to the course

Religious violence in the modern world

Wed 1/19 Juergensmeyer, pp. 3-15

Mon 1/24 Juergensmeyer, pp. 19-83

Wed 1/26 Juergensmeyer, pp. 84-116

Mon 1/31 Juergensmeyer, 119-186

Wed 2/2 Juergensmeyer, 187-243

Mon 2/7 Appleby, pp. 1-56 First paper due

Wed 2/9 Appleby, pp. 57-80

Mon 2/14 Appleby, pp. 81-121

Wed 2/16 Appleby, pp. 121-165

Mon 2/21 Appleby, pp. 167-206

Wed 2/23 Appleby, pp. 207-229 and 281-309 Recommended: pp. 230-280

Symbols of war, war of symbols

Mon 2/28 Lincoln, pp. 1-33 Second paper due

Wed 3/2 Lincoln, pp. 33-50

Mon 3/7 Spring break -- no class

Wed 3/9 Spring break -- no class

"Deus lo volt": the Crusades

Mon 3/14 Riley-Smith, pp. 1-57

Wed 3/16 Riley-Smith, pp. 58-109

Mon 3/21 Riley-Smith, pp. 109-155

A study in human sacrifice: Aztec religion

Wed 3/23 Clendinnen, pp. 1-44 Third paper due

Mon 3/28 Clendinnen, pp. 45-83

Wed 3/30 Clendinnen, pp. 87-140

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Mon 4/4 Clendinnen, pp. 141-152, 174-209

Wed 4/6 Clendinnen, pp. 213-235

Mon 4/11 Clendinnen, pp. 236-273

Wed 4/13 COSA -- no class

Mon 4/18

Wed 4/20

Mon 4/25

Wed 4/27

Mon 5/2 Fourth paper due