REL 3120 - Religion in America

REL 3120

Religion in America

Calendar
Texts
Assignments
Debates
Grades
Links

COURSE CALENDAR

UNIT 1: Religious Development in the United States

JAN 7 Introduction to the course; syllabus; course intros

9 Outline of religious history

14 Religion in America
READ: Opposing Viewpoints, Ch. 1; H & C, Ch. 1

16 Impact of Religion on American Life

21 MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY

23 Before the Explorers: Native Americans--Guest Speaker

28 Native American spirituality

30 The Age of Colonization: Early American Protestantism
READ: H&C, Ch. 2

FEB 4 Early Roman Catholics

6 Catholic Missions and Native America

11 The Age of Expansion: The Great Awakening
READ: Fishwick, 1-38; H&C Ch. 3

13 Methodism and Enthusiasm

18 The Republic and the Constitution
READ: H&C, Ch. 4-5; Opposing Viewpoints, ch.3

20 The Mormons and Restorationism

25 The Age of Empire: Emergence of the Mainline
READ: Fishwick, 39-58; H&C, Ch. 6-7

27 American Spiritualism

MAR 4 American Judaism

6 Asian-American Religion
READ: H&C, Ch. 11

11 African-American religion
    READ: H&C, Ch. 8-9
13 Islam in America
    READ: Fishwick, 59-97; 123-155; H&C, Ch. 12
-----------------------SPRING BREAK------------------------------------------
25 Debate #1 ; independent Catholicism
27 19th-20th c. developments
       READ: H&C, Ch. 13-14

APR 1 Religion and the Cities

UNIT 2: New Religious Movements

3 Debate #2; Sects and Cults
READ: H&C, Ch. 15-16

         8 The Rise of Fundamentalism
            READ: Fishwick, 157-216
            DUE: Final journal

10 American Civil Religion
READ: Opposing Viewpoints, Ch. 2; Fishwick, 99-112

15 Debate #3; Religion and Politics in the US
READ: Opposing Viewpoints, Ch. 4; Fishwick, 113-121

17 Debate #4
DUE: Debate Papers

COURSE OBJECTIVES

REL 3120 provides an overview of the phenomenon of religious affiliation and belief in the United States, and its impact on American social structures. At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to

(1) develop and express an adequate definition of "religion";
(2) trace the historical development of U.S. religious life;
(3) isolate and discuss important issues relating to American religion;
(4) understand the impact of religion on American culture;

Religion in America will, I hope, be a challenging and interesting course. It will not be an easy course. The course will demand a high level of attention and performance from all students.

TEXTS

Hudson and Corrigan, Religion in America

Religion in America: Opposing Viewpoints

M. Fishwick, Great Awakenings

daily newspaper

ASSIGNMENTS

Assignment 1: American Religion in the News

Materials needed: national-caliber daily newspaper--Miami Herald, USA Today, New York Times. [Not El Nuevo Herald, the New Times, specialty papers, etc.]

For this assignment, you will keep a journal of news items on religion in America. The journal should be as complete as possible. Requirements:

Each journal entry should be headed by its source (paper), date, headline, and page number.
There must be at least 3 entries per week, though many more could be found.
Each entry should summarize the news item in one or two paragraphs, with a sentence or so about its importance in and relation to American religious life.
Items can be local or national in scope, but must relate to American religion (e.g., not a report on the Pope's visit to some African country!)
Journals must be kept up to date. I may ask for them to be handed in at intervals throughout the semester without warning!

Journals will be graded on thoroughness, appropriateness, quality of your comments on each news item, and evidence that you are observing the American religious scene with thoughtfulness and reflection.

Assignment 2: DEBATE

1. After the semester gets under way, you will be divided into teams of about three or four people.

2. Two teams will be assigned an issue in American religion (such as those in Religion in America: Opposing Viewpoints), phrased as a debate resolution. One team will be the “pro” team and the other will be the “con” team. Teams will not know what other teams have been assigned.

3. All teams will work together outside of class, via meetings, email, etc, to thoroughly research their issues and become knowledgeable about them.

4. At least two weeks before its scheduled debate, each team member must submit to me a memo containing the following information:

Role you will be filling in the debate (see 5. below)
List of a minimum of three resources you are using to research your position (these should be different from the resources listed by your other team members.)
List of basic arguments you will use for your position or that you expect the other team to use, depending on your assigned role. (That is, pro/con speaker 1 should list reasons for/agaionst proposition. Questioners should have list of questions and anticipated questions from the other side. Summary speakers should have basic points to emphasize.

5. Debates will be scheduled for class time. The two opposing teams will face each other in an organized debate moderated by the instructor. The precise format will be discussed well in advance in class, but will roughly proceed something like this:
a. Statement of resolution
b. 5 min – Pro debater (1) presents reasons for the resolution
c. 5 min – Con debater (1) presents reasons against the resolution
d.10 min – Pro debater (2) and con debater (2) direct short questions to each other
e. 5 min – Pro debater (3) sums up position, dealing with new issues raised
f. 5 min -- Con debater (3) sums up position, dealing with new issues raised

6. All team members must participate in the debate, even you shy ones!

7. Each team will receive a team grade for the debate; all team members will get the same grade.

8. Paper:

Must be written individually, not as a group.
(Part I)Write on the position you argued in the debate, defending it by addressing specific questions raised during the debate itself. The paper should represent your final opportunity to argue your position without time constraints or the debate format. [This will give you an opportunity to show how much work you put into the debate!] I will look for evidence that you have learned during the debate itself, as well as from your outside resources. This section should be several pages long, if done well.
(Part II) Write up a thoughtful and detailed process analysis. How did you learn about your position? Cite the sources you used, both online and in print. What process did your team go through to develop your position? Did everyone participate equally? If not, describe what happened. What did you learn from the process?
Papers will be due one week after your team debates.

Reflections
In addition to the assignments described above, reflections will be due regularly and ON TIME on each of the assigned readings, as described in detail in the Course Policies.

Reflections will be graded on timeliness, interest, evidence of active engagement with material, evidence that material has really been read, and completeness of portfolio. They are graded as check (basic minimum requirement), plus (excellent) or minus (insufficient). They will affect the final grade if they are not all handed in, or if they are predominantly pluses or minuses.