The ouster of the Mubarak regime in 2011 has opened the debate over the nature of the Egyptian state and its relation to religion. Religious actors, including religiously inspired political parties, official religious institutions, and the Coptic Church have taken advantage of the new political environment after 2011 to defend their ideas and interests. This course explores the complex relationship between religion and politics in Egypt in the post 2011 era by bringing together Institutions, meaning the changing political environment from 2011 and until 2018, together with Agency by looking at the religious actors themselves, both Muslim and Christian: their ideas, interests and strategies. The course will be divided into three sessions: the first will look the rise and fall of the Muslim Brotherhood after 2011, the second will analyze the role of official religious institutions such as al-Azhar and the Ministry of Endowments, and the third will focus on the political role of the Coptic Church.

Download the Reading List (pdf)