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.
