August 29: Course Introductions, expectations
Preparations
September 3 – September 5: Socio-Historical Foundations
READINGS:
HERTZKE, chapter 1;
Butters, “Why America Can’t Separate Religion and Politics”
Declaration of Independence (1776);
Constitution of the United States, Amendment 1 (1789)
Constitution of the Confederate States (1861)
September 10: Theoretical Approaches
READINGS:
HERTZKE, chapter 2
Farnsley, “It’s Time We Think of Politics More Like Religion”
DUE: Project selection / assignment
September 12 – September 17: Protestant Foundations
READINGS:
HERTZKE, chapter 3;
Baker et al., “Keep America Christian (and White)”
Winthrop, “A Modell of Christian Charity” (1630)
September 19: The Changing Face of Public Religion
READINGS:
PEW Research Center, “Religious ‘Nones’ in America,” pages 6 – 42.
PEW Research Center, “How Religious Is Your State?“
ATTEND: “Rebuilding the Civic Culture,” Timothy G. O’Rourke, 12:00 – 1:00pm, Brock Commons
September 24: Situational / Temporal Approaches
READINGS:
Smith, “Religion and Ethnicity in America“
DUE: Project, part 1
ATTEND: “’Laffin’ Kamala’: Racial Identity, Laughter, and Politics,” Patrick Giamario, 12:00 – 1:00pm, Brock Commons
EXTRA CREDIT: “All My Presidents: An Essayist’s Tour of American History,” Colin Rafferty, 7:00 – 8:00pm, Brock Commons
September 26 – October 1: Catholic Foundations
READINGS:
Smidt, “Catholics and the 2020 Presidential Election”
Kennedy, “Speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association” (1960)
October 3: NO CLASS (Rosh Hashanah)
October 8 – October 10: Non-Majoritarian Foundations
READINGS:
HERTZKE, chapter 4;
Romney, “Faith in America” (2007)
DUE: Project, part 2
October 12 – October 17: “The Black Church”
READINGS:
HERTZKE, chapter 5;
King, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” (1963)
[October 15: NO CLASS (Fall Break)]
October 22 – October 24: Sex, Gender, and Religion
READ: HERTZKE, chapter 6
ATTEND: “Thomas Jefferson’s Ciceronian Universe: The Importance of Being Decent in the American Tradition,” Benjamin Haller, 12:00 – 1:00pm, Blocker Hall Auditorium
October 29: Organized Political Religious Groups
READINGS:
HERTZKE, chapter 8
October 31: Religion & Voting
READINGS:
HERTZKE, chapter 7
ATTEND: “The Sparkle and Glitter of Which our Campaigns are Made: U.S. Presidential Campaign Buttons and the Representation of Religion,” Eric Michael Mazur, 12:00 – 1:00pm, Brock Commons
November 5: Election Day!
READINGS:
HERTZKE, chapter 10;
Bellah, “Civil Religion in America” (1967)
DUE: Project, part 3
Applications
November 7: Workshop & Presentations
READING:
O’CONNOR, chapter 2
DUE: Project, part 4
November 12: Workshop & Presentations
READING:
O’CONNOR, chapter 3
November 14: Workshop & Presentations
READING:
O’CONNOR, chapter 4
November 19: Workshop & Presentations
READINGS:
O’CONNOR, chapter 5 and chapter 8
DUE: Project, part 5
November 21: Workshop & Presentations
READING:
O’CONNOR, chapter 6
November 26: Workshop & Presentations
READING:
O’CONNOR, chapter 7
November 28: NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)
December 3: Workshop & Presentations
READING:
O’CONNOR, chapter 9
December 5: Workshop & Presentations
READING:
O’CONNOR, chapter 1
December 10: Conclusions
READINGS:
HERTZKE, chapter 13;
O’CONNOR, chapter 10
December 16
DUE (by noon): Final Paper
