Liberal democracy is in crisis: Hungary and Poland are shrinking civil rights; an overt fascist governs Italy. The right-wing populist Donald Trump has substantial support for another term as US president. Putin is waging a war of annexation and cracking down on civil rights. China’s Xi Jinping has control of the government for life while in India, Hindu nationalists are attacking Muslims and Sikhs. Yet moderate Muslims in Iran are risking their lives to clamor for democracy against the mullahs, and the US is seeing the rise of organizations like Christians Against Christian Nationalism. In this seminar, we will explore how religion supports liberal democracy, critiques it to improve it, and challenges or endangers it. Our focus is on Germany and the US with brief attention to other locations.
- Kursverantwortliche/r: Torsten Meireis
- Kursverantwortliche/r: Marcia Pally