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HarvardX: HDS2825x Religion, Conflict and Peace

Religion, Conflict and Peace Syllabus

Professor Diane L. Moore

Harvard Divinity School

HarvardX

Live Sessions (Optional)

Friday, January 12th, 3-4pm EST 
Friday, January 26th, 3-4pm EST 
Friday, February 9th, 3-4pm EST 

Part One: Introduction to the Religious Literacy Method

Session 1: Introduction to Religious (January 8)

    • Distinction between Devotional Assertions and Study of Diverse Devotional Assertions
    • Religions are Internally Diverse
    • Religions are Living Traditions that are Shaped by Social and Historical Contexts
    • Religions are Embedded in Social, Political, and Cultural Life

Session 2: Introduction to Cultural Studies (January 11)

    • Situated Perspectives and Understanding the Role of Interpretation
    • Understanding the Dynamics of Social Power and Marginalization

Session 3: Introduction to Typologies of Violence and Peace (January 15)

    • Direct Violence and Direct Peace
    • Structural Violence and Structural Peace
    • Cultural Violence and Cultural Peace

Part Two: Religious and Secular Nationalism

Session 4: Religious and Secular Nationalism 1 (January 18)

    • Understanding Religious and Secular Forms of Nationalism
    • Israel/Palestine
    • Northern Ireland
    • Atalia Omer and the Hermeneutic of Citizenship

Session 5: Religious and Secular Nationalism 2 (January 22)

    • The Former Yugoslavia 
    • Brazil

Session 6: Religious and Secular Nationalism 3 (January 25)

    • India
    • Sri Lanka

Session 7: Religious and Secular Nationalism 4 (January 29)

    • United States
    • France

Session 8: Mid-Term Synthesis Exercises (February 1)

Part Three: In-Depth Case Studies

Session 9: Neoliberalism, Peace Journalism, and Syria (February 5)

    • Introduction to Neoliberalism
    • Introduction to Peace Journalism
    • Case Study on Syria 1

Session 10: Syria 2 (February 8)

    • Case Study on Syria 2

Session 11: Nigeria 1 (February 12)

    • Case Study on Nigeria 1

Session 12: Nigeria 2 (February 15)

    • Case Study on Nigeria 2

Session 13: Myanmar 1 (February 19)

    • Case Study on Myanmar 1

Session 14: Myanmar 2 (February 22)

    • Case Study on Myanmar 2

Session 15: Synthesis Exercises (February 26)

Session 16: Summary, Conclusion and Evaluation (March 1)