SPRING ARBOR UNIVERSITY American Religious History Religion 346 Spring 2005 Charles Edward White, Ph.D., Instructor Office: Science Building 21 Phone: 1389 Hours: As posted Email: cwhite@arbor.edu Website: www.arbor.edu/~cwhite This document is not an offer and is subject to change. Objectives The student who successfully completes this course will be able to: 1. Identify the important individuals, events, institutions, and issues in American religious history. 2. Understand and evaluate critically two works in American religious history. 3. Discuss intelligently seven current issues in American religion in the light of their historical background. Texts 1. Edmund Morgan. The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop. 2. Elizabeth Dodds. Marriage to a Difficult Man: The "Uncommon Union" of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards. 3. Charles White. The Beauty of Holiness: Phoebe Palmer as Theologian, Revivalist, Feminist, and Humanitarian. 4. Stephen Oates. Let the Trumpet Sound: The Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Methodology This course is organized around four key figures in American religious history: John Winthrop, Sarah Edwards, Phoebe Palmer, and Martin Luther King, Jr. They come from the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, respectively. We will learn American religious history as we investigate the lives and times of these important individuals. Quizzes Because mastery of the content of the reading assignments is essential to understanding this course it is imperative that each student do that homework. Only through regular, diligent, completion of the
assignments will the student profit from the course. It will take the average student between two and four hours to complete the homework for each class session. Daily quizzes on the homework will encourage mastery of the information in this course. The quiz may test any material previously covered in the course. Book reviews Students will submit a critique of each of two different biographies. The object of the book review is to teach the student to think critically about an historical work. Thus to write an acceptable report the student should: 1. Choose a serious biography of a significant figure in American religious history. (All choices must be approved by the instructor.) 2. Clearly identify the thesis of the book. 3. Explain the reasoning used to support the thesis. 4. Evaluate the strength of the argument. To identify the thesis read the preface, introduction, and conclusion of the book. Figure out what the author's main point is, and what he is trying to accomplish by writing the book. Some authors will state their these explicitly while other will leave you to induce them for yourself. You should be able to state the thesis in one sentence. Unfortunately some biographies are mere chronologies: they offer no analysis but merely chronicle what happened when. Chronology tells who, what, where, and when, but history adds why. The instructor will strive to warn you about such works, but he may fail. If you read such a work, note the lack of thesis and suggest what the author could have done to make the book a work of history. Next explain how the author supports the thesis. Tell what kind of data he uses to make his point. Show the logic behind the structure of the work. Explain how the different parts of the book work together to make the main point. Be sure to back your generalizations with specific examples. Finally, evaluate the work. Did the author do his homework? Was the book clearly written? How well did the author state his case? Was his argument clear and logical? What were his presuppositions? Were the presuppositions implicit or explicit? Did this work convince you? Why or why not? What questions did the author leave unanswered? Beyond these general guidelines the instructor expects an acceptable paper to: 1. Be typed. Double-space the text. You should probably use the word-processors which the college makes available for student use. Then revision is not such a daunting task. 2. Be 1250 words (5 pages) long. 3. Use the English language correctly. Write and proof-read your work as carefully as if it were a resume. The instructor will not read any paper beyond the tenth mistake in spelling, usage, or
logic. 4. Be in proper form for an academic paper. Attribute quotations. Cite authorities and sources for new ideas. Use in-text citations, footnotes, or endnotes. Follow the directions in Rosa and Eschholtz, The Writer=s Brief Handbook. Errors in the prescribed format will be counted as mistakes. 5. Have one clearly identified thesis. 6. Display a clear and logical plan for defending the thesis. Make sure each of the sentences leads on to the next one, and that each paragraph is connected to its neighbors by reasonable transitions. 7. Use specific data or examples to illustrate all generalizations. Do not merely state your conclusions; include the evidence or arguments which convinced you. Remember, showing is better than telling. Exam A final examination will test the student's skill in discussing current issues in American religion in the light of their historical background. The instructor expects the student to write about 500 words on four of the questions. Because this is an examination in church history, do not include biblical examples or arguments. Show off your knowledge of church history by using as many specific examples with as much correct historical detail as possible. There is no need to copy or rephrase the question. The examination will be held during exam week and will consist of four of the following questions: 1. The United States is a Christian nation founded by Christians on Christian principles. 2. Jerry Falwell has been accused of trying to establish a theocracy in the United States. Has a theocracy ever been established in the colonies or United States? In light of American religious history, is theocracy a good idea? 3. Many people in Spring Arbor are praying for revival. In the light of American religious history is revival a good thing? 4. "Orthodox Christianity is opposed to women's rights." Evaluate this contention in the light of American religious history. 5. "Conservatives have usually tried to restrain and oppress people. Even when they were trying to help, they only put band-aids on cancer because they denied the reality of structural evil. The only Christians who have contributed to the lot of the poor are the liberals." Evaluate this contention in the light of American religious history.
6. "Marx said religion is the opiate of the masses. Nowhere is this statement more valid than in the experience of the Afro-American." Evaluate this contention in the light of American religious history. 7. "It should surprise no one that the Pentecostal movement was born in America. It is the natural result of combining Christianity with the American spirit. It is as novel, innovative, optimistic, democratic, and untrammeled as America itself." Evaluate this contention in the light of American religious history. Students who wish to see their final exams or papers handed in late must call for them at the professor=s office or must include a self-addressed stamped envelope with their exams. Grades The final grade will be determined by four factors: the quizzes, the two book reviews, and the final exam. In order to be eligible to write reviews and take the exam, a student must maintain a 75% average on the quizzes. A student who notifies the instructor that she will miss a class at least two days in advance in writing may take that quiz early without penalty. A student who misses a class without giving the instructor the required notice and misses a quiz may take a make-up after a payment of $10 to the Childcare Ministry of the Free Methodist Church. The instructor reserves the right to investigate suspected cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of dishonesty by any means he deems necessary, including retesting the student. The instructor will be the sole judge in any case of suspected dishonesty, and reserves the right to determine the punishment when he is convinced the student has been dishonest. The normal penalty for dishonesty is to fail the course. The quizzes, the two book reviews, and the exam will each make up 1/4 of the final grade. An average on the quizzes of 0-59% will be worth no points, 60-74%.25 points, 75-79%.5 points, 80-88%.75 points, and 89-100% 1 point. For the paper and exam, F = 0, D =.25, C =.5, B =.75, and A = 1. 3.75 points are necessary for an A, 3.5 for an A/B, 3 for a B, 2.5 for a B/C, 2 for a C, 1.5 for a C/D, and 1 for a D. College policy permits no student more than 4 absences from this course without penalty. Additional absences may result in a reduction of the final grade at the discretion of the instructor. The instructor expects proper behavior and attire for the class. Eating and drinking are not allowed, nor are hats, muscle shirts, or other clothing which detracts from the seriousness of academic endeavor. Schedule and Assignments N.B.: 1) This schedule may be modified if necessary; 2) The day's work is listed to the right of the topic. This work must be completed prior to the start of class. Schedule and Assignments (may be modified if necessary) Jan 28 Why and how study American religious history?
Jan 31 Catholic missionaries Morgan 1-2 Feb 2 Virginia Morgan 3-4 Feb 4 The Pilgrims and Puritans Morgan 5-6 Feb 7 Baptists, Quakers, and Other Trouble- Makers Morgan 7-8 Feb 9 The Great Awakening Morgan 9-10 Feb 11 The Revolution Morgan 11-13 Biography due Feb 14 Review and unit exam Unit exam Feb 16 The Second Great Awakening in NE Dodds 1-2 Feb 18 The Second Great Awakening on the frontier Dodds 3-4 Feb 21 The Development of Revivalism Dodds 5-6 Thesis due Feb 23 The Benevolent Empire Dodds 7-8 Feb 25 Radical Social Reform Dodds 9-10 Feb 28 Immigration Dodds 11-12 Mar 2 Slavery Dodds 13-14 Review due Mar 4 Review and unit exam Unit exam Mar 7 The Civil War Mar 9 The Gilded Age White 1 Mar 11 American Theology White 2 Biography due Mar 21 Urban Revivalism White 3
Mar 23 The Catholics White 4 Mar 30 The Jews White 5 Thesis due Apr 1 Liberalism White 6 Apr 4 The Social Gospel White 7 Apr 8 The Roaring Twenties White 8 Review due Apr 11 The Depressing Thirties Oates 1 Apr 13 The Postwar Revival Oates 2 Apr 15 Civil Rights Oates 3 Apr 18 Civil Wrongs Unit exam Apr 20 Eyes on the Prize 1 Oates 4 Apr 22 Eyes on the Prize 2 Oates 5 Apr 25 Eyes on the Prize 3 Oates 6 Apr 27 Eyes on the Prize catch up Oates 7 Apr 29 Eyes on the Prize 4 Oates 8 May 2 Eyes on the Prize 5 Oates 9 May 4 Eyes on the Prize 6 Oates 10 May 6 Eyes on the Prize catch up and unit exam Unit exam May 9 Review for final May 13 1-3 final exam