Religion, Race and the Culture Wars

3 units

This course traces the relationship between American religion and politics from the Cold War through the Civil Rights Movement and up to the present. We will explore how faith has driven diverse, often conflicting forms of political engagement. We will devote particular attention to civil rights activism (and opposition) in the 1950s and 1960s and to the growing prominence of evangelical Christianity since the 1970s. The course will allow students to critique interpretations of the place of religion in American life, exploring links (as well as differences) between the recent past and present headlines.