Compare and contrast the selections from John Locke “Toleration and Government” (PIDI, pgs. 78-93 ) and the selections from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s “The Necessity for Islamic Government” (PIDI, pgs. 562-569) on the relationship between religion and politics. What role should religion play in political life and why? What are the justifications for including religion in politics? What are the reasons for excluding religion from politics? Which author provides the most convincing argument about the relationship between politics and religion and why? Finally, consider what role, in any, ideology plays in each author’s understanding of the relationship between religion and politics.
Successful papers will include two main parts. First, your paper should break down (i.e. summarize), analyze (i.e. critique), and compare the core components of Locke’s and Khomeini’s respective conceptions of religion and politics. Second, your paper should assess the compatibility of Locke’s and Khomeini’s respective conceptions of religion and politics.
Make sure to use textual evidence in the essay and cite the evidence.