Module 2 — Historical Approaches to Freedom of Religion

Week 2 of the Certificate Programme in Freedom of Religion or Belief · 5 notional learning hours.

Traces how religious freedom emerged historically — from ancient arrangements of coexistence and persecution, through the wars of religion and early edicts of toleration, to modern constitutional and international recognition — with particular attention to Africa’s own histories.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module you will be able to:

• Outline major milestones in the global history of religious toleration and persecution
• Describe pre-colonial African experiences of religious pluralism and coexistence
• Analyse the impact of colonialism, missionary activity and post-independence states on ForB in Africa
• Explain how historical memory shapes present-day religious tensions

Key topics

• Antiquity to early modernity: Cyrus, the Edict of Milan, the Edict of Nantes
• Wars of religion and the emergence of toleration theory in Europe
• Islamic governance and the dhimma / pluralism debates in historical context
• Pre-colonial Africa: indigenous pluralism, the spread of Christianity and Islam, coexistence
• Colonialism, mission and post-colonial nation-building
• 20th-century codification: UN Charter (1945) to the 1981 Declaration; the Banjul Charter (1981/1986)

How this course is delivered

• A live session (90–120 minutes) on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, with a subject lead
• An interfaith panel addressing the theme from several traditions
• Recorded micro-lectures, readings and resources you can download (low-bandwidth friendly)
• A practical assessment activity

You can take this module on its own, or follow all eight modules through the full Certificate Programme.