Program Overview

Program Overview

The program "Religion, Conflict and Peace" is an 8-week course that explores the complex roles that religions play in contemporary conflicts around the world. The course is delivered via edX and features faculty from Harvard Divinity School.

Course Details

• Course Length: 8 weeks
• Time Commitment: 4-8 hours per week
• Certificate Price: $149
• Class Dates: Aug 4, 2025 - Sep 30, 2026

Course Description

In this course, students will learn a method for recognizing and analyzing how religious ideologies are embedded in all arenas of human agency and not isolated from political, economic, and cultural life as is often assumed. The course will examine a series of contemporary conflicts in different regions of the world, including Brazil, Egypt, France, Israel/Palestine, Myanmar, Nigeria, Qatar, the Philippines, Somalia, Syria, Turkey, and the United States.

Learning Outcomes

• Gain tools for how to interpret the roles religions play in contemporary conflicts
• Understand how religions are internally diverse
• Understand how religions evolve and change

Faculty

The course is taught by Diane L. Moore, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Religious Literacy Project at Harvard University.

Program Type

The program is an individual course that can be taken for a verified certificate or audited for free.

Target Audience

The course is open to all and especially relevant for aspiring or professional educators, journalists, public health workers, foreign service officers, and government officials who wish to better understand how religions function in contemporary world affairs.