Violences et religions (Coursera)

Offered by University of Geneva,
Violences et religions (Coursera)

La question « violences et religions » est d’actualité, et pas seulement depuis les attentats d’Al-Qaïda ou de Daech. Pour bien la comprendre, ce cours propose de prendre du recul et de l’envisager sous un angle historique et comparatiste. Le domaine concerné étant l’espace euro-méditerranéen, ce sont essentiellement le christianisme et l’islam qui seront traités (quelques séquences sont également consacrées au judaïsme).

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Notre approche commencera avec quelques-uns des textes les plus difficiles de la Bible et du Coran puis vous entraînera dans un survol historique : christianisation de l’Europe et islamisation du monde méditerranéen, avec leurs cortèges de contraintes religieuses ; répression des hérésies, croisades, statut des minorités dans le monde arabo-musulman ; guerres de religion en Europe, puis tentatives d’établir la liberté de conscience ; l’islam moderne, et ses courants réformistes, du wahhabisme à la Nahda (Lumières) ; réflexions et défis d’aujourd’hui, avec le concours de plusieurs personnalités du monde de la philosophie, du droit, de la psychanalyse, de la théologie…
Ce cours fait appel à 25 spécialistes de Suisse, de France, de Belgique, du Canada et du Maroc. Quelques-uns s’expriment en arabe, mais la grande majorité des séquences est en français (les séquences sont intégralement sous-titrées en français et en arabe).
Objectifs d’apprentissage généraux
Au terme du parcours, l’étudiant(e) sera capable de :
• poser le problème des liens entre violence et religion
• mesurer l’intérêt d’une approche historico-critique de la question « violences et religions »
• énoncer, dans leurs grandes lignes, quelques positions de penseurs chrétiens et musulmans sur la violence
• identifier les facteurs, notamment politiques, qui génèrent la violence religieuse
• comprendre comment la liberté de conscience contribue à résoudre le problème de la violence religieuse
• formuler une appréciation personnelle et argumentée sur la violence dans l’histoire du christianisme et de l’islam

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Méthode, principes, origines
Pour commencer, nous vous proposons une approche historico-critique des textes sacrés (Bible et Coran) et des premiers temps du christianisme et de l'islam.

WEEK 2
La chrétienté médiévale
Vous entendrez ici parler de christianisation contrainte, de chasse aux hérétiques, de croisades, mais aussi de non-violence. Avec en outre une leçon sur le judaïsme face à la violence.

WEEK 3
L'islam médiéval et moderne
Notre tâche sera maintenant de bien vous guider : de la période des premiers califes (dits précisément bien guidés) aux conquêtes omeyyades et à la réflexion, en terre d'Islam, sur la guerre et la paix.

WEEK 4
L'Europe moderne (16e-18e siècle)
Nous allons ici vous conduire du 16e siècle, avec son cortège de violences religieuses, à la réflexion théologique et philosophique qui va contribuer à la victoire de la liberté de conscience en Europe.

WEEK 5
L'islam du 18e au 20e siècle
Vous allez comprendre ici ce que sont le salafisme, le wahhabisme ou les Frères musulmans. Il sera aussi question de la Nahda (Renaissance arabe), du conflit israélo-arabe, d'iconoclasme, de Daech et de liberté de conscience dans le monde arabo-musulman.

WEEK 6
Réflexions et défis d'aujourd'hui
Nous allons vous présenter plusieurs intervenants de grande qualité, qui vous apporteront notamment un éclairage philosophique, juridique, humanitaire, religieux, psychologique sur notre thème.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

After the Arab Spring – Democratic Aspirations and State Failure (Coursera) Coursera
University of Copenhagen

After the Arab Spring – Democratic Aspirations and State Failure (Coursera)

Learn why the hope and excitement of the Arab Spring is gone, why so many Arab states are falling apart, why the youth are so frustrated, why there are so many refugees, and what can be done about it. The so-called Arab Spring appeared to end decades of exceptionalism and bring the Arab world back into the mainstream of global developments. The rebellions promised the return of politics and the reassertion of popular sovereignty against their corrupt and geriatric leaders. Much hope and flowery language greeted the young men and women who deposed their leaders and tried to build new, better societies.

Jun 8th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Greek and Roman Mythology (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Greek and Roman Mythology (Coursera)

Myths are traditional stories that have endured over a long time. Some of them have to do with events of great importance, such as the founding of a nation. Others tell the stories of great heroes and heroines and their exploits and courage in the face of adversity. Still others are simple tales about otherwise unremarkable people who get into trouble or do some great deed. What are we to make of all these tales, and why do people seem to like to hear them? This course will focus on the myths of ancient Greece and Rome, as a way of exploring the nature of myth and the function it plays for individuals, societies, and nations. We will also pay some attention to the way the Greeks and Romans themselves understood their own myths.

Jun 1st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Intellectual Humility: Practice (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh

Intellectual Humility: Practice (Coursera)

We live in a polarised world where all too often people talk past each other. But do you know when to believe what others say? For example, how quick should we be to accept something that someone else tells us is true, and what should we be looking out for when assessing a person's trustworthiness? Meanwhile, what should we do when we encounter disagreements with people who seem to be our equals? How and when should we adjust our beliefs, and how does the appropriate response vary depending on the evidence? These challenges may be especially important in the arena of religious disagreements. How should we weigh the evidence for and against various theistic and atheistic stances?

Jun 1st 2026
4 Weeks
Intellectual Humility: Science (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh

Intellectual Humility: Science (Coursera)

It’s clear that the world needs more intellectual humility. But how do we develop this virtue? And why do so many people still end up so arrogant? Do our own biases hold us back from becoming as intellectually humble as we could be—and are there some biases that actually make us more likely to be humble? Which cognitive dispositions and personality traits give people an edge at being more intellectually humble - and are they stable from birth, learned habits, or something in between? And what can contemporary research on the emotions tell us about encouraging intellectual humility in ourselves and others?

May 25th 2026
4 Weeks
Christianity & Ecology (Coursera) Coursera
Yale University

Christianity & Ecology (Coursera)

There is a need for broader literacy and deeper knowledge of the world’s religions and their ecological contributions. This course is designed as a gateway to the rich ecological dimensions of the Christian religious tradition. We delve into unique contributions from Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christianity, exploring views on and relationship with the natural world.

May 25th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Firearm Purchaser Licensing Teach-Out: The Background Check Policy Not Enough People Are Talking About (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Firearm Purchaser Licensing Teach-Out: The Background Check Policy Not Enough People Are Talking About (Coursera)

The best available evidence shows that comprehensive background checks by themselves are insufficient at reducing gun violence, but strong bodies of research demonstrate that states with comprehensive background checks coupled with firearm purchaser licensing, or permit-to-purchase laws, have significantly fewer firearm-involved homicides, fatal mass shootings, and suicides. Additionally, public opinion polling research consistently finds that 75% or more of U.S. adults support firearm purchaser licensing laws and 60% or more of gun owners support these policies.

Jun 8th 2026
4 Weeks
Soul Beliefs: Causes and Consequences - Unit 1: Historical Foundations (Coursera) Coursera
Rutgers University

Soul Beliefs: Causes and Consequences - Unit 1: Historical Foundations (Coursera)

Throughout history, the vast majority of people around the globe have believed they have, however defined, a “soul.” While the question of whether the soul exists cannot be answered by science, what we can study are the causes and consequences of various beliefs about the soul and its prospects of surviving the death of the body. Why are soul and afterlife beliefs so common in human history? Are there adaptive advantages to assuming souls exist?

Jun 8th 2026
5-12 Weeks
A Journey through Western Christianity: from Persecuted Faith to Global Religion (200 - 1650) (Coursera) Coursera
Yale University

A Journey through Western Christianity: from Persecuted Faith to Global Religion (200 - 1650) (Coursera)

This course follows the extraordinary development of Western Christianity from its early persecution under the Roman Empire in the third century to its global expansion with the Jesuits of the early modern world. We explore the dynamic and diverse character of a religion with an enormous cast characters. We will meet men and women who tell stories of faith as well as of violence, suppression, and division.

May 18th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Reducing Gun Violence in America: Evidence for Change (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Reducing Gun Violence in America: Evidence for Change (Coursera)

Reducing Gun Violence in America: Evidence for Change is designed to provide learners with the best available science and insights from top scholars across the country as well as the skills to understand which interventions are the most effective to offer a path forward for reducing gun violence in our homes, schools, and communities.

Jun 1st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Indigenous Religions & Ecology (Coursera) Coursera
Yale University

Indigenous Religions & Ecology (Coursera)

At first glance the fields of religion and ecology may seem and unlikely pairing, but a deeper consideration reveals the two have a great deal to contribute to one another and are indeed inextricably linked. Religions recognize the unity and interdependence of humans with nature. Ecological sciences affirm this deep interconnection with the natural world. This partnership can inspire work for the wellbeing of the Earth community

Jun 8th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Arch of Titus: Rome and the Menorah (Coursera) Coursera
Yeshiva University

Arch of Titus: Rome and the Menorah (Coursera)

The Arch of Titus: Rome and the Menorah explores one of the most significant Roman monuments to survive from antiquity, from the perspectives of Roman, Jewish and later Christian history and art. The Arch of Titus commemorates the destruction of Jerusalem by the emperor Titus in 70 CE, an event of pivotal importance for the history of the Roman Empire, of Judaism, of Christianity and of modern nationalism. Together with your guide, Professor Steven Fine, you will examine ancient texts and artifacts, gaining skills as a historian as you explore the continuing significance of the Arch of Titus from antiquity to the very present.

Jun 8th 2026
5-12 Weeks