Kursinformation

This seminar examines the Israel-Palestine conflict from a religious studies perspective. It is not primarily concerned with the question of whether or not this is a genuinely religious conflict; rather, the focus is on whether, how and, if so, since when religion has been a factor in the genesis and course of the conflict. The main topics will include:

-          Theoretical approaches to the connection between religion and conflict

-          Concepts of the “Holy Land”: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions up to 1800

-          Concepts of the “Holy Land” since the 19th century

-          Arabism, Islamism and Zionism before the First World War

-          Zionism as a national movement with both secular and religious varieties

-          Secular and religious tendencies within the Palestinian national movement

-          The wars of 1948 and 1967 and their consequences

-          The emergence of a national-religious settlement movement in Israel

-          The Israeli political spectrum and the importance of religious parties since the 1970s

-          The First Intifada and the Oslo Process

-          The political spectrum in Israel and Palestine and the importance of religious parties since the 1990s

-          Religion and the state, religion and political resistance, religion and violence

-          Religion and the Israel-Palestine conflict in the global public sphere

The convenors are aware that the topic of the course is highly politically charged. Course participants are therefore asked to use inclusive and fair language and to practice a tolerant culture of discussion. This course is not about taking a political stance, but about exploring the extent to which an academic perspective focussed on the topic of religion can contribute to an understanding of the conflict.