Revolution, Freedom, and Equality: Religion, Ethics, and Politics in Modernity

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course traces the terms 'religion, 'ethics,' and 'politics,' as well as their complex interactions, through the latter parts of what used to be considered elite Western curricula. We will be paying particular attention to the ways previously excluded voices have joined and challenged these 'elite' discussions in recent centuries. Our journey begins in revolutionary England and will lead us all the way to the present. The following questions will be at the forefront of our inquiry: What is the role of religion in articulations of revolt and struggles for freedom and equality? What kinds of freedom from/or for dominate the religious and political imaginations? And what is the nature of equality, before God, the law, or in society?