This course approaches religions from an interdisciplinary perspective. It investigates religions in Iraq, historically, philosophically, and politically. The course offers a comparative overview of Iraq’s religious history. It is organized roughly chronologically and discusses all the major religious groups, including Zoroastrianism Judaism, Christianity, Sunnism, Shi‘ism, Sufism, and Yezidism. Moreover, we will cover some philosophical and political dimensions of the role of religion in Iraq and in general. We will be investigating subjects like morality and religion, faith and reason, citizenship, and theocracy. We will also be discussing religion in 20th-century Iraq and the roots and effects of contemporary sectarianism. The course will cover religious laws, rituals, doctrines, and gender issues. After having taken this course, students will appreciate the impacts of religions on societies and be able to think critically about the dependability of morality on religion, religious experiences, the debate around faith and reason, and religious fundamentalism and sectarianism in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan today.
- Teacher: Hareim Hassan