Students
POIR3050 – Religion and Politics
2024 – Session 1, Online-flexible
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Ian Tregenza
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above OR (20cp in POL or POIR or POIX units at 2000 level).
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Since the eighteenth century Enlightenment philosophers have predicted that religion would vanish as capitalism, science and state separation from religion progressed. To some extent this has happened in some European countries, but on the whole, the 'secularisation thesis' has not come true. Not only is religion still with us, but 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, as well as recent developments in global and national politics. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: analyse and express arguments about the relationship between religion and politics in oral and written form.
- ULO2: show familiarity with, and critically interpret, some classic and contemporary texts on the relationship between religion and politics.
- ULO3: 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.
- ULO4: articulate a reasoned response to contemporary controversies about religion and politics in the light of the controversies’ broader philosophical and historical contexts.
General Assessment Information
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all non-timed written assessments (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc) is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams/quizzes, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article review | 20% | No | 15/03/24 |
| Essay | 40% | No | 10/05/24 |
| Test | 40% | No | Week 13 |
Article review
Assessment Type 1: Literature review
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 15/03/24
Weighting: 20%
Write a critical summary of one or more articles
On successful completion 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.
Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 10/05/24
Weighting: 40%
An essay of 2500 words, on a topic distributed during the unit.
On successful completion 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.
Test
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%
An online test covering all of the content in the Unit.
On successful completion 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.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Readings will be available through the ilearn site.
Lectures 11am-1pm Tuesdays. Attendance at lectures is expected for all internal students. Lectures are recorded and available on ilearn for external and OUA students.
Unit Schedule
1. A Secular Age?
2. Inventing ‘Religion’ and the ‘Secular’
3. The Two Cities: Augustine to Luther and Beyond
4. The Enlightenment(s) and Religion
5. Toleration and the Separation of Church and State
6. A Secular State? Religion and Secularism in Australian History
7. Religious Liberty in the Modern World, part 1.
8. Religious Liberty in the Modern World, part 2: Faith in the Public Sphere
9. Revolt against Modernity? Fundamentalism
10. Migrations of the Holy: Nationalism and Human Rights
11. Conclusion: Can religion and politics be separated?
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Academic Integrity
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
The Writing Centre
The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
- Workshops
- Chat with a WriteWISE peer writing leader
- Access StudyWISE
- Upload an assignment to Studiosity
- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
- IT Support
- Accessibility and disability support with study
- Mental health support
- Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
- Student Advocacy provides independent advice on MQ policies, procedures, and processes
Student Enquiries
Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Unit information based on version 2024.01 of the Handbook