This subject will provide students with an introduction to the complexity, challenges and richness of Australian Indigenous life and cultures. Drawing on a wide range of diverse and dynamic guest lecturers, this subject gives students an opportunity to encounter Australian Indigenous knowledges, histories and experiences through interdisciplinary perspectives. Across three thematic blocks - Indigenous Knowledges, Social and Political Contexts and Representation/Self-Representation - this subject engages contemporary cultural and intellectual debate. Social and political contexts will be considered through engagement with specific issues and a focus on Indigenous cultural forms, which may include literature, music, fine arts, museum exhibitions and performance, will allow students to consider self-representation as a means by which to disrupt and expand perceptions of Aboriginality.

Who we are and what we do is all tangled up in our identity. This subject considers how identities are constructed and maintained through mediated processes of self and other. The subject investigates the myriad demands and devices that figure in constructing our senses of self and other (including language, leisure, beliefs and embodied practices). By exploring identity in diverse contexts, across time and place, the subject maps varying conceptions of self and other and how these conceptions are constructed and maintained. A key focus is on how these mediated conceptions of self and other are translated into material practices of inclusion, exclusion, discrimination, violence and criminalisation.

Language plays a central role in the central disciplinary areas in the humanities and social sciences. This subject gives students tools for thinking about language in a range of disciplines, including linguistics, history, sociology, politics, literary studies, anthropology, language studies, psychology and psychoanalytic theory. It shows how language can be analysed as a system, but also how language features centrally in politcal and social contexts: for example, in the processing of the claims of asylum seekers, in developing views of ethnicity, race and nation, and in colonialism; and in the construction of gendered and sexual identity. The role of language in the psyche, and the process of acquisition of languages in children and in adults, are also important topics. Knowing how to think about language, and familiarity with the main thinkers who have discussed language in a range of humanities and social science disciplines, provide an indispensable basis for study in any area of the Arts degree.

Reason, many believe, is what makes us human. Until recently, most scientists and philosophers agreed that the ability to use the mind to analyse and interpret the world is something intrinsic to the nature of our species. Reason has a long and extraordinary history. We will explore a number of inter-related themes: the nature of reason from Ancient Greece to our contemporary world; the ever shifting relationship between reason and faith; reason's place in the development of scientific experimentation and thinking; shifting perspectives about the uses of Reason and, finally, how reason relates to theories of the mind, exploring the tensions between reason, the passions and the will.

Reason will take you on a journey from Plato's cave to the neuro-scientists' lab. We will visit revolutions in science, thinking and politics. We will explore the impact of some of the great philosophers of history, including Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Bentham, Coleridge, Marx, Nietzsche, Foucault and many more besides. By the end of this subject you will have a deep understanding of the importance of the idea of reason to human history and philosophy. You might, even, be able to answer the question: 'does reason exist?'

Reason is an Arts Foundation Subject and we will argue that understanding the history and philosophy of reason provides great insights into many aspects of the humanities from political philosophy to understanding history. We will, of course, be paying particular attention to the foundational skills that will help you successfully complete your Arts major: particularly critical thinking and argument development.

Humans grapple with representations of themselves and their contexts. They also like to imagine other possible worlds. We use words, language, images, sounds and movement to construct narratives and stories, large and small, about the trivial and the profound, the past and the future. These representations can help us to understand worlds but they can also create worlds for us. This subject explores how different genres such as speech, writing, translation, film, theatre and art generate representations of social life, imagination and the human condition. A key aim of the subject is to develop a critical appreciation of how language, images and embodied gestures are used to construct empowering and disempowering discourses.

The idea of power is a way to grasp the character of social relations. Investigating power can tell us about who is in control and who may benefit from such arrangements. Power can be a zero-sum game of domination. It can also be about people acting together to enact freedom. This subject examines the diverse and subtle ways power may be exercised. It considers how power operates in different domains such as markets, political systems and other social contexts. It also examines how power may be moderated by such things as regulation and human rights. A key aim is to explore how differing perspectives portray power relations and how issues of power distribution may be characterised and addressed.

Today, approximately 24% of the world’s population is Muslim. What is Islam, and how does it shape our world: historically, culturally, economically, and politically? What binds nearly 2 billion Muslims together: how are Muslims ‘Muslim’, but differently?
This subject introduces students to the religion of Islam and explores its major beliefs, sacred texts, and diverse cultural manifestations, and considers how these influence the lives of Muslims, Muslim societies, and the world today. Focusing on the diversity that exists within Islam, and among Muslims, each lecture begins with a question or challenge that is relevant today. Examples of topics covered include the emergence of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, the Qur’an, Sharia and law, Sunnis and Shia, Sufis and spirituality, money and charity, gender and equality, relations with people of other faiths, and jihad. The subject also considers both Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority contexts and examines the lessons they hold for a world grappling with cultural diversity.

This subject examines the impact of modernity on the Islamic world: how have Muslims rejected, or adapted to, modernity? How have they shaped the terms of modernity itself? The subject explores the ideas of modern Muslim intellectuals and their attempts to respond to modernity as a ‘Western’ project while addressing critical issues facing the Muslim communities. Through a close study of Muslim texts, institutions, and socio-political movements, students will understand how modernity has shaped Muslim discourses as well as the challenges associated with constructing a ‘Muslim’ identity in today’s modern world

This subject is an introduction, in English translation, to the most important text of Islam, the Qur'an, which Muslims regard as the primary source of Islam. Students will study: the origins of the Qur'an, its overall structure and content, major themes, approaches to its interpretation, and its function in Muslim religious, social, cultural and political life. The themes and topics covered (such as God, ethics, women, state, inter-faith relations, violence) should assist students in understanding contemporary debates on the relevance of Islam today.

How are genders and desires imagined, performed, reproduced and contested in the diversity of societies and cultures of the Asian region? How does mobility and sociocultural change influence, or impact on everyday notions of gender within Asia, and in discourses about Asia? What is the influence of histories, religions, languages and media on gender and sexualities in the Asian region and Asian diasporas? This subject critically engages with gender and desire in relation to the Asian region by drawing on contemporary gender theories and a diversity of perspectives from the humanities and social sciences. Topics will cover the Asian region and diasporas, with a focus on languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Indonesian and Japanese.

This subject will examine the Israeli-Palestinian narrative through a multi-disciplinary perspective that will explore the political, social, historical and cultural issues central to this long and intense conflict. The subject will provide a clear chronological and textual foundation for examining the conflict’s origins, evolution, ramifications, as well as the quest for peace. Also examined will be Palestinian and Israeli society in the 20th Century with a focus on the rise and development of Palestinian and Israeli nationalism, including intertwined themes of identity, collective memory, trauma and loss-- themes that bind Palestinians and Israelis together. This interdisciplinary subject will assess the causes and effects of the wars in the region, the involvement of external powers, the negotiations and agreements between Israel and the PLO, the impact of the conflict on the lives of the two nations, the issue of settlements within the framework of international law, the phenomenon of terrorism and counter-terrorism and the status of Jerusalem and its holy sites. Evaluating the prospects of resolution, the subject will probe contemporary instances of interfaith dialogue and programs that call for peaceful coexistence. The course will utilise primary and secondary sources, including film and literature.

This subject will examine and focus on modern Israeli history, beginning with the first decade of Israeli statehood and evaluating the nation-building process, the formation of state institutions and the evolution of a democratic regime. Also discussed will be the disparity that became evident between the Zionist ideal and the difficulties of this realization as long-standing divisions emerged such as the Ashkenazi-Sephardic dispute, ultra-orthodox-secular split and Arab-Israeli tensions. The subject will also investigate the revisionist, post-Zionist and other critiques that have to come to the fore in Israeli society over the last two decades. It will engage a number of significant Jewish thinkers and their critical and theoretical reflections on present and future perspectives.The readings include a rich and diverse mix of documents. primary sources, scholarly articles, short stories, poetry newspaper and magazine articles, films and music, all marshalled to illustrate crucial events and change in Israeli history. These sources not only demonstrate the complexity and multiplicity of Israeli history, but will also enable students to cultivate their skills at hands-on historical analysis.

How should we understand politics in the Middle East and South Asia—two regions known for political events that shape the wider world? This subject uses detailed case studies to explore fundamental questions regarding religion and politics in Muslim-majority as well as Muslim-minority states. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between Islam and violent resistance (including revolution) as well as electoral politics, constitutionalism, and human rights.

To facilitate discussion, the subject examines primary source materials such as constitutions, manifestos, charters, and first-hand reports that illuminate how states and organizations with a religious orientation articulate their own political views in Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India, with concluding references to transnational links in Europe, East Asia, and Australia.

In this subject the students explore the Sufi Way as the spiritual dimension of Islam, its roots and philosophical meaning, and the factors which led to its emergence, its seeming conflict and reconciliation with the views of the Orthodox scholars, its socio-political dimensions as a popular religious trend, and such Sufi practices as chanting, meditation and dance-like rituals. It also explores the various Sufi brotherhoods, and analyses the relevance of the Sufi dimension of Islam to contemporary society.

This subject explores key questions in international relations, beginning with the basic questions of why the world is comprised of states and why they enjoy a monopoly on legitimate violence, and then expanding through a range of questions such as whether cultural identities are responsible for international conflict, whether the concept of ‘human rights’ is a remnant of colonialism, and who really controls the global economy. This subject provides an in-depth examination of the ideas and actors that have shaped world politics, and encourages a critical exploration of the politics behind current events in international relations, from environmental agreements to targeted killings by robot planes to indigenous land claims. Students will be encouraged to evaluate the theoretical assumptions and debates in international relations and how they influence global politics today.

Indonesia is a unitary state built up from culturally and historically diverse components. In this subject students will examine different ideologies, philosophies and approaches that have been utilised in the move towards unity, including secular nationalism, political Islam, militarism, developmentalism, democraticisation and the rise in consumer culture. Indonesia’s colonial past and its post-colonial experience with the project of nation building will be examined and both the symbols and the pragmatic social-political processes for building national cohesion will be explored. The variety of topics covered is wide and may range, for example, from examining periods of political upheaval and the role of the state and perceived threats to state unity through to the roles of education, language and popular culture in creating a sense of Indonesian-ness. We will also look at the tensions that arise in this ongoing project of nation building, including the phenomenon of regionalism and separatist movements. This subject is conducted in Indonesian.

This subject considers the rich heritage of ethical traditions in Islamic thought and some key modern debates. Students will critically examine key features and contributions of Muslim theologians, philosophers and Sufis who attempted to deal with revelation and rationalistic discourse in exploring the meaning of an ethical life as well as religious morality for Muslims. Are philosophy and religious wisdom equals (and allies) in the pursuit of human happiness? Students will be introduced to the genesis and development of rational and religious traditions with an emphasis on the application of ethical issues—the meaning of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ conduct, free will, predestination, and human responsibility—in Muslim societies. Areas of major contemporary ethical debates, including bioethics (abortion, IVF, euthanasia, cloning) will also be discussed from a Muslim perspective.

This subject is a historical survey of the major events, movements and relationships underlying the making of the modern Islamic and Arab Middle East since the end of the First World War. The subject enables students to understand: the interplay of religion and foreign rule and intervention in shaping the politics and society of the modern Middle East; the development of the different states of the region; the differences between local points of view and those of outside commentators, historians and rulers; and the effects of these changes on the wider population of the various countries.

This subject examines political dynamics and diplomatic challenges framed by religion in the modern Muslim world: from revolution in Iran to regime change in Egypt (ref. the Arab Spring); from regional tensions in Kashmir to human rights in Afghanistan (ref. the War on Terror). How can we understand and appreciate the religious dynamics underpinning these contexts, including sectarianism and Islamism, with particular reference to the experience of external powers seeking to engage key players within and beyond these contexts? Rooted in an overview 20th century diplomatic history, this subject examines the link between international relations and religion, using detailed case studies to balance academic and applied forms of learning. Alongside critical engagement with academic literature, crisis-oriented role-playing and oral briefing assignments will be used to develop relevant skills.

This subject examines the relationship between (a) Islamic religious, political and legal thought and practice, and (b) democratic thought and practice in Muslim societies. It is suitable for those with an interest in studies of Islam and politics. It requires no background in the study of Islam or law.

How do interpretations of Islam or Islamic law intersect with, or diverge from, democratic ideas about legitimate debate, dissent or opposition in both the public and the private sphere? How are notions of political and legal authority understood and debated in ‘Islamic’ and ‘democratic’ contexts? Addressing key issues in contemporary international and domestic politics, the subject begins with comparative political theory and ends with case studies drawn from Muslim-majority states in the Middle East, North Africa, and South and Southeast Asia.

This is the capstone unit for the Islamic Studies major. It provides students with the opportunity to critically reflect upon the major through an engagement with key themes studied.

This is achieved through a detailed exploration of contemporary challenges and the Islamic world's responses. The subject is focused purely on the modern era, and offers students the opportunity to gain a detailed understanding of how contemporary scholars engage, analyse and interact with challenges from the theological, philosophical, political and ethical spheres. This subject has been designed to offer students a dynamic and thought-provoking conclusion to their Islamic Studies program.

Students will devise their own research topic and present the results in writing.

This subject will provide students with an introduction to the complexity, challenges and richness of Australian Indigenous life and cultures. Drawing on a wide range of diverse and dynamic guest lecturers, this subject gives students an opportunity to encounter Australian Indigenous knowledges, histories and experiences through interdisciplinary perspectives. Across three thematic blocks - Indigenous Knowledges, Social and Political Contexts and Representation/Self-Representation - this subject engages contemporary cultural and intellectual debate. Social and political contexts will be considered through engagement with specific issues and a focus on Indigenous cultural forms, which may include literature, music, fine arts, museum exhibitions and performance, will allow students to consider self-representation as a means by which to disrupt and expand perceptions of Aboriginality.

Who we are and what we do is all tangled up in our identity. This subject considers how identities are constructed and maintained through mediated processes of self and other. The subject investigates the myriad demands and devices that figure in constructing our senses of self and other (including language, leisure, beliefs and embodied practices). By exploring identity in diverse contexts, across time and place, the subject maps varying conceptions of self and other and how these conceptions are constructed and maintained. A key focus is on how these mediated conceptions of self and other are translated into material practices of inclusion, exclusion, discrimination, violence and criminalisation.

Language plays a central role in the central disciplinary areas in the humanities and social sciences. This subject gives students tools for thinking about language in a range of disciplines, including linguistics, history, sociology, politics, literary studies, anthropology, language studies, psychology and psychoanalytic theory. It shows how language can be analysed as a system, but also how language features centrally in politcal and social contexts: for example, in the processing of the claims of asylum seekers, in developing views of ethnicity, race and nation, and in colonialism; and in the construction of gendered and sexual identity. The role of language in the psyche, and the process of acquisition of languages in children and in adults, are also important topics. Knowing how to think about language, and familiarity with the main thinkers who have discussed language in a range of humanities and social science disciplines, provide an indispensable basis for study in any area of the Arts degree.

Reason, many believe, is what makes us human. Until recently, most scientists and philosophers agreed that the ability to use the mind to analyse and interpret the world is something intrinsic to the nature of our species. Reason has a long and extraordinary history. We will explore a number of inter-related themes: the nature of reason from Ancient Greece to our contemporary world; the ever shifting relationship between reason and faith; reason's place in the development of scientific experimentation and thinking; shifting perspectives about the uses of Reason and, finally, how reason relates to theories of the mind, exploring the tensions between reason, the passions and the will.

Reason will take you on a journey from Plato's cave to the neuro-scientists' lab. We will visit revolutions in science, thinking and politics. We will explore the impact of some of the great philosophers of history, including Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Bentham, Coleridge, Marx, Nietzsche, Foucault and many more besides. By the end of this subject you will have a deep understanding of the importance of the idea of reason to human history and philosophy. You might, even, be able to answer the question: 'does reason exist?'

Reason is an Arts Foundation Subject and we will argue that understanding the history and philosophy of reason provides great insights into many aspects of the humanities from political philosophy to understanding history. We will, of course, be paying particular attention to the foundational skills that will help you successfully complete your Arts major: particularly critical thinking and argument development.

Humans grapple with representations of themselves and their contexts. They also like to imagine other possible worlds. We use words, language, images, sounds and movement to construct narratives and stories, large and small, about the trivial and the profound, the past and the future. These representations can help us to understand worlds but they can also create worlds for us. This subject explores how different genres such as speech, writing, translation, film, theatre and art generate representations of social life, imagination and the human condition. A key aim of the subject is to develop a critical appreciation of how language, images and embodied gestures are used to construct empowering and disempowering discourses.

The idea of power is a way to grasp the character of social relations. Investigating power can tell us about who is in control and who may benefit from such arrangements. Power can be a zero-sum game of domination. It can also be about people acting together to enact freedom. This subject examines the diverse and subtle ways power may be exercised. It considers how power operates in different domains such as markets, political systems and other social contexts. It also examines how power may be moderated by such things as regulation and human rights. A key aim is to explore how differing perspectives portray power relations and how issues of power distribution may be characterised and addressed.

Today, approximately 24% of the world’s population is Muslim. What is Islam, and how does it shape our world: historically, culturally, economically, and politically? What binds nearly 2 billion Muslims together: how are Muslims ‘Muslim’, but differently?
This subject introduces students to the religion of Islam and explores its major beliefs, sacred texts, and diverse cultural manifestations, and considers how these influence the lives of Muslims, Muslim societies, and the world today. Focusing on the diversity that exists within Islam, and among Muslims, each lecture begins with a question or challenge that is relevant today. Examples of topics covered include the emergence of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, the Qur’an, Sharia and law, Sunnis and Shia, Sufis and spirituality, money and charity, gender and equality, relations with people of other faiths, and jihad. The subject also considers both Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority contexts and examines the lessons they hold for a world grappling with cultural diversity.

This subject examines the impact of modernity on the Islamic world: how have Muslims rejected, or adapted to, modernity? How have they shaped the terms of modernity itself? The subject explores the ideas of modern Muslim intellectuals and their attempts to respond to modernity as a ‘Western’ project while addressing critical issues facing the Muslim communities. Through a close study of Muslim texts, institutions, and socio-political movements, students will understand how modernity has shaped Muslim discourses as well as the challenges associated with constructing a ‘Muslim’ identity in today’s modern world

This subject is an introduction, in English translation, to the most important text of Islam, the Qur'an, which Muslims regard as the primary source of Islam. Students will study: the origins of the Qur'an, its overall structure and content, major themes, approaches to its interpretation, and its function in Muslim religious, social, cultural and political life. The themes and topics covered (such as God, ethics, women, state, inter-faith relations, violence) should assist students in understanding contemporary debates on the relevance of Islam today.

How are genders and desires imagined, performed, reproduced and contested in the diversity of societies and cultures of the Asian region? How does mobility and sociocultural change influence, or impact on everyday notions of gender within Asia, and in discourses about Asia? What is the influence of histories, religions, languages and media on gender and sexualities in the Asian region and Asian diasporas? This subject critically engages with gender and desire in relation to the Asian region by drawing on contemporary gender theories and a diversity of perspectives from the humanities and social sciences. Topics will cover the Asian region and diasporas, with a focus on languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Indonesian and Japanese.

This subject will examine the Israeli-Palestinian narrative through a multi-disciplinary perspective that will explore the political, social, historical and cultural issues central to this long and intense conflict. The subject will provide a clear chronological and textual foundation for examining the conflict’s origins, evolution, ramifications, as well as the quest for peace. Also examined will be Palestinian and Israeli society in the 20th Century with a focus on the rise and development of Palestinian and Israeli nationalism, including intertwined themes of identity, collective memory, trauma and loss-- themes that bind Palestinians and Israelis together. This interdisciplinary subject will assess the causes and effects of the wars in the region, the involvement of external powers, the negotiations and agreements between Israel and the PLO, the impact of the conflict on the lives of the two nations, the issue of settlements within the framework of international law, the phenomenon of terrorism and counter-terrorism and the status of Jerusalem and its holy sites. Evaluating the prospects of resolution, the subject will probe contemporary instances of interfaith dialogue and programs that call for peaceful coexistence. The course will utilise primary and secondary sources, including film and literature.

This subject will examine and focus on modern Israeli history, beginning with the first decade of Israeli statehood and evaluating the nation-building process, the formation of state institutions and the evolution of a democratic regime. Also discussed will be the disparity that became evident between the Zionist ideal and the difficulties of this realization as long-standing divisions emerged such as the Ashkenazi-Sephardic dispute, ultra-orthodox-secular split and Arab-Israeli tensions. The subject will also investigate the revisionist, post-Zionist and other critiques that have to come to the fore in Israeli society over the last two decades. It will engage a number of significant Jewish thinkers and their critical and theoretical reflections on present and future perspectives.The readings include a rich and diverse mix of documents. primary sources, scholarly articles, short stories, poetry newspaper and magazine articles, films and music, all marshalled to illustrate crucial events and change in Israeli history. These sources not only demonstrate the complexity and multiplicity of Israeli history, but will also enable students to cultivate their skills at hands-on historical analysis.

How should we understand politics in the Middle East and South Asia—two regions known for political events that shape the wider world? This subject uses detailed case studies to explore fundamental questions regarding religion and politics in Muslim-majority as well as Muslim-minority states. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between Islam and violent resistance (including revolution) as well as electoral politics, constitutionalism, and human rights.

To facilitate discussion, the subject examines primary source materials such as constitutions, manifestos, charters, and first-hand reports that illuminate how states and organizations with a religious orientation articulate their own political views in Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India, with concluding references to transnational links in Europe, East Asia, and Australia.

In this subject the students explore the Sufi Way as the spiritual dimension of Islam, its roots and philosophical meaning, and the factors which led to its emergence, its seeming conflict and reconciliation with the views of the Orthodox scholars, its socio-political dimensions as a popular religious trend, and such Sufi practices as chanting, meditation and dance-like rituals. It also explores the various Sufi brotherhoods, and analyses the relevance of the Sufi dimension of Islam to contemporary society.

This subject explores key questions in international relations, beginning with the basic questions of why the world is comprised of states and why they enjoy a monopoly on legitimate violence, and then expanding through a range of questions such as whether cultural identities are responsible for international conflict, whether the concept of ‘human rights’ is a remnant of colonialism, and who really controls the global economy. This subject provides an in-depth examination of the ideas and actors that have shaped world politics, and encourages a critical exploration of the politics behind current events in international relations, from environmental agreements to targeted killings by robot planes to indigenous land claims. Students will be encouraged to evaluate the theoretical assumptions and debates in international relations and how they influence global politics today.

Indonesia is a unitary state built up from culturally and historically diverse components. In this subject students will examine different ideologies, philosophies and approaches that have been utilised in the move towards unity, including secular nationalism, political Islam, militarism, developmentalism, democraticisation and the rise in consumer culture. Indonesia’s colonial past and its post-colonial experience with the project of nation building will be examined and both the symbols and the pragmatic social-political processes for building national cohesion will be explored. The variety of topics covered is wide and may range, for example, from examining periods of political upheaval and the role of the state and perceived threats to state unity through to the roles of education, language and popular culture in creating a sense of Indonesian-ness. We will also look at the tensions that arise in this ongoing project of nation building, including the phenomenon of regionalism and separatist movements. This subject is conducted in Indonesian.

This subject considers the rich heritage of ethical traditions in Islamic thought and some key modern debates. Students will critically examine key features and contributions of Muslim theologians, philosophers and Sufis who attempted to deal with revelation and rationalistic discourse in exploring the meaning of an ethical life as well as religious morality for Muslims. Are philosophy and religious wisdom equals (and allies) in the pursuit of human happiness? Students will be introduced to the genesis and development of rational and religious traditions with an emphasis on the application of ethical issues—the meaning of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ conduct, free will, predestination, and human responsibility—in Muslim societies. Areas of major contemporary ethical debates, including bioethics (abortion, IVF, euthanasia, cloning) will also be discussed from a Muslim perspective.

This subject is a historical survey of the major events, movements and relationships underlying the making of the modern Islamic and Arab Middle East since the end of the First World War. The subject enables students to understand: the interplay of religion and foreign rule and intervention in shaping the politics and society of the modern Middle East; the development of the different states of the region; the differences between local points of view and those of outside commentators, historians and rulers; and the effects of these changes on the wider population of the various countries.

This subject examines political dynamics and diplomatic challenges framed by religion in the modern Muslim world: from revolution in Iran to regime change in Egypt (ref. the Arab Spring); from regional tensions in Kashmir to human rights in Afghanistan (ref. the War on Terror). How can we understand and appreciate the religious dynamics underpinning these contexts, including sectarianism and Islamism, with particular reference to the experience of external powers seeking to engage key players within and beyond these contexts? Rooted in an overview 20th century diplomatic history, this subject examines the link between international relations and religion, using detailed case studies to balance academic and applied forms of learning. Alongside critical engagement with academic literature, crisis-oriented role-playing and oral briefing assignments will be used to develop relevant skills.

This subject examines the relationship between (a) Islamic religious, political and legal thought and practice, and (b) democratic thought and practice in Muslim societies. It is suitable for those with an interest in studies of Islam and politics. It requires no background in the study of Islam or law.

How do interpretations of Islam or Islamic law intersect with, or diverge from, democratic ideas about legitimate debate, dissent or opposition in both the public and the private sphere? How are notions of political and legal authority understood and debated in ‘Islamic’ and ‘democratic’ contexts? Addressing key issues in contemporary international and domestic politics, the subject begins with comparative political theory and ends with case studies drawn from Muslim-majority states in the Middle East, North Africa, and South and Southeast Asia.