Religion, Conflict and Peace
offered by Harvard University

Private University
3 Campuses
Estd. 1636

Religion, Conflict and Peace
at
Harvard University
Overview

Explore the diverse and complex roles that religions play in both promoting and mitigating violence.

Duration	8 weeks
Mode of learning	Online
Difficulty level	Beginner
Official Website	Go to Website
Course Level	UG Certificate

Religion, Conflict and Peace
at
Harvard University
Highlights

Earn a certificate of completion

Religion, Conflict and Peace
at
Harvard University
Course details

What are the course deliverables?

Tools for how to interpret the roles religions play in contemporary conflicts
How religions are internally diverse
How religions evolve and change
How religions are embedded in all human cultures

More about this course

In this course, we will explore a series of contemporary conflicts in different regions of the world with a special focus on identifying and analyzing the diverse and complex roles that religions play in both promoting and mitigating violence in each context. Students will learn a method for recognizing and analyzing how religious ideologies are embedded in all arenas of human agency and not isolated from political, economic, and cultural life as is often assumed.
In addition to examining the conflicts themselves, we will also explore the religious dimensions of the impacts those conflicts have on civic life in areas such as public health, education, and commerce by addressing a series of questions.
What roles do religions play in fostering violence and what roles do they play in promoting peace How do religious institutions and ideologies function to support and/or thwart public health initiatives What are the ideological justifications for functional economic policies and how do they reflect and/or challenge diverse religious values What roles do religions play in advancing or suppressing educational opportunities and for whom? Are media representations of the religious dimensions of conflict accurate
Possible countries of focus include Brazil, Egypt, France, Israel/Palestine, Myanmar, Nigeria, Qatar, the Philippines, Somalia, Syria, Turkey, and the United States. Final projects will be individually shaped based on interest and (where relevant) professional focus.
The course is open to all and especially relevant for aspiring or professional educators, journalists, public health workers, foreign service officers and government officials who wish to better understand how religions function in contemporary world affairs.
This course follows the popular World Religions Through Their Scriptures series, which explores the foundations of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.