State and Faith in the Middle East

Catalog description

This course will examine how states used religion as a means of legitimacy and law as well as staged a desperate battle against religious forces from the Ottoman period until the present day. Islam will be the focus of the course, as a variety of fundamentalist/revivalist movements, the politicization of religion, and secularization efforts are examined throughout the Middle East. In addition, the tole of Judaism and Christianity will be discussed in regard to the establishment and the present situation of Israel and Lebanon.