Critical Theory and Religion - The Frankfurt School and Beyond

This course will explore the different interpretations of religion emerging from the Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School. First generation thinkers in this school understood religion, especially Judaism and Christianity, to be integral to modern social and cultural evolution. Religion must be studied, they felt, because it can both display forms of pathological socialization and yet be a resource for a critique of, and eventual emancipation from, oppressive social realities. After exploring key writings of the first generation of Critical Theorists, the course will examine Jürgen Habermas's evolving appreciation of religious contributions to social justice and conclude with a selection of readings on the continued relevance of religious voices in the public sphere from such third generation Critical Theorists as Seyla Benhabib and Nancy Fraser.