August 25: Course Introductions, expectations
Reading (IN-CLASS):
Declaration of Independence (1776)
Constitution of the United States, Article VI (1789)
Constitution of the United States, Amendment 1 (1791)
Preparations
August 27
Reading:
“Religion and Political Culture in America” (Hertzke et al., ch.1)
“Introduction” (Silk & Williams)
Butters, “Why America Can’t Separate Religion and Politics”
Farnsley, “It’s Time We Think of Politics More Like Religion“
September 1
Reading:
“Theories of Religion, Culture, and American Politics” (Hertzke et al., ch.2)
Euro-Protestant Foundations
September 3
Reading:
“Christianity and Its Major Branches” (Hertzke et al., ch.3)
Fea, “‘Christian Nationalism’ and ‘Civil Religion’ in the Nineteenth Century’ (Silk & Williams, ch. 1)
Baker et al., “Keep America Christian (and White)”
⇒ NEWS ADDED
September 8
Reading:
Wall, “One Nation Under God? The Rise and Decline of Civil Religion in Mid-Twentieth Century America” (Silk & Williams, ch.2)
Ammerman, “Southern Baptists and the Evolution of White Evangelical Politics” (Silk & Williams, ch.5)
September 10
Reading:
Pew Research Center, “Religious ‘Nones’ in America” (pages 6-23)
Pew Research Center, “Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off” (pages 6-77)
Silk, “A Restorationist Political Movement” (Silk & Williams, ch.3)
“Other” Christians
September 15
Reading:
Smidt, “Catholics and the 2020 Presidential Election”
Monk, Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk (excerpt, 1836)
Kennedy, “Speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association” (1960)
September 17
Reading:
“Latino and African American Religion and Politics” (Hertzke et al., ch.5)
September 17 – Course Enhancement
(12:00 – 12:50 pm, Brock Commons)
“The Founders Can Still Help Us Find Our Way” (Timothy G. O’Rourke)
September 22
Reading:
Townsend Gilkes, “‘A Vision for America That Includes All of Us’: Black Christian Universalism vs. White Christian Nationalism with a Meditation on Black Nation-Consciousness” (Silk & Williams, ch.8)
September 24
Reading:
“Gender, Sexual Orientation, Religion, and Politics” (Hertzke et al., ch.6)
Delehanty, “Religious Language in Progressive Politics: From Civil Religion to Moral Redistribution” (Silk & Williams, ch.10)
September 29 – Writing workshop (no new reading)
Non-Christians
October 1
Reading:
“Judaism, Islam, and Other Expressions of Religious Pluralism” (Hertzke et al., ch.4)
Cameron / Ford, The International Jew (excerpt, 1920)
Pew Research Center, “How Religious Is Your State?“
DUE: Part 1, “State Religious Demographics” written report
October 1 – Course Enhancement
(12:00 – 12:50 pm, Brock Commons)
“From Caesar to Christian Nationalism: A History of Ultimate Allegiance” (Craig Wansink)
October 6
Reading:
“Text of Letter Sent by Virginia Rep. Goode to Constituents Warning of Muslim Immigration” [NEED URL]
October 8
Reading: [TBA]
October 13 – NO CLASS (Fall Break)
October 15 – Writing workshop (no new reading)
October 15 – Course Enhancement
(12:00 – 12:50 pm, Hofheimer Library)
“Does Anything I Do Actually Matter? How Ordinary People Still Change History” (panel)
Religion & Elections
October 20
Reading:
Millies, “‘Pick One of Those Pieces and Begin Again’: The New Integralism and the Persistence of a Dream of Christendom” (Silk & Williams, ch.6)
October 22
Reading:
“Voting and Religion in American Politics” (Hertzke et al., ch.7)
October 22 – Course Enhancement
(12:00 – 12:50, Brock Commons)
“Why Is Everyone Yelling? The Lost Art of Disagreeing Without Becoming Enemies” (workshop)
October 27 – Conversations (Part 2: “Religion in the 2026 Election Cycle”)
October 29 – Conversations (Part 2: “Religion in the 2026 Election Cycle”)
October 29 – Course Enhancement
(12:00-12:50, Brock Commons)
“The Things That Actually Bring People Together (And the Things That Don’t)” (Jonathan Zur)
November 3 – Election Day!
Reading:
“Religion, Civil Society, and Political Culture” (Hertzke et al., ch.10)
Gorski, “Civil Religion vs. Christian Nationalism: A Distinction with a Difference and Why It Matters” (Silk & Williams, ch.11)
Religion & Post-Election Issues
November 5 – Oral reports (Part 3: “Post-Election Postmortem”)
November 10
Reading:
“The Politics of Organized Religious Groups” (Hertzke et al., ch.8)
November 12
Reading:
“The Politics of Religion in the Legal System” (Hertzke et al., ch. 11)
November 17
Reading:
“Big Themes and Normative Concerns in Religion and Politics” (Hertzke et al., ch.13)
“Conclusion: Looking Forward” (Silk & Williams)
November 19 – NO CLASS (I’ll be out of town)
November 24 – NO CLASS (I’ll be out of town)
DUE: Part 4: “Preliminary draft of final paper,” written (emailed, 5:00 pm)
November 26 – NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)
December 1 – Conversations (Part 4: “Preliminary draft of final paper”)
December 3 – Conversations (Part 4: “Preliminary draft of final paper”)
December 7 – DUE: Part 5: “Finished paper” (emailed, by 5:00 pm)
