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INTL 440 – Spring 2015/ ASSOC. PROF. MURAT SOMER
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What did early (simplistic) secularization theories predict? How do early and revised theories
of secularization differ from each other? Discuss and give three examples of revised
secularization theories.
2. Explain whether the different reactions to the Danish cartoon crisis (and Charlie Hebdo
attacks) among Muslim and non-Muslim societies show (a) clash of civilizations or (b) intracivilizational “political” clash?
3. What are the three “B”s of religion? Explain and give two examples for each.
4. Do modern nation states and religion undermine or support each other, or are both true? How
do modern states adjust to religion and how does religion adapt tpo modern states?
5. What is the difference between magic and religion? Why is it important for religion to (a) have
“sacred things” and (b) not only base itself upon mystery and supernatural?
6. If religion is based in sacred things and fixed texts, how can it adjust to changing times and
modernity? (a) What are the theological constraints (challenges) of doing so? (b) What are the
political constraints (challenges) of doing so? Explain by giving examples for each constraint.
7. Explain the different techniques people can use to reinterpret a holy book and give an example
for each. According to Cook, which ones have not yet become widely acceptable in the Islamic
world?
8. According to Assad, what is the relation between seduction and truth, freedom of expression
and different attitudes toward criticism of religion? Explain.
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9. (a) Does the belief that a holy book “created” mean that it is not true (not authentic)? Why and
why not? (b) Which belief would serve the interests of states and politicians, that a holy book is
created or uncreated? Which belief would be preferred by clergy? (c) which belief became the
orthodoxy (prevalent) in the Muslim world?
10. Explain why it is important for modernist Islam to argue that the Quran is created (rather than
uncreated)?
11. (a) When did modernist Islamism emerge? (b) What was its attitude toward modernization?
(c) Which practical questions did they try to address (such as constitutionalism, parliaments and
women’s education) and how? (d) What were the three W’s they asked and how did they answer
them? How did this affect the Islamic world?
12. What are the different meanings of (a) secularism and (b) secularization?
13. “Secularism only allows freedom of religion while laicism allows freedom from religion.”
True or false? Discuss by also giving examples.
14. (a) Explain the differences between secularism and laicism. (b) How do these differences
manifest themselves through concrete policies? (c) which historical experiences/conditions give
rise to secular and laic models? (d) Give examples of three secular and three laic states. (e)
which historical experiences gave rise to secularism in places like Turkey and India?
15. (a) Explain in which ways laiklik (Turkish secularism) is a continuation of the Ottoman
legacy (b) explain in which ways laiklik is a departure from the Ottoman legacy (c) Explain the
similarities and differences between laiklik and (c.i) American secularism and (c.ii) French
laicism.
16. (a) Which criticisms have been put forward against laiklik? (b) Are these criticisms
compatible with each other? (c) According to the reformist view, how can laiklik be reformed?
(d) which concrete indicators (evidence) would show whether or not laiklik is being reformed? €
according to the reformist view, when and by whom can laiklik be reformed?
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17. (a) Why does religion need secularism?: give two reasons why a religious person may want
to uphold secularism based on religious justifications (b) why may secularism need religion?
Explain.
18. “Secularism can be defined as the institutional separation of religion and state.” Discuss
whether this statement is true, why and why not.
19. (a) Write three states with civil religions. (b) What are the dogmas of civil religion? (c)
Explain three reasons why civil religion may conflict with secularism less than a particular
religion does, and three reasons why it may still conflict with secularism.
20. What is the paradox of secularism? Explain why secularism may need religion.
21. Define the following concepts and give examples:
a) Sunna
b) Hadith
c) abrogation
d) Athetizing
e) Higher criticism of the Bible
f) The phenomenon of soft belief
g) functional separation of religion and state
22. (a) How is an institutional definition of secularism different from a political one? (b) How
does Alfred Stepan define twin tolerations and how does it relate to democracy according to
him?
23. What are the 2 dimensions (and 4 criteria) with which we can classify different secular
models? Give an example for each.
24. How does nationalism adapt to religion? Explain the four types nationalism and religionism
can coexist.
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25. (a) In which sense(s) and how may religion “enslave” women? (b) In which sense(s) and how
may secularism “enslave” women?
26. (a) In which sense(s) and how may religion “liberate” women? (b) In which sense(s) and how
may secularism “liberate” women?
27. (a) What are the optimistic and pessimistic views about religious politics and women’s rights
in a mainly secular democracy? Explain and discuss. (b) What have been the ECHR’s major
decisions regarding Islamic veiling?
28. (a) Explain what some authors mean when they argue that the rise of religion in politics
creates a “democracy paradox?” (b) with specific references to at least two readings in the
syllabus, explain how the rise of religion in democratic politics may undermine some of people’s
democratic rights and freedoms.
29. “According to Yeşim Arat, political Islamist governments weaken women’s status because
they bring in Shari’a law.” Is this statement true? Critically discuss.
30. (a) According to Fisher Onar and Müftüler-Baç, what were the merits and flaws of
republican reforms with respect to women? (b) What is the “alternative modernity” claim of
political Islamists? According to Fisher Onar and Müftüler-Baç, are the positions of Islamists or
secularists closer to EU norms vis-à-vis women?
31. In your opinion, should there be any restrictions on religious symbols (a) in universities (b) in
primary and secondary schools and (c) government offices? Defend your point of view by
drawing on your own opinions, class material and outside sources.
32. “Religion should be a private matter.” Critically discuss this opinion based on your own
views and class material/discussions.
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