This course examines the intersection of the religious and political spheres. We begin by exploring a wide variety of contemporary issues under the broad rubric of "values" politics. Secondly, we study the connections between moral values and political beliefs in American history as well as in contemporary politics. We conclude by studying the First Amendment's religious freedom clauses through a succession of judicial interpretations, ultimately acting out our own mock Supreme Court cases. I hope all will approach the course inquisitively and with open minds... and usually we do! Thus we gain in understanding, even from those with whom we cannot agree.
Two papers will be assigned, an analysis of the presidential election campaign and a response to the mock court case. In each case, I encourage students to turn in one or more rough drafts of the papers prior to the due date.
Religion and American Politics is
offered
in even-numbered fall semesters. It counts as an American Politics
course
for the Political Science major or for Teacher Education endorsement in
American Government. It is a Writing Emphasis course.
American Religion Data Archive
County-by-county map of
American religious affiliation data
Great set of links from the Paul B. Henry Institute at Calvin College
Comprehensive site devoted to Martin
Luther King Jr: papers and photographs, and a searchable
bibliography
Center
for the Study of Religion in Public Life, Trinity College, Hartford
CT
Institute
for the Study of American Evangelicals, Wheaton College, Wheaton IL
Family
Research Council: conservative culture featuring President Tony
Perkins's daily "Washington Update"
American Values:
another conservative group, headed by former presidential candidate
Gary Bauer, who also offers a daily "End of Day Report" as well as a
blog
Americans
United for Separation of Church and State: ardent separationists
Find Biblical passages and references at Bible Gateway, sponsored by
Gospel Communications International (must be rather evangelical... I
notice they offer neither the Revised Standard Version nor the New
Revised Standard Version as translation options)
citation
guide for MLA method
Sheila Kennedy, God
and Country: America in Red and Blue (Baylor, 2007)
Kenneth D. Wald and Allison Courtney-Brown, Religion and Politics in the United States
(Rowman & Littlefield, 5th ed., 2007)
John Witte Jr., Religion and the American
Constitutional
Experiment: Essential Rights and Liberties (Westview, 2nd ed, 2005)
CLASS SCHEDULE AND READING LIST
I. RELIGION IN AMERICAN CULTURE
The Values Divide in American Politics: Kennedy 1
Puritanism and the Colonial Era: Kennedy 2
Enlightenment Rationalism and the Colonial Era:
Kennedy 3
Values Conflict in American History: Kennedy 4
American World Views Today: Kennedy 5
Values and the Social Issue: Kennedy 6
Values and the Class Issue: Kennedy 7
Values and Science/Technology Issues: Kennedy 8
Values and Crime: Kennedy 9
Values and Foreign Policy: Kennedy 10
II. RELIGION AND POLITICAL BEHAVIOR
Religion and Politics: WCB 2
Religious Interest Groups: WCB 5
Religious Group Influence: WCB 6
Religion and Issue Positions: WCB 7
White Evangelical Protestants and the Christian
Right: WCB 8
Roman Catholics, Mainline Protestants, and Jews: WCB
9
Ethnic and Religious Minority Groups: WCB 10
Women and Gays: WCB 11
III. RELIGION AND THE CONSTITUTION
Ideas of the Constitutional Era: Witte 2
Freedom of Religion: Witte 3
The First Amendment: Witte 4
Early Church-State Issues in the States: Witte 5
Early Church-State Issues at the National Level:
Witte 6
The Free Exercise Clause: Witte 7
The Establishment Clause: Witte 8
Conclusion: Witte, pp. 249-257
ORAL ARGUMENTS
ANNOUNCING DECISIONS
Next Course: Political Parties and Elections
Last Course: American National Government
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Last update 11/13/08