This course explores the place of religious identity and conflict in the history of European society from the French Revolution to World War I. We study the many ways that individuals constructed and used their religious identities to approach problems of public life. We examine continuities and changes in religious institutions as well as conflicts between churches and states. The course shows that, far from declining in importance during the processes of economic and political modernization, or becoming part of private life, religious beliefs and identities played an increasing critical role in public life. We approach the topic through case studies, beginning with the religious conflicts and settlement between church and state during the French revolution, Evangelical Christian participation in the anti-slavery movement in Britain, Protestant-Catholic rivalries in Germany, the power of the papacy in Italy, and the Dreyfus case in France. Students will have reading assignments from both primary and secondary sources.