August 24: Course Introductions, Expectations
IN-CLASS: “Andrea Mitchell Reflects on the ‘Sacred Chambers’ of the U.S. Capitol,” NBC News (8 January 2021).
Space as a Religious Category
August 29: Introduction to Sacred Space
READING: ELIADE, “Introduction”
August 31: Encountering Sacred Space
READING: ELIADE, chapter 1
September 5: Experiencing Sacred Space
READING: ELIADE, chapter 2
September 7: Enduring Sacred Space
READING: ELIADE, chapters 3-4
September 12: Traditional Sacred Spaces?
READING: Williams, “How to Read a Church“; Campo, “American Pilgrimage Landscapes“
American Sacred Space
September 14: American Space as Sacred
READING: LANE, “Introduction” and chapters 1-2
September 19: “Historic” American Sacred Spaces, I
READING: LANE, p. 65-131
September 21: “Historic” American Sacred Spaces, II
READING: LANE, p. 131-189
September 26: Broadening Conceptions
READING: Mazur, “Where We Are“
DUE: “Identification of Location”
September 28: Research Mechanics (No new reading)
October 3: American Community as Sacred
READING: Caterine, “Monuments of Civil Religion“; Ingersoll, “The Thin Line Between Saturday Night and Sunday Morning“
October 5: American Commodification as Sacred
READING: Pahl, “Pilgrimage to the Mall of America“; Pike, “Desert Goddesses and Apocalyptic Art“
October 10: Research Mechanics (No new reading)
October 12: NO CLASS (Fall Break)
October 17: Pilgrimage to American Sacred Space
READING: Mazur & Koda, “The Happiest Place on Earth“; Rigby, “Graceland“
October 19: “Imagined” Space as Sacred
READING: O’Leary, “Cyberspace as Sacred Space“; Wagner, “Our Lady of Persistent Liminality“
DUE: Annotated Bibliography
October 24: The Politics of Sacred Space
READING: Chidester & Linenthal, “Introduction“
October 26: Conflicted Space as Sacred, I
READING: FOOTE, chapters 1-3
October 31: Conflicted Space as Sacred, II
READING: FOOTE, chapter 4-6
November 2: Conflicted Space as Sacred, III
READING: FOOTE, chapters 7-9
November 7: Conflicted Space as Sacred , IV
READING: FOOTE (entire)
November 9: Research, Rhetoric, & Writing (No new reading)
DUE: “Definition” paper
> Definition Assignment Guidelines <
November 14: Outer Space as Sacred Space
> Presentation Assignment Guidelines <
November 16: “American Sacred Space” presentations
ATTEND: Public Lecture [Blocker Auditorium, noon-1:00 pm]
“Religion in Outer Space: Myth, Diversity, and the Final Frontier“
November 21: NO CLASS (Instructor away)
November 23: NO CLASS (Thanksgiving break)
November 28: “American Sacred Space” presentations
November 30: “American Sacred Space” presentations
December 5: Conclusions
December 7: DUE: “Sacred Space” Final paper (10:30 am)
