Rebel Religion: Christians, Muslims, and Jews at the Fringes of Society

About this course

From times of mythology and ancient Greece, Rome, and Judaism, to the secularism and late modernity of the 20th and 21st centuries, religious individuals and groups have rebelled against their leaders, kings and foreign rulers, imperial forces, governments, and established society. Rebellion appears at the very genesis of many religions, both ancient and modern, and it continues to mark moments of transformation in states and societies. We see it today as well, from the exile of the Dalai Lama, to upheavals in Europe, the U.S., and in the Middle East. Rebellion – against established religious, political, and social structures – seems deeply embedded in the history of religion itself.

This course opens by exploring the mythology and history that frame the narratives, and the theories that help us understand the struggles and rebellions in the world. These are the tools and mechanisms that are applied and reapplied as new religious groups spring forth and new rebellions materialize. We will see that the structure and lessons from cases and examples repeat themselves, but with new twists and troubles. In the second major part of the course, we focus on the conflicts that still linger and shape our present world.

Faculty

Niels Valdemar Vinding

Faculty

PhD in Islamic Studies (UCPH 2013), MA in Islamic Studies (UCPH 2009), BA in Theology (UCPH 2006) and LLM in Canon Law from (Cardiff U 2020). Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Law & Religion at the Faculty of Theology at UCPH. General research interest is on Islam and Muslims in Denmark and Europe, including Islam in the State-Church context, and broader Law and Religion, such as human rights, court rulings, constitutional law on religion, and more. Co-convener of Copenhagen Research on Religion and Law (CORAL) and PI of the ‘Producing Sharia in Context’ project (2021-2025). With DIS from 2015-2020, and again from 2024