World Religions
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Reading and Writing Workshop

Religion and Society – Influence, Identity, and Interaction
Session 1: Religion and Politics
Focus: How religion influences political systems, laws, and governance; historical and modern examples.
Reading:

• The Spirit of the Laws by Montesquieu (on religion and government)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18598
• On Civil Government (Ch. 19) from Two Treatises of Government by John Locke (on religious tolerance and state)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7370

Writing Activity:

• Write an argumentative paragraph: “Should religion play a role in modern governance?”

Session 2: Religion and Social Justice
Focus: Religious teachings as inspiration for movements against poverty, inequality, and oppression.
Reading:

• The Kingdom of God Is Within You by Leo Tolstoy (Christian anarchism and nonviolence)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4602
• Excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita – Duty and righteousness (karma yoga)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2388

Writing Activity:

• Analyze how two different religious texts approach justice and personal responsibility. Use evidence from both.

Session 3: Religion and Gender Roles
Focus: The role of religion in shaping gender expectations and roles; reform and feminist reinterpretations.
Reading:

• The Women of the Quran from The Women of the Arabs by Henry Harris Jessup (19th-century Protestant view of gender in Islam)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55043
• The Duties of Women by Bahá'í leader ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (advocacy for gender equality within religion)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20226

Writing Activity:

• Write a comparative response: “How do religious interpretations influence gender equality in different faiths?”

Session 4: Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Pluralism
Focus: Understanding and cooperation among religions; theology of coexistence.
Reading:

• The World's Parliament of Religions (1893 speeches; selections by Swami Vivekananda and others)
  • https://archive.org/details/worldsparliament01barauoft
• The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James (on personal religious diversity)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/621

Writing Activity:

• Reflective writing: “What does it mean to respect another religion while remaining true to your own?”

Session 5: Religion and Conflict
Focus: Religion’s role in conflicts such as the Crusades, Partition of India, and Middle Eastern disputes.
Reading:

• Chronicle of the First Crusade by Fulcher of Chartres (Christian account of religious war)
  • https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/fulcher.asp
• Gandhi’s Speech on Religious Harmony (1921)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58614

Writing Activity:

• Write a short analysis: “How can religion both fuel conflict and offer pathways to peace?”

Final Activity: Panel or Mock UN Debate on Religious Freedom and Pluralism
Format:

• Students represent different countries or faith traditions.
• Topic: “To what extent should religious freedom be protected in a pluralistic society?”

Preparation:

• Research using previous session texts.
• Create opening statements and position papers.
• Encourage use of religious texts, public domain sources, and historical examples.

Writing Extension:

• Write a reflection or editorial based on the debate position and outcomes.