August 25: Course Introductions, Expectations
IN-CLASS: “Indigenous Tribes Unite to Save 13,000-year-old Sacred Site” (Baars, Southern Environmental Law Center)
Space as a Religious Category
August 27: Introduction to Sacred Space
READING: ELIADE, “Introduction”
September 1: Encountering Sacred Space
READING: ELIADE, chapter 1
September 3: Experiencing Sacred Space
READING: ELIADE, chapter 2
September 8: Enduring Sacred Space
READING: ELIADE, chapters 3-4
September 10: Traditional Sacred Spaces?
READING: Williams, “How to Read a Church“; Campo, “American Pilgrimage Landscapes“
American Sacred Space
September 15: American Space as Sacred
READING: LANE, “Introduction” and chapter 1
DUE: “Identifying an American Sacred Space” paper (emailed, by 5:00 pm)
September 17: Models for Understanding American Space as Sacred
READING: LANE, chapter 2
September 22: Native Americans and American Space
READING: LANE, chapter 3
September 24: Catholics and American Space
READING: LANE, chapter 4
September 29: Puritans and American Space
READING: LANE, chapter 5
October 1: Broadening Conceptions of Sacred Space
READING: Mazur, “Where We Are“
October 6: Pilgrimages to American Sacred Spaces
READING: Mazur & Koda, “The Happiest Place on Earth“; Rigby, “Graceland“
October 8: American Community as Sacred
READING: Ingersoll, “The Thin Line Between Saturday Night and Sunday Morning“
October 13: NO CLASS (Fall Break)
October 15: American Nation as Sacred Space
READING: Caterine, “Monuments of Civil Religion“
October 20: “Defining Sacred Space” conversation
> “Defining Sacred Space” Conversation Guidelines <
October 22: “Defining Sacred Space” conversation
October 27: Conflicted Space as Sacred, I / Research Mechanics
READING: FOOTE, chapters 1-2
October 29: Conflicted Space as Sacred, II
READING: FOOTE, chapters 3-5
November 3: Conflicted Space as Sacred, III / Documentation & Citation
READING: FOOTE, chapter 6-8
November 5: American Commodification as Sacred
READING: Pike, “Desert Goddesses and Apocalyptic Art“
DUE: “Annotated Bibliography” (written, emailed by 5:00 pm)
> Sample Annotated Bibliography
November 10: “Annotated Bibliography” conversation
November 12: “Annotated Bibliography” conversation
November 17: Cyberspace as Sacred
READING: O’Leary, “Cyberspace as Sacred Space“
November 19-24: NO CLASS (conference)
November 26: NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)
December 1: Outer Space as Sacred Space
READING: Mazur, “Aliens in Outer Space“
December 3: Conclusions
> Final Paper Guidelines <
December 7: “An American Sacred Space” final conversation
DUE: “An American Sacred Space” final paper (emailed, by 5:00 pm)
