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REL 235: RELIGION AND SOCIAL ISSUES (UP Group IV. A)

Topic: Religion, Love & Power

Despite many public declarations  to the opposite, religion and morality are very closely connected to politics and power in the social, political and legal environment of the United States.  The recent controversy around President Clinton's sexual liaison with a former White House intern brought this to the forefront once again with vehemence.   How is the United States dealing with this difficult issue?  How should we deal with this issue?  And what long term implications does any possible solution have on the role of politics and morality in the United States?

This course will address the proper relation of religion and moral convictions to the politics of a morally pluralistic society, will investigate the role and influence of religion in U.S. politics, and will try to determine whether moral convictions about human good can be brought to bear in a productive way in political argument.