Problem
A. From Chapter 15 ("Violence") of Understanding Religion, SELECT ONE QUESTION from any of the questions from Case Studies 15A, 15B, and the questions at the end of "Questions and Connecting Thoughts"-SELECT ONE and respond, and be sure to indicate which one! (e.g., Case Study 15B, question 2, [and then type out the question before responding])
B. Rana's "The Story of Islamophobia" gives the "genealogy" (historical sources) of present-day Islamophobia (particularly in the North American context). Briefly, Rana argues that "race and religion commingled in the formation of modernity". It is a tough essay, so read it carefully: How is Islamophobia "racism" and how is it a specific form of "religious hatred"?-can racism and religious hatred be distinguished anymore?
C. Is there such a thing as "religious violence"? How or how not? What limits around the use of this term must we put before using it? (I am not asking what the limits to religious violence are, but I am asking basically "how useful is the term 'religious violence' as a concept for describing conflict?")
D. After reading Chapter 16 ("Secularism"), how does your own personal experience validate or invalidate the "secularization thesis"? Is secularism and/or secularization a good thing, in your view, and why or why not?
E. After reading Chapter 16 ("Secularism"), you will have learned that (Western) secularization began around the time of the Enlightenment and continued to develop into modernity-from 16th century to the early 20th century. Notions of freedom, equality, and human rights emerged at the end of this period (so argued). So, how do you respond to the other movements and systems that emerged during this time period in the West: the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, colonialism (by 1914, Europeans and their descendants had conquered 84% of the earth), and the (intentional/explicit or unintentional/implicit) genocide and gendercide of indigenous peoples of the Americas?
F. After reading Chapter 16 ("Secularism"), respond to any of the questions under "Questions and Connecting Thoughts" (396).-select one and respond, be sure to indicate which one!
G. After reading Chapter 16 ("Secularism"), which forms/types of secularism/secularization do you find the most appropriate for our contemporary world? Which do you support?
a. Which do you find the most problematic and harmful?
H. How does the separation of the secular from the religious inappropriate for Native American traditions? Think of how notions of sacred land challenge/disrupt the modern economic and cultural attitudes of the United States (see: Dakota Access Pipeline and literally everything from Simpson's book).
a. Importantly, read the final paragraph of Box 16.2: how does Native American/First Nations' ideas fit into the "In many societies..." sentence?
I. How is Simpson's "generative refusal", "grounded normativity", and Nishnaabeg intelligence in effect a rejection modern secularism insofar as these go hand-in-hand with settler colonialism, capitalism, and racism?
J. According to Simpson, what are "the politics of grief" and "the politics of distraction" and how do they not "go far enough"? What are they reinforcing and perpetuating even while they may help just a bit?
K. When we read the "Final Words" of Simpson's book (245-247), she says directly what seemed implicit: this book was not necessarily written for non-Indigenous people. And yet, we read a lot of it-well, I hope you did! J (there may be indigenous people in the classroom, so perhaps it was meant for you more directly than for me). What does she mean by this and what are your reflections on this point? Why read it anyways?