Program Overview

Course Specification

The current and official versions of the course specifications are available on the web.

LAW3482 Law and Religion

Overview

The interrelationship of law and religion has deep historical roots, and one cannot fully understand the one without understanding the other. Law shapes the institutional organizational arrangement of religious groups, sets limits on their activities, and carves out a protected space for their activities. Religion influences the type of government a country adopts as well as the content of the laws it enacts and the goals it tries to achieve. Today, many of the most pressing issues facing western democracies like Australia is how to navigate the tension between liberal values of freedom and autonomy and religious values derived from revelation and tradition.

Requisites

• Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: LAW2211

Course Details

• Units: 1
• School or Department: School of Law and Justice
• Grading basis: Graded
• Course fee schedule:

Course Aims

The primary aim of this course is to familiarise students with the twin liberal democratic norms of freedom of religion and separation of church and state. This will be accomplished through an exploration of concepts like toleration, pluralism, accommodation, and secularism. Australian constitutional and statutory law will be examined to prepare students for issues they may encounter in legal practice.

Course Material and Assessment

Course material will be delivered through extensive readings, guest speakers, and classroom discussion. Assessment will be through reflective responses on key course themes.

Course Offers

• Study period: Interim Trimester 3, 2023
• Mode: Online
• Campus:

Acknowledgement

The University of Southern Queensland acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands and waterways where the University is located. Further, we acknowledge the cultural diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and pay respect to Elders past, present and future.