Religion and Politics
UndergraduateMAQ-POIX30502025
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Start dates
- 24 Feb 2025
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Religion and Politics
About this subject
On successful completion of this subject, you will be able to
- analyse and express arguments about the relationship between religion and politics in oral and written form.
- show familiarity with, and critically interpret, some classic and contemporary texts on the relationship between religion and politics.
- form a critical and systematic argument about concepts related to politics and religion, including secularism and secularisation, religious freedom, religious nationalism, religious pluralism, and civil religion.
- articulate a reasoned response to contemporary controversies about religion and politics in the light of the controversies’ broader philosophical and historical contexts.
- A week-by-week guide to the topics you will explore in this subject will be provided in your study materials.
Since at least the middle of the nineteenth century philosophers and social scientists have predicted that religion would vanish as capitalism, science and state separation from religion progressed. To some extent this has happened in the West, but the picture is more complicated than the secularisation theory predicted. Not only is religion still with us, in many regions of the world it has grown, and its impact has become more intense. This unit examines the nature of the relationship between religion and politics by analysing the history of political thought and institutions, as well as recent developments in global and national politics. The first half of the unit covers key aspects of the history of church/state relations in the West and the rise of the secular state. The second half covers contemporary issues including the debates over religious freedom, the rise of fundamentalist movements, and the processes by which many modern, apparently secular ideas and movements often taken on sacred or quasi-religious forms. Through an examination of both classic and contemporary writings students will gain a deep understanding of the complex, contested relations between religion and politics.
- An essay of 2500 words (40%)
- Article review (20%)
- online quiz (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
This research-intensive university in north-western Sydney offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. With over 44,000 current students, Macquarie has a strong reputation for welcoming international students and embracing flexible and convenient study options, including its partnership with Open Universities Australia.
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- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 11
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 10
Entry requirements
Prior study
You must have successfully completed the following subject(s) before starting this subject:
Others
NCCW (pre-2020 units) POL305
Pre-requisite: 130cp at 1000 level or above OR (20cp in POL or POIR or POIX units at 2000 level).
NCCW (2020 and onwards) POIR3050 Religion and Politics
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
UndergraduateMAQ-ART-DEG
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