Unit rationale, description and aim

Why has religion been a near-universal feature of human societies—and why does it persist, even in an age of secularism? This course explores the deep interrelationship between religion and politics. From the origins of religious belief in prehistory and the emergence of divine kingship to the rise of monotheistic faiths and the modern separation of church and state, religion and politics have had a complex and contested relationship. Religion has underpinned both periods of political and social stability as well as eras of violent conflict and conquest. Despite the rise in secularism and atheism following the Western European Enlightenment, religion has not vanished—rather, it has re-emerged in new forms, from Islamist movements to charismatic cults like Scientology and Falun Gong. The aim of this unit is to explore key questions in the interrelationship of religion and politics: what is the political function of religion? Why did it arise? What is its relationship with conflict? Why has it declined in some societies and not others? And what might its future be in an age of globalisation, identity politics, and spiritual fragmentation?

2026 10

Campus offering

Find out more about study modes.

Unit offerings may be subject to minimum enrolment numbers.

Please select your preferred campus.

  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Multi-mode
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Multi-mode
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Multi-mode

Prerequisites

POLS101 Introduction to Australian Politics OR POLS104 Introduction to International Relations

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Describe the nature and significance of religion i...

Learning Outcome 01

Describe the nature and significance of religion in politics and the contexts in which religion and religion interact
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC9, GC11

Critically discuss diverse perspectives on the nat...

Learning Outcome 02

Critically discuss diverse perspectives on the nature of religious belief and its relationship with politics
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC11, GC12

Apply concepts, theories and methods used in the s...

Learning Outcome 03

Apply concepts, theories and methods used in the study of political science to the analysis of interests, ideas, institutions and behaviors of religious groups
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC6, GC8, GC9, GC11

Demonstrate the capacity to gather, analyse and ad...

Learning Outcome 04

Demonstrate the capacity to gather, analyse and advocate ethical solutions to problems relating to religion and politics relations, through evidence-based argument and evaluation of secondary and primary sources
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12

Content

Topics will include: 

  • The psychological roots of religion
  • Religion in pre-state societies
  • The era of divine kingship
  • Religion and politics in the medieval world
  • Sectarian conflicts through the ages
  • The enlightenment and the rise of nationalism
  • Secularisation and atheism
  • Fundamentalism and religious extremism 
  • Modern cults

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment strategy for this unit is designed to support students in developing a nuanced understanding of the historical and contemporary intersections between religion and politics. Through a scaffolded progression of tasks—including oral discussion, independent research, and a final examination—students build core academic skills while engaging critically with the unit’s central questions. 

This approach enables students to demonstrate their ability to analyse complex ideas, synthesise theoretical frameworks, and articulate persuasive arguments. Each task contributes to a cumulative learning experience that fosters intellectual independence, critical thinking, and historical insight, preparing students for advanced academic inquiry in political theory and religious studies.  

Overview of assessments

Assessment Task 1: Oral Assessment In class oral...

Assessment Task 1: Oral Assessment

In class oral assessment and associated discussion.

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11, GC12

Assessment Task 2: Research Task   Requires stude...

Assessment Task 2: Research Task 

Requires students to do a research task on an assigned topic. Submissions should demonstrate thorough understanding of the subject matter, critical analysis of the relevant literature, and ability to incorporate and synthesise relevant conceptual/theoretical ideas. 

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12

Assessment Task 3: Proctored Exam  This secure i...

Assessment Task 3: Proctored Exam 

This secure in-class or online assessment tests students’ knowledge, analytical skills, comparative thinking, and deep understanding of the course material. Tests may include short-answer and essay format questions. 

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit offers two formal ways of learning and teaching. Lectures combine knowledge from social theory, case studies, and statistical research, a format that demands deep, integrated learning. Students explore real-world challenges and problems, a process that requires them to demonstrate their investigative, problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Tutorials for this unit provide opportunities for active learning. Students will engage in activities including reading, writing, interrogating ideas, exploring case studies and live discussions. These activities, as well as promoting analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of lecture content, are designed to build skills appropriate to second-year study in Politics and International Relations. Furthermore, readings will deepen students’ knowledge of the various conceptualisations of religion and politics. 

To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students will find it helpful to engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments utilised in this unit, as described in the learning and teaching strategy and the assessment strategy. The learning and teaching and assessment strategies include a range of approaches to support your learning such as lectures, tutorials, reading, reflection, discussion, webinars, podcasts, videos etc.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Armstrong, Karen. The great transformation: The world in the time of Buddha, Socrates, Confucius and Jeremiah. Atlantic Books Ltd, 2011.

Burge, Ryan P. The nones: Where they came from, who they are, and where they are going. Fortress Press, 2023.

Burleigh, Michael. Sacred Causes: The Clash of Religion and Politics, from the Great War to the War on Terror. HarperCollins, 2007.

Dunbar, Robin I. M. How Religion Evolved: And Why It Endures. Oxford University Press, 2022.

Huntington, Samuel P. 1996. The clash of civilizations and the remaking of world order. Simon & Schuster. 

Kasselstrand, Isabella, Phil Zuckerman, and Ryan T. Cragun. Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society. New York: New York University Press, 2023.

Lifton, Robert Jay. Losing reality: On cults, cultism, and the mindset of political and religious zealotry. The New Press, 2019.

Osman, Tarek. Islamism: A History of Political Islam from the Fall of the Ottoman Empire to the Rise of ISIS. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2017.

Possamai, Adam, and David Tittensor. Religion and change in Australia. Routledge, 2022.

Stark, Rodney. The rise of Christianity: A sociologist reconsiders history. Princeton University Press, 1996.

Wright, Robert. The Evolution of God. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2009.

Locations
Credit points
Year

Have a question?

We're available 9am–5pm AEDT,
Monday to Friday

If you’ve got a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search FAQs, text us, email, live chat, call – whatever works for you.

Live chat with us now

Chat to our team for real-time
answers to your questions.

Launch live chat

Visit our FAQs page

Find answers to some commonly
asked questions.

See our FAQs