American Religious History

4 credits · Undergraduate

This course surveys religion in the land that became the United States from colonial contact with indigenous people to the present with an emphasis on how religion has shaped, and been shaped by, the American experience. It addresses enduring tensions between the presence of religious diversity, the ideals of religious pluralism, and the desire for religious power. What are the relationships between various American religious traditions and American society, politics, and culture? How have religious groups articulated their values to address questions of law, politics, culture, and economics? How does religion intersect with race, class, gender, and sexuality to form American identities and transform religious communities?