Faith in Politics
What role, if any, should religion play in politics? From the French system of the separation of church and state to the Vatican City’s complete synthesis of the (Catholic) church and state, or from Indonesia’s Muslim-majority secular democracy to the Islamic Republic of Iran, there are a seemingly endless array of ideas and examples of how to relate religion and politics. Where does the relationship work best? Where does it fall apart and even lead to violent conflict? Using examples from around the world and a broad selection of world religions, this course tries to answer the eternally vexing question of when, if ever, politics and religion can fit together.
Faculty Bio
Darren Zook teaches in political science and global studies at UC Berkeley. His areas of interest include comparative politics, human rights and international law. He has received numerous teaching awards for his creativity in the classroom, and was recently named one of the “Top Ten Most Inspiring Professors at UC Berkeley” by College Magazine. He lectures all around the world, and has published six books. He is currently at work on a research project involving the politics of ice in the era of climate change.
This is a Best of OLLI Subscription Course
- Best of OLLI subscription courses are popular courses recorded a previous term
- All class videos will be available to enjoy from Sept. 16 – Dec. 31 in Member Dashboards. Learn more.
- Course is available to Annual Plus, Premium Plus, Best of OLLI and Fee Assistance members. Learn about membership.
- Current Annual and Premium members can upgrade to Annual Plus or Premium Plus respectively for only $10
Member Praise for Darren Zook
Dr. Zook is one of the best teachers I've ever had and I'm 80!
Darren Zook is an amazing teacher. He's a well-organized, extremely knowledgeable, and always engaging.
I have taken several classes with Darren Zook and will take several more. His scope and depth of knowledge is extraordinary. And he is able to communicate it effectively and effortlessly.