Religious
Studies 131: Religion in America (Spring 2008)
Professor John Schmalzbauer
Office: Strong Hall 263
Email: jschmalzbauer@missouristate.edu
Phone: 836-5918
What
role has religion played in American culture and history? How have the many religions in the United
States managed to get along? Is America
a secular or a religious country? What
is the relationship between religion and public affairs? These topics are explored in “Religion in
America.” This course does not pretend
to offer a definitive answer to such questions.
Instead, it offers you the tools to investigate them for yourself.
There
have been many attempts to tell the story of religion in America. Many scholars emphasize the secularization of American life, arguing
that religion has become less and less important in our society. Others believe that we have grown more religious over the past 200 years,
highlighting what they call the “Churching of America.” Still others celebrate the amazing diversity of American religion,
focusing on the spiritual journeys of native peoples, immigrants, and
African-Americans. In “What is Happening to Religion?
Six Sociological Narratives” sociologist James Spickard
summarizes these conflicting approaches, arguing that that “each of these
stories is plausible” and that few scholars “are wedded to any single story.”
In
this course, we will consider the multiple storylines that have been used to
make sense of American religious history.
Your job is to determine which storylines make the most sense to
you. You need not be wedded to a single
story.
This
course counts as a General Education course in the area of “Understanding of
Culture and Society.” As such it focuses
on the relationship between religion and
American culture. In addition to
this overarching goal, this class has a number of other aims. In this course, you will:
1.
Learn
about the dominant and dissenting religious traditions in American history
2.
Investigate
the boundary between the sacred and the secular in American culture
3.
Explore
the place of religion and American public life
4.
Understand
the interaction of religion with race, ethnicity, and gender
5.
Gain
experience analyzing primary documents and religious texts
6.
Learn
to appreciate the geography of American religion
Required Texts
George
Marsden, Religion and American Culture
(Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2001).
Patrick
Allitt, Major
Problems in American Religious History (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000).
Web
Readings: These are an essential part of the class. They are not optional.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is required at all class
meetings. The only acceptable excuses
for absences are emergencies, official university activities (with a written
excuse) or illness (please contact the instructor in such cases).
Participation (25 points): Students will be evaluated on their
participation in class discussions.
Students will be assessed on their familiarity with the readings.
Quiz Paragraphs (75 points):
Periodically, students will be asked to write a paragraph (or multiple
paragraphs) responding to the reading(s) for the day. These paragraphs will be graded on how well
they draw on the reading(s), as well as their quality of analysis.
Religious Congregation Visit Papers (300
points; 150 points each): Twice
in the semester, students will visit a congregation (church, synagogue, temple,
etc.) affiliated with a religious tradition other than their own. After each visit, students will write a 5-6
page paper describing the religious practices, beliefs, social composition, and
material culture of the congregation.
Papers should relate observations of local religious life to what we
have been covering in the course. See
separate handout on these papers.
Congregation Visit Paper #1: Due on
Wednesday March 5
Congregation Visit Paper #2: Due on Monday
April 7
Examinations (600 points total; 200 points
each): There will be three
examinations in this course. They will
test students only on the units leading up to the examination. The final will not be cumulative. Examinations will be a mixture of matching,
multiple choice, short answer and essay questions.
Total Number of Points: 1,000
The
following grading scale will be used:
A=90-100%
B=80-89%
C=70=79%
D=60-79%
F=Below
60%
If
a student is on the border of a grade, the instructor will take into
consideration the overall performance of the student, class participation, and
amount of improvement.
Extra Credit Points (Possible 20 Points): Students may earn up to 20 extra credit
points for attending campus lectures and cultural events approved by the
instructor. The events must be relevant
to the academic study of religion. Students will receive 5 points for each
event they attend. To receive the
points, students must write a one page paper on the event. The instructor will provide the class with a
list of approved events.
Academic Honesty Policy: Academic Honesty
Policy: Missouri State
University is a community of scholars committed to developing educated persons
who accept the responsibility to practice personal and academic integrity. You are responsible for knowing and
following Missouri State University’s honor code, Student Academic Integrity
Policies and Procedures, available on the internet at the following site: www.missouristate.edu/assets/provost/AcademicIntegrityPolicyRev-1-08.pdf. Any student participating in any form of
academic dishonesty will be subject to sanctions as described in this policy.
Non-Discrimination Policy: Missouri State University is an equal
opportunity/affirmative action institution, and maintains a grievance procedure
available to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated
against. At all times, it is your right
to address inquiries or concerns about possible discrimination to Jana Estergard, Equal Opportunity Officer, Siceluff
Hall 296, (417)836-4252. Other types of
concerns (i.e., concerns of an academic nature) should be discussed directly
with your instructor and can also be brought to the attention of your
instructor’s Department Head.
Policy on Disability Accommodations: To request academic accommodations for a
disability, contact Katheryne Staeger-Wilson,
Director, Disability Services, Plaster Student Union, Suite 405, (417)836-4192
or (417)836-6792 (TTY), www.missouristate.edu/disability/. Students are required to provide
documentation of disability to Disability Services prior to receiving
accommodations. Disability Services
refers some types of accommodation requests to the Learning Diagnostic Clinic,
which also provides diagnostic testing for learning and psychological
disabilities. For information about
testing, contact Dr. Steve Capps, Director, Learning Diagnostic Clinic,
(417)836-4787, www.psychology.missouristate.edu/ldc/
Religion at a State University: Consistent with Supreme Court decisions
regarding the teaching of religion at public institutions (Abington v. Schempp 1963), this course approaches the study of religion
from a non-confessional standpoint. We
will focus on describing and analyzing the place of religion in American
culture, rather than arguing for one religious tradition or another. Students are free to express or not to
express their own beliefs in class.
Students will be evaluated strictly on the quality of their written work
and class participation, not their religious views.
Cell Phone Policy: Consistent with university policy, the use
of cell phones in class is prohibited. Cell phones must be turned to “silent”
mode during class.
Office Hours for Professor Schmalzbauer: Mondays and Wednesdays 3-5 p.m.; and
Thursdays 10:00 a.m.-12 noon in Strong Hall 263
(Religious Studies Department).
Expectations for Reading: Students must complete the reading for each
day before coming to class, including
the web readings. The readings will
serve as the basis for lectures, discussions, and pop quizzes.
Introduction: Setting the Stage
Monday January 14: Introducing the Course
Wednesday January 16: The Religious and the
Secular in American History
Reading:
Marsden, 1-7
Questions: What is “religion”? What is the “secular”? What is “American culture”?
Part I: The Religious and the Secular in
Colonial America
Friday January 18: Looking at American
Religion through Non-European Eyes
Reading:
Bernal Diaz del Castillo in Allitt,
25-27.
Question:
What would American religious history look if it were told from the perspective
of the Aztecs?
Monday January 21: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day (No Class)
Wednesday January 23: European
Christianities in the New World
Reading:
Marsden, 15-21.
Friday January 25: Puritan New England
Reading:
Marsden, 21-31.
Reading:
John Harvard in Allitt, 64-65; Cotton Mather in Allitt, 72-75.
Web
Resource: “Religion and the Founding of the American Republic—Part I”
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel01.html
Question: Was Puritan New England a “secular” or
“religious” society?
Monday January 28: The First Great Awakening
& the Birth of Evangelicalism
Reading:
Marsden, 31-38.
Reading:
Nathan Cole in Allitt, 95-99; Phyllis Wheatley in Allitt, 99-100.
Web
Resource: “Religion and the Founding of the American Republic—Part II”
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel02.html
Questions: What was new about the Great Awakening? About George Whitefield?
Wednesday January 30: Debate—How Religious
were the Founding Fathers?
Web
Reading: Joseph Ellis, “The U.S. Founding Fathers: Their Religious Beliefs.”
http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/2007/02/the-us-founding-fathers-their-religious-beliefs/
(If possible use Mozilla Firefox to look at Brittanica
webpages).
Web
Reading: Brittanica Blog “Founders & Faith
Forum.” Read all of the essays by
Michael and Jana Novak, Joseph Ellis, and
Brooke Allen. Start at the bottom of the page and work your
way up.
http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/category/founders-faith-forum/
Web
Reading: Rick Shenkman, “An Interview with Jon Butler
. . . Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?” http://hnn.us/articles/9144.html
Come
to class prepared to debate the religion of the founding fathers.
Friday February 1: Religion, Revolution,
and the Founding Fathers
Reading:
Marsden, 38-55.
Web
Resource: “Religion and the Founding of the American Republic—Part III”
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel03.html
Monday February 4: The Second Great
Awakening and Frontier Revivalism
Reading:
Marsden, 57-74.
Reading:
Charles Finney in Allitt, 132-34.
Web
Resource: “Religion and the Founding of the American Republic—Part VII”
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel07.html
Part II: Dominant and Dissenting Voices in
the Early Nineteenth Century
Wednesday February 6: Slave Religion
Reading:
Marsden, 74-79.
Friday February 8: Native Americans Exiled
Reading:
Marsden, 80-83.
Web
Reading: John Burnett’s Story of the Trail of Tears
http://www.powersource.com/cherokee/burnett.html
Monday February 11: Homegrown American
Religions—Mormons and Shakers
Reading:
Marsden, 87-97.
Reading:
Lucy Wright in Allitt, 127-29; Joseph Smith in Allitt, 134-37.
Wednesday February 13: Catholics and
Anti-Catholicism
Reading:
Marsden, 83-85; 97-102.
Reading:
Maria Monk document in Allitt, 165-68.
Friday February 15: Religion and the Civil
War
Reading:
Marsden, 9-13.
Reading:
Julia Ward Howe, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200000003/default.html
Reading:
Confederate Robert Ryland in Allitt, 198-199.
Reading:
Abraham Lincoln, “Second Inaugural Address.”
http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/inaug-2.htm
Monday February 18: Holiday—President’s Day
(No Class)
Wednesday February 20: Examination #1
Part III: Religious Insiders and Outsiders
in Postbellum America
Friday February 22: Capitalism and
Secularization in the Gilded Age
Reading:
Marsden, 105-22.
Reading:
Russell Conwell in Allitt, 273-74.
Question:
Is Conwell’s “Acres of Diamonds” a secular or religious sermon?
Monday February 25: Feminists and Social Gospelers
Reading:
Marsden, 122-30.
Reading:
Elizabeth Cady Stanton in Allitt, 270-71.
Wednesday February 27: Protestant Modernism
Reading:
Marsden, 130-40.
Reading:
Lyman Abbott in Allitt, 261-63; Washington Gladden in
Allitt, 266-68.
Friday February 29: Catholicism and Eastern
Orthodoxy in Protestant America
Reading:
Marsden, 141-52.
Web
Resource: Read about an Italian Catholic neighborhood in St. Louis.
http://stlouis.missouri.org/neighborhoods/history/thehill/index13.htm
Monday March 3: Jewish Immigrants in
America
Reading:
Marsden, 152-57.
Reading:
Abraham Cahan in Allitt,
239-41; Anzia Yezierska in Allitt, 241-44.
Question:
Compare the experiences of Jewish and Catholic immigrants
Wednesday March 5: Religion in the Ozarks,
Part I
Web
Reading: Stanley Burgess, “Perspectives on the Sacred: Religion in the Ozarks.”
http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/periodicals/ozarkswatch/ow202d.htm
**First
Congregation Visit Paper Due Today**
Friday March 7: New Religions—Jehovah’s
Witnesses and Christian Science
Reading:
Marsden, 170-76.
Reading:
Mary Baker Eddy in Allitt, 232-34.
Question:
What role do charismatic founders play in the birth of a religious movement?
Monday March 10: Metaphysical Religion and
Chiropractic Medicine
Reading:
William J. Nelson, “Old Dad Chiro.”
http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org/tcj/1989/sep/sep1989l.htm
Reading:
“D.D. Palmer’s Religion of Chiropractic.”
www.chiro.org/Plus/History/Persons/PalmerDD/PalmerDD's_Religion-of-Chiro.pdf
Wednesday March 12: Pentecostalism
Reading:
Marsden, 163-70.
Web
Reading: Vinson Synan, “The Origins of the
Pentecostal Movement.”
http://www.oru.edu/university/library/holyspirit/pentorg1.html
Part IV: Conservative versus Liberal
Religion
Friday March 14: The Rise of Fundamentalism
Reading:
Marsden, 177-198
Monday March 17: Catholics in the 1920s
Reading:
Marsden, 198-204.
Reading:
Alfred E. Smith, Excerpt from Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech.
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5075
Wednesday March 19: Secularization and
Neo-Orthodoxy
Reading:
Marsden, 204-223.
Web
Resource: “Moral Man and Immoral Society: The Public Theology of Reinhold
Niebuhr.” http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/niebuhr/index.shtml
March 21-March 28 (No Class—Spring Break)
Monday March 31: Examination #2
Part V: Religion in Post-World War II
America
Wednesday April 2: “What Story Are We
In?” Six Sociological Narratives
Web Reading: Spickard,
“What is Happening to Religion? Six
Sociological Narratives.”
http://www.ku.dk/satsning/Religion/indhold/publikationer/working_papers/what_is_happened.PDF
The
purpose of this class is to set the stage for the rest of the semester. Pay close attention to the six sociological
narratives described in the Spickard reading. They will provide the basis for our
discussion of post-World War II American religion.
Friday April 4: World War II and the
Postwar Revival
Reading:
Marsden, 223-29.
Reading:
Billy Graham in Allitt, 465-68.
Question:
Compare Billy Graham to the fundamentalists of the 1920s.
Monday April 7: Religion in the Ozarks,
Part II
Web
Reading: David Embree, “The Ozarks: Buckle of the Bible Belt
or Haven for Religious Diversity?”
http://web.archive.org/web/20060108225648/http://ozarkswatch.missouristate.edu/v12n34/art01_01.asp
**Second
Congregational Visit Paper Due Today**
Wednesday April 9: Jewish Identity and the
American Way of Life
Reading:
Marsden, 229-33.
Reading:
Will Herberg in Allitt,
305-08.
Web
Reading: Read at least one “Judaism
in the Ozarks” Oral History Interview
http://clio.missouristate.edu/mcooper/mcooper/oral_hist/judaism.htm
Friday April 11: The Transformation of
Mainline Protestantism
Reading:
Marsden, 247-55.
Web
Reading: Johnson, Hoge, and Luidens,
“Mainline Churches: The Real Reason for the Decline.” http://sandbox.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=5100
Question:
Why is mainline Protestantism declining in numbers?
Monday April 14: The Return of Conservative
Protestants
Reading:
Marsden, 268-281.
Reading:
Ammerman in Allitt,
495-503.
Wednesday April 16: Feminism and
Alternative Religions
Reading:
Marsden, 260-68.
Reading:
Starhawk and Carol Christ in Allitt,
407-412.
Question:
What is the connection between feminism and alternative religion?
Friday April 18: The Transformation of
American Catholicism
Reading:
Marsden, 255-60.
Question: Did the Catholic church
in America “lose its soul”?
Monday April 21: Jewish Contributions to
American Popular Culture
Reading:
Kaplan, “How the Jews Created the Comic Book Industry,” Parts I, II, and III.
http://reformjudaismmag.net/03fall/comics.shtml
http://reformjudaismmag.net/03winter/comics.shtml
http://reformjudaismmag.net/04spring/comics.shtml
Wednesday April 23: Religion and the Civil
Rights Movement
Reading:
Marsden, 238-45.
Reading:
Martin Luther King, Jr. in Allitt, 360-62
Friday April 25: New Immigrant Religions in
America
Reading:
Marsden, 286-87.
Web
Reading: Interview with Diana Eck.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week443/profile.html
Web
Reading: R. Stephen Warner, “Immigrants and the Faiths They Bring.”
http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2946
Monday April 28: Muslim and Hindu Youth
Adapt to America
Reading:
Muslim Teenagers in Allitt, 440-44; Prema Kurien in Allitt, 444-48.
In-Class
Multimedia Presentation: “On Common Ground: World Religions in America”
Wednesday April 30: Culture Wars? Red States and Blue States
Reading:
Marsden, 281-286.
Web
Reading: David Brooks, “One Nation, Slightly Divisible.”
Questions:
Is there a “culture war”? Is there a
division between “red state” and “blue state” religion?
Friday May 2: The “Churching of America”
Thesis
Reading:
Roger Finke and Rodney Stark in Allitt, 12-17.
Web
Reading: Walter Sundberg, “Beyond the Mainline Tale.”
http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=5132
Handout:
Martin Marty, Review of The Churching of America.
Question:
How does the Finke/Stark storyline compare to Marsden’s narrative?
Monday May 5: Women & American
Religion—An Alternative Narrative
Web
Reading: Catherine Brekus, “Women and American
Religion.”
http://marty-center.uchicago.edu/sightings/archive_2003/1002.shtml
Wednesday May 7: “What Story Are We In?”
Revisited
Reading:
Marsden, 288-90.
Web Reading: Spickard,
“What is Happening to Religion? Six
Sociological Narratives.”
http://www.ku.dk/satsning/Religion/indhold/publikationer/working_papers/what_is_happened.PDF
Finals Period: Examination #3