At the beginning of the course we will study several prominent Christian theologians regarding the relationship between religion and politics. We will examine how the theological, ethical, and anthropological presuppositions and claims of Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin influence their understandings of the functions and limitations of government. We will then consider the work of Reinhold Niebuhr and Martin Luther King, Jr., among others, with regard to contemporary ethical issues in the United States. A few of the issues to be discussed include domestic public policies, international relations and military policies, the use of violence and nonviolence to achieve religious and political ends, economic justice, life/death issues, and the intersections of religion and politics in social issues. This course is appropriate for all Saint Mary's students who have completed the core requirement in Religious Studies and satisfies the RLST Major for Ethics.