And thus I am realizing that my "Religion and International Relations" class is going to be a very interesting one. It is only our first week discussing the material and already debates and discussions were raging more than any IWU class I've taken. Lines were not crossed, and everyone handled the topics at hand properly, but this is only just the beginning.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the topics that we have been reading up on for this course. So far we have loosely covered the origins of International Religions, the coming about of statehood, and how many International professionals deliberately chose to ignore the role of religion in our world's culture, politics, and economics until of late. My favorite concept, however, is that of the "secularization theory," stating that as we progress in modernity, we also will progress in secularization (the demise of religions, etc...). But just very recently, many of the originators of this very theory have recanted their position and now are stating that we are currently in a period of "desecularization," where world religions, very traditional ones at that (not affected or compromised by modernity) are experiencing a surprising and unexplainable resurgence. Huh... imagine that.

For the first time in my life I am struggling through these concepts with peers who do not share my background and beliefs - at all. Each hand that is raised does not merely bring an opinion of merely a different theological background, but an entirely different ethnic, cultural, and religious background. It is beautiful and it is very different.

I am eager to continue on with this course's readings and hopeful that I will finally receive my books in the mail for my other course. Needless to say, I am a little behind. :)