POL 315: POLITICS AND RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES
SPRING 2006, DCE
PROFESSOR DAVID S. GUTTERMAN
Pioneer 109, x2246
dgutter@linfield.edu
Course Description
In this course we will be examining some of the most vital and contentious issues in the United States: What is foundation of American democracy? How should the obligations of citizens be ordered? What is the relationship between politics, religion, and morality? What are the “sacred texts” of America? What are the implications of the self-conception of the United States as a “Christian nation” or as a “chosen nation?” What role should religious voices have in shaping public policy in the United States?
Course Readings
The following texts must be purchased for this course.
David S. Gutterman, Prophetic Politics: Christian Social Movements and American Democracy.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2005.
Isaac Kramnick and R. Laurence Moore, The Godless Constitution: The Case Against Religious
Correctness. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1996.
James Morone, Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History. New Haven: Yale University
Press, 2003.
Stephen Prothero, American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon. New York:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003.
There will also be many readings in addition to these books. Some of these readings will be placed on e-reserve at the Nicholson Library and some readings can be attained by following links I will provide (including some found in the “Schedule of Events” below). Finally, because one of our goals is to think about issues of politics and religion in the contemporary United States, be aware that there will be additional reading assignments that address issues as they arise over the course of the semester. Watch the Announcements page for details regarding these additional readings.
Class Format
Each week, I will post reading summaries, questions and key points to guide your reading and to help you to think about the material in the texts. Students are asked to post responses to at least FIVE of the weekly discussions over the course of the semester. You will receive a grade for the quality of your participation in the discussions of the themes. For details of the class format, please refer to the Welcome page in the Course Menu.
You are encouraged to read reputable news sources, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, The Economist, Slate.com or the BBC on-line, and bring in current news items to add to the discussion. Realize that many media outlets and websites do not have good records of upholding the journalistic norm of objectivity, and that it is wise to read all news source critically.
Course Requirements
There is a substantial amount of required reading for this class. We will be covering a lot of ground. For the class to succeed, and for individual students to succeed, the reading must be done thoroughly and thoughtfully.
There will be two midterm exams and a final paper in the course. Each of these is worth 25% of your final grade. In addition, class participation will represent 25% of the final grade. This class participation will be broken down into two components: 15% for large group discussion of the major texts in the class and 10% for participation in small group discussions of moral issues in contemporary American public life. I will be breaking the class into these small discussion groups (approximately 5 people per group). Over the course of the semester, I will be posting links to news articles and opinion pieces addressing current issues related to religion and politics in the United States. The small groups are designed to be spaces where students can discuss these issues and articles. Only the members of your small group and me will have web access to your contributions to these moral issue forums. For more information about class discussion, please refer to the Welcome page.
Grading
Midterm 1 25% Midterm 2 25% Final paper 25% Class Participation 25% *(15% for discussion of major texts; 10% for small group moral issues forum.)
** Note: A penalty of 1/3 grade per day will be imposed on assignments submitted late (one day’s lateness would reduce a B+ to a B). I generally do not grant extensions, but if extraordinary circumstances arise, please consult with me as soon as possible -- and certainly prior to the due date of the assignment.
**** Of Special Note: I take plagiarism very seriously. Plagiarism takes many forms, but the common denominator is presenting someone else’s words or ideas as your own. If you have any doubts about what constitutes plagiarism, I encourage you both to err on the side of caution and to seek advice from me or from the resources available through the Linfield library webpage (in conjunction with Purdue University) <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html>. Students found guilty of plagiarism will receive a zero for the assignment AND WILL BE REPORTED TO THE DEAN.
Class Rules
Students must notify the instructor within 24 hours of scheduled exam days in case of emergency, and they must provide documentation of the emergency situation (medical excuse, etc.). Otherwise, there will be NO makeup work available.Effective learning requires active participation on the part of the student. Students are expected to post responses after having thoughtfully read the assigned texts.
Discussion in class is meant to be intellectually provocative, but must not go beyond the bounds of civility.
Statement Concerning Disabilities:
Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical information the instructor should know of, or who need special arrangements in the event of evacuation, should make an appointment with the instructor as early as possible, no later than the first week of the term.
Schedule of Events
Week 1: February 11-17
Topics: Introduction. On the Use and Abuse of Religion in American public life. Readings: Philip Roth, “The Conversion of the Jews,” Goodbye, Columbus (1959).
Week 2: February 18-24
Topics: Religion and the American Constitution. Readings: The Constitution of the United States of America,
<http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution_transcript.html>
Kramnick and Moore, The Godless Constitution
Ch. 1, “Is America a Christian Nation?” 11-25
Ch. 2, “The Godless Constitution,” 26-45.
Week 3: February 25 - March 3
Topics: Toleration and Politics, from Locke to America. Readings: John Locke, “A Letter Concerning Toleration” (1689).
<http://www.constitution.org/jl/tolerati.htm>
Kramnick and Moore, The Godless Constitution
Ch. 3, “Roger Williams and the Religious Argument for Church-State Separation,” 46-66
Ch. 4, “The English Roots of the Secular State,” 67-87
Week 4: March 4-10
Topics: Religion and political divisiveness: The Case and Legacy of Thomas Jefferson and his “wall.” Readings: Kramnick and Moore, The Godless Constitution
Ch. 5, “The Infidel Mr. Jefferson,” 88-109
Ch. 6, “American Baptists and the Jeffersonian Tradition,” 110-130
Ch. 7, “Sunday Mail and the Christian Amendment,”131-149.
Week 5: March 11-17
Topics: Morality, Religion and American Democracy Readings: Kramnick and Moore, The Godless Constitution.
Ch. 8, “Religious Politics and America’s Moral Dilemmas,” 150-177
Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America,
Volume I, Ch. 14. “What Are The Real Advantages Which American Society Derives From A
Democratic Government?” especially the section “Public Spirit In The United States.”
<http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/1_ch14.htm>
Volume II, Ch 5. “How Religion In The United States Avails Itself Of Democratic Tendencies” <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/ch1_05.htm>
Week 6: March 18-24
Topics: Sin and American Political Culture: Puritan foundations of the story. Readings: Morone, Hellfire Nation
Introduction, 1-28 Part I, “Puritan Foundations,” 29-116
Week 7: March 25-31
Topics: America’s original sin? Slavery, Racism and Identity Readings: Morone, Hellfire Nation Part II, “The Abolitionist Crusade” 117-215
Week 8: April 1-7
Topics: Sex, Drugs, and American “sinfulness.” Readings: Morone, Hellfire NationPart III, “The Victorian Quest for Virtue,” 219-344
Week 9: April 8-14
Topics: Sin and the State: Morality in 20th (and 21st?) Century Politics Readings: Morone, Hellfire Nation
Part IV, “The Social Gospel at High Tide,” 345-445.
Part V. “The Puritans Ride Again,” 449-497
Judge Roy Moore, Two Poems
Week 10: April 15-21
Topics: The Prophet Motif in American Politics Readings: Gutterman, Prophetic Politics
Ch. 1, “Prophetic Politics in the United States.” 1-19.
Ch. 3. “Twentieth-Century American Prophets” 49-94.
Week 11: April 22-28
Topics: Prophetic Politics on the Right and Left Readings: Gutterman, Prophetic Politics
Ch. 4. “Promise Keepers, Delivering Brothers from Democracy,” 94-129.
Ch. 5. “Call to Renewal: Demanding Democracy from Exile,” 129-160.
Week 12: April 29 - May 5
Topics: Stories of Jesus in America Readings: Stephen Prothero, American Jesus.“Introduction.” 1-18
Ch. 1. “Enlightened Sage,” 19-42
Ch. 2. “Sweet Savior,” 43-86
Film: Godspell.
Week 13: May 6-12
Topics: Who is the American Jesus – and why it matters. Readings: Prothero, American Jesus.
Ch. 3. “Manly Redeemer,” 87-123
Ch. 4, “Superstar,”124-157.
Film: The Last Temptation of Christ
Week 14: May 13-19
Topics: Jesus is in the American mirror. Readings: Prothero, American Jesus.
Chapters 5-8, 161-290 (Skim).
“Conclusion,” 291-303
Film: The Passion of the Christ
Week 15: May 20-25
Topics: Concluding Reflections Politics and Religion in the United States Readings: TBA