1. Religion and International Politics
School of Politics and
International Relations
PO666
Religion and International Politics
How to write a first class essay
Dr Luca Mavelli

2. Electronic copy only (Moodle)
Assessment
Format (and word limit)
Submission Date
Where to submit
Mark and Feedback
Returned
% of final
mark 1
Essay
3000 words
Thursday 15th March 2018 by 3.30pm
Electronic copy only (Moodle)
Within 3 weeks.
50% 2
Exam
Summer Term

3. Chicago style ‘Nationalism tends to treat itself as a manifest and self-evident principle’.1
1. Ernest Gellner, Nations and Nationalisms (Oxford: Blackwell, 1993), p. 125.
Harvard style
‘Nationalism tends to treat itself as a manifest and self-evident principle’ (Gellner, 1993: 125)

4. Not just a summary but an analytical piece of writing

5. Essay questions
Is the concept of religion a product of the modern power of secularism? What are the implications of this state of affairs?
Is Europe secular or religious?
The general approach to Islam in Europe has mostly revolved around the question as to ‘whether Muslim communities can really adjust to Europe’, rather than ‘whether the institutions and ideologies of Europe can adjust to a modern world of which culturally diverse immigrants are an integral part’ (Asad 1997: 194). Discuss.
The controversy surrounding the publication of the so-called ‘Danish cartoons’ was not about freedom of expression or Muslim fundamentalism, but rather about the place of Muslim minorities in a context of European secular hegemony. Do you agree with this statement?
Is the Islamic headscarf a symbol of female submission?
What is civil religion? Do you agree with Ebrahim Moosa’s critique of civil religion?
In his second State of the Union Address, a few months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, US President George W. Bush stated: ‘Evil is real, and it must be opposed’, but ‘God is near’ and with his help ‘we can overcome evil with greater good’. How has this theological view of ‘good’ versus ‘evil’ contributed to shape the so-called ‘war on terror’?
It is often argued that religion is about absolute truths which do not make it amenable to reasoned argumentation and compromise. For this reason, it is contended, religion should be privatised and kept away from the public sphere, where otherwise it could promote violence. Do you agree with this argument?
It is not possible to fully understand the current European refugee crisis without considering the role of religion and religious identity. Discuss.
‘The idea that religion has a tendency to promote violence is part of the conventional wisdom of Western societies, and it underlies many of our institutions and policies, from limits on the public role of churches to efforts to promote liberal democracy in the Middle East’ (Cavanaugh, 2009: 3). Discuss.
What are the limits of Habermas’ approach to postsecularism? Do you agree with his idea of ‘translation’?

6. Essay: some suggestions
Address the question within the terms of the question
Clarify your argument (try to summarize it in two lines)
Structure you argument
Intro (political context, theoretical debates, what is your argument and how you will explore it, theoretical approach, its advantages and limits)
Main body (develop the two-three points mentioned in the intro)
Conclusion (summarise very briefly what you did, how you essay contributes to address the question and also the limits of your argument)

7. Essay: some suggestions
Provide evidence for your claims
Avoid vague and unsubstantiated claims
Be critical
Why am I saying this? Is it relevant to address the question? Is it relevant to make my point?
Can I express an opinion? Sure, but you need to provide evidence for this
Discuss contending positions: this will help you structure your argument and build your position
A good essay requires several stages of editing
Familiarise yourself with the assessment criteria and use them to do a self-check up

8. Assessment criteria: Undergraduate handbook

9. Assessment criteria: Undergraduate handbook

10. It is not a problem if you develop an argument that challenges one of the arguments that I make in the readings
Agreeing with me will not get you a better mark
Disagreeing with me will not get you a worse mark
What will get you a good mark is to provide robust evidence for your claims, clear argument, good structure, evidence of research, etc,.... – whatever your argument is