Does religion inhibit human violence or does it instigate and inflame conflicts among individuals and communities?  Is suicide terror truly religious and are martyrs just mentally unstable individuals?  These are some of the questions explored in this course.  Students will examine some of the theories that account for violent religious behavior—including self-directed violence.  Ranging from sociological to biological the theories will then be applied to a number of contemporary international cases of religious conflict (including the Middle East and South Asia).  Students will develop sophisticated analytical tools for understanding religious violence and setting up methods of conflict resolution.

Course applies to non-Western studies requirement.