In this course, students learn about the role of religion in Indian society. This course provides an overview of Hinduism, which accounts for nearly 80% of the Indian population, and Islam, which has the second largest number of followers, as well as the religious conflicts between the two, which are major issues in contemporary India.
The course introduces how religion and thought influence human life, not only through knowledge of beliefs and rituals, but also through a variety of literature and films on the links with politics.
The eighth week is now over and students have learnt about Hinduism and Islam in India respectively. Not only did the students attend lectures, but they also chose a topic and gave a presentation in groups. They also listened to a guest speaker who had converted to Islam, which gave them the opportunity to think about ‘faith’ in a wider sense. The class will continue to study religious conflicts in the coming weeks.