REL 135 - Religion in America

1 course unit

This course will explore the evolution of religious life in the United States and of American ideas about the nature and place of religion within American society. Beginning in the colonial period and continuing through the present, this class will examine the phenomenon of religion in the United States and consider the ways that immigrants, atheists, and founders of new religious movements have changed and challenged established assumptions about what it means to be an American. Using primary documents, and particularly court cases, the class will explore the contested terrain of American religious life and ask how our understanding of religion has shaped notions of statehood, citizenship, and equality in the United States.
Meets general academic requirement HU.