RESA4222 – Democracy, Religion and Cosmopolitics
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
Democracy means people’s rule through elections, offices, and open public deliberation. Its normative foundation is tied to enlightenment ideas of natural law, human emancipation, and religious freedom. Democracy is therefore also a way of life that influences how we organize the family, educate the young, care for the earth, gather in community, and how we do gender, religion, and church. Today, Western democracies are contested. On the one hand, White Christian nationalism, populism, conspiracy theories, and a rising radical right attack liberal and legal traditions within the democracy concept. On the other hand, ecological cosmopolitics challenges democracies to evolve and to extend rights to non-human fellow creatures.
In the course, we will address these concerns by approaching democracy and democratic theory from different angles. We will also explore to what extent the historical heritage of the Christian Reformation as well as certain Indigenous religious practices might be regarded as preconditions to the development of modern democracy. Particular focus will be given to the 19th-century lay movements known as “Covenantalism” (USA) and “Haugianism” (Norway). We will compare findings with examples from contemporary Scandinavian creation theology, Sami theology, and US political theology. Christian nationalism and its radical allies will also be critically addressed, including why gender and race are important analytics.
To understand better why democracy also is an associational form of life we will explore how civil religion, church traditions, and spiritual practices might hold keys to critically address the question regarding democracy and representation to non-human fellow creatures. Sacred spaces like churches and mosques already address “more-than-human-beings” through art, symbols, and ritual practices. May these practices be translated into public discourse and help extend democratic representation? Or would this be a breach to the important distinction between sacred ritual and political discourse?
In our overall approach to democracy as a way of life and as key to resisting nationalist dreams of a “pure community”, we will engage democratic theory, cosmopolitics, gender and decolonial and critical race theory. Analytical tools will be used to accentuate and problematize the normativity of traditions, spaces, bodies, and voices.
The course includes an excursion to “Ut?ya” to learn how politically engaged Social Democratic youth and young adults think and teach democracy after the terrorist attack on 22 July 2011.
Learning outcome
Provide students with an in-depth understanding of the relationships and differences between democracy and religion and the significance of ritual gatherings in both sacred and public spaces.
Provide students with historical knowledge of the religious preconditions to modern democracy and why and how democracy also can be conceptualized as “a way of life” and as key to counter Christian Nationalism.
Students will master theoretical tools to understand, analyze and discuss scholarly and practical attempts at redesigning democracy to also include fellow creatures. By expecting oral presentations of syllabus-related questions in class the course will provide students with the skills to debate and engage critically and constructively in normative discourse (ethical or political) from the perspectives of religious studies and theology.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Students studying at master’s level on the Theology Programme and Teacher Education Programme may apply to the course by sending an email to info@teologi.uio.no by the same deadlines as for course registration for bachelor courses at TF.
Teaching
The teaching consists of lectures and seminars. Short lectures to introduce fields of study, concepts, and themes and short student presentations and prepared questions. 1 excursion to Ut?ya.
Mandatory activities
All seminars are prepared and initiated by both teacher and students.
- The student must participate actively in the teaching by preparing 1 syllable-related question for 5 different class gatherings and presenting it orally.
- The student must hand in two submissions in Canvas: an essay and a thematic paper. One oral presentation in class of the main findings in the essay:
- 1 reflection essay (1000-1500 words) based on a syllabus text (article or chapter). Short oral presentation in class of main findings.
- 1 full draft of a thematic paper on a topic from the syllabus literature (2500-3000 words when finished). Written response from the teacher.
Examination
Portfolio (3500-4500 words)
The portfolio should contain the following:
- 1 reflection essay, 1000-1500 words (25%)
- 1 thematic paper, 2500-3000 words. (75%)
The texts prepared for the portfolio are based on the submissions in Canvas. The student has the opportunity to improve both documents right up to the examination deadline.
Submit assignments in Inspera
You submit your assignment in the digital examination system Inspera. Read about how to submit your assignment.
Use of sources and citation
You should familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to the use of sources and citations. If you violate the rules, you may be suspected of cheating/attempted cheating.
Language of examination
You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.