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RLPC 776a DYNAMICS OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY:
GENDER, CULTURE, AND PEACEMAKING
Mary Elizabeth Moore
Spring 2008
Wednesdays – 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
408 Sunday School Building
The primary purpose of this course is to explore the social and theological
dynamics of religious community life, with particular attention to gender, culture, and
peacemaking. Focusing on case studies from different historical eras, religious
communities, and parts of the world, we will engage in sociological, anthropological, and
theological analysis. Students will have an opportunity to study one community in depth,
drawing interpretive conclusions for anthropological theory and ethical practice,
particularly as regards human communal life.
Four particular concerns underlie the formation of this course. The first is the
importance of community and culture in religious life. Because much North American
religious practice focuses on individual experience, and much religious reflection focuses
on individual beliefs and practices, even on individual salvation in some traditions, the
communal dimensions of religion are often understudied and underrated. A peculiar
exception is the tendency to reflect on religious traditions other than one’s own, or
traditions that one has rejected, with assumptions and assertions about homologous
patterns, as if peoples in those religions were all the same. The tendency to think of these
religious communities as monolithic groups yields the familiar dynamics of prejudice and
discriminatory thinking, well studied in the social psychological literature.
The second concern of this course is the importance of human religious
community in the larger social matrix, especially in relation to war and peace. The
vitality and deep commitments of religion are shaped within the social milieu of a people.
Religion, in turn, shapes the social perspectives, values, and attitudes of the larger
culture. The study of religious community can, thus, be an important source for
understanding human relationships, including the relationships of conflict, violence,
reconciliation, and peacemaking. It can be particularly valuable in developing cultural
theory, analyzing cultural interactions, and critiquing social patterns. To this end,
attention is given in this course to ways people live religiously, the relation of religious
communities to larger social interactions, and the influences of religious belief and
practice on the quality of human life and the potential of peace, both within and beyond
their religious communities.
The third concern that fuels this course is the importance of attending to the
dynamics of religious communities and of studying this through diverse methodological
approaches. The reason for this concern is that religious culture has often been explored
as a more or less static phenomenon, and religious communities have often been studied
in terms of their dominant characteristics. Though scholars have not usually assumed that
religious communities are unchanging, they have most often described the more stable
characteristics of communities, drawing wisdom from their research regarding the
identity of these social groups. The very root of the word identity suggests sameness (as
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in “identical”), or continuity with the past. The scholarly bias toward identity is partially
understandable because the dynamics of change are difficult to discern in community life,
much less in broader cultures. The neglect of these fluid qualities in social and
theological analysis inspires this course, however. We will focus here on the dynamics of
culture, and to do that, we will have to draw from diverse methodological traditions:
narrative, rhetorical criticism, ethnographic, and sociological.
The fourth concern is the vivid and subtle influences of gender on religious
community and its engagement with the larger culture and decision-making society. This
is often a hidden variable in conflict-building and peace-building. Within religious
communities are many gender-shaped patterns, such as the subtle gender shaping of
religious garments and practices, and religion-related gender definitions and gender
relationships. Peacemaking activities are also accompanied by gendered patterns, which
have barely been examined to date.
Students will be involved in developing two major projects: a review and critical
analysis of several religious cultures, and an ethnographic study of the social and
theological dynamics in a particular religious community. The first will be approached
through broad reading and book reviews, reflecting on religious cultures that have been
studied and reported through diverse research methods. The second will be approached
through conducting and presenting an ethnographic study (or another kind of empirical
investigation), with peer consultation along the way.
TEXTS
Principal Texts
Miriam Cooke, Women Claim Islam: Creating Islamic Feminism through Literature
(New York: Routledge, 2001).
Clifford Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures (Basic Books, 1997).
Marc Gopin, Holy War, Holy Peace: How Religion Can Bring Peace to the Middle East
(Oxford: Oxford University, 2005).
Grace M. Jantzen, Foundations of Violence (Taylor and Francis, 2004).
John Paul Lederach, The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace
(Oxford: Oxford University, 2004).
Mary Elizabeth Moore, “Dynamics of Religious Culture: Theological Wisdom and
Ethical Guidance from Diverse Urban Communities,” International Journal of
Practical Theology, vol. 2 (1998), 240-262. (Reprint distributed)
Mary Elizabeth Moore, “Dynamics of Religious Culture: Ethogenic Method,” in Robert
Jackson, ed., Title not available (in press). (Copy distributed)
Victor Turner, The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure (Transaction Publishers,
1995).
Sharon D. Welch, After Empire: The Art and Ethos of Enduring Peace (Minneapolis:
Augsburg Fortress, 2004)
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Auxiliary Texts
Janet F. Fishburn, ed., People of a Compassionate God (Nashville: Abingdon,
2003).
Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, En La Lucha: In the Struggle (Augsburg Fortress, 1994).
Elaine Lawless, God’s Peculiar People: Women’s Voice and Folk Tradition in a
Pentecostal Church (University Press of Kentucky, 2005).
Elaine Lawless, Holy Women, Wholly Women (University of Pennsylvania, 1994).
Hannah Naveh, ed., Israeli Family and Community: Women’s Time (Portland: Vallentine
Mitchell, 2003).
REQUIREMENTS
The basic requirements of this class are:
(1) Participate fully in the life of the class—This includes the weekly assignments and
formal papers and presentations, as well as the collaborative work that takes place as
you reflect on your readings and projects in seminar discussions and outside of class.
A seminar is most valuable when each member of the learning community
contributes fully to the whole.
(2) Write two critical review papers of class texts, and analyze the dynamics of the
cultures that the authors describe. These papers will not be graded, but they will
contribute to class discussions on the days that you bring them, and the professor will
read and comment on them. You may choose any of the texts that are assigned
between January 30 and March 26; the recommended length for papers is 2-4 typed
pages. You can approach this like a book review in which you describe the author’s
purpose, thesis and method, and then evaluate the contributions and limitations of the
work. In addition, you are asked to analyze and interpret the descriptions and
theoretical constructs of the book regarding the dynamics of religious culture.
(3) Conduct an ethnographic (or empirical) study of a religious community, and present a
seminar paper analyzing the cultural dynamics in that community. Each student is
asked to do a major study of a religious community, including analysis and
interpretation (20-30 pages, typed). A methodology paper will be provided as a
guide for your study, though you may use other methodologies, as fitting to the
purpose and context of your study. In your study, you are asked to spend time in
your chosen community—observing, interviewing, participating, and recording what
you see and hear and touch. Proposals for these studies will be discussed in class on
February 27 (details on class schedule), providing a time to consult with your peers
on your research design. These proposals will not be graded, but the professor will
also read and comment on them. We will also spend time in one other class session
collaborating in the analysis of data. Your major project will be to complete the
analysis and tell the story of this community, informed by your observations and
analysis.
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Note: The seminar papers are due one week before they are discussed in class.
Please send a hard copy to Mary Elizabeth Moore, and send an electronic copy to
class members so everyone can read your paper for discussion in the seminar. Your
paper will be returned with a grade (unless you request that the paper be considered a
first draft and not be graded). You may resubmit the paper if you wish. If you
choose to do so, please submit the final paper by May 5 and include the earlier
marked draft with the revised version.
(4) Respond to your colleagues’ seminar papers by reading their papers carefully,
reflecting with the presenters in class, and writing marginal notes for their benefit
(comments, questions, suggestions).
COMMUNICATION
You are encouraged to meet with the instructor at least once during the semester
to reflect on your seminar project and paper. You are also invited to communicate
whenever you have questions, ideas, or suggestions to discuss. Contact Mary Elizabeth
Moore at mmoore3@emory.edu or by telephone (Office - 404-727-6388 or Home for
“emergencies” – 404-325-8710). You can also make appointments by e-mail.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Jan. 23
INTRODUCTION
Jan. 30
DYNAMICS OF LIFE AND DEATH: Dynamics of Culture
Reading: Jantzen, Foundations of Violence
Respondent: ________________________________________
Snack: _Cynthia
Feb. 6
Dynamics of Ethical Response
Reading: Welch, After Empire: The Art and Ethos of Enduring Peace
Respondent: _Craig
Snack: __Cynthia
Feb. 13
DYNAMICS OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
Readings:
(1) Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore, “Dynamics of Religious Culture:
Theological Wisdom and Ethical Guidance from Diverse Urban
Communities,” International Journal of Practical Theology (pp. 240262).
(2) Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore, “Dynamics of Religious Culture:
Ethogenic Method,” unpublished paper.
(3) Fishburn, People of a Compassionate God, OR Naveh, Israeli Family
and Community: Women’s Time: Read about 60 pages of your choice,
focusing on the textured lives of the communities that these two
collections describe, as well as the theoretical reflections upon them.
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(4) Lawless, Holy Women, Wholly Women (Chapter 1) or a short reading
of your choice from Lawless, God’s Peculiar People: Women’s Voice
and Folk Tradition in a Pentecostal Church
Reflecting: These writings are a combination of descriptive, analytic,
interpretive, and prescriptive, written with particular contemporary
concerns in mind. Reflect on four questions as you read.
Description—What do you know descriptively about the particular
communities and cultures described in these books?
Analysis—What are the major themes and patterns of action and
interaction?
Interpretation—What do you learn about the dynamics of religious
community?
Prescription—What proposals for the future do these authors make? How
have they employed the study of religious communities to develop
these proposals? What proposals are implicit?
Respondent: __Sybrina
Snack: __Craig
Feb. 20
ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODS
Reading: Victor Turner’s Ritual Process, reading entire book.
Reflecting: Reflect on the following questions as you read: What methods
are being employed to study religious cultures? What is the major
purpose of the author, and for what purposes does the author draw
upon the cultural research? What insights do you discover into the
dynamics of religious communities?
Respondent: __Cynthia, Wynetta, and Craig
Snack: __Bethany
IRB Certification: Complete the IRB certification process as described
on the last page of the syllabus.
Feb. 27
INTERPRETATION: CULTURAL THEORY
Reading: Clifford Geertz’s The Interpretation of Cultures—pp.3-54 (Chs.
1-2, which give Geertz’s conceptural perspective on
anthropological study); 87-189; 311-326; and 360-453 (reading
these last two chapters for big ideas)
Reflecting: Reflect on the following questions as you read: What is the
major purpose of the author, and for what purposes does the author
draw upon the cultural research? What insights do you discover
into the dynamics of religious communities, particularly as regards
the development of cultural theory?
Writing: Bring a 2-page proposal for your ethnographic study to class for
dialogue and peer guidance. Please bring 5 copies of your
proposal to class (one for you, one for the instructor, and three for
your consulting group). Include in your proposal: (1) purpose
of the research, (2) community to be studied (with a brief
description), (3) method to be followed, and (4) questions that you
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have regarding the design and conduct of your research.
Respondent: __Sybrina
Snack: __Ashley
Mar. 5
INTERPRETATION: RELIGIO-CULTURAL CRITIQUE AND
CONSTRUCTION
Reading: Cooke, Women Claim Islam: Creating Islamic Feminism
through Literature
Alternative Reading: Isasi-Diaz, En La Lucha: In the Struggle
Reflecting: Ask the following questions of this text, giving particular
emphasis to the final interpretive question. What methods
are being employed to study religious cultures? What is the major
purpose of the author, and for what purposes does the author draw
upon the cultural research? What insights do you discover into the
dynamics of religious communities particularly in relation to the
dynamic interplay of religious communities with larger cultural
movements and oppressive realities? What does the author
contribute to the methods and content of religious and cultural
critique and construction.
Respondent: __Wynetta and Ashley
Snack: __Wynetta
Mar. 12
Spring Break
Mar. 19
DYNAMICS OF PEACEMAKING
Reading: Gopin, Holy War, Holy Peace: How Religion Can Bring Peace
to the Middle East
Respondent: ___Bethany
Snack: __Craig
Mar. 26
Reading: Lederach, The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building
Peace
Respondent: __Bethany, Ashley, and Cynthia
Snack: __Mary Elizabeth
Apr. 2
SEMINAR PAPERS
(P)
___Cynthia
Respondent: ___Craig and Sybrina
Snack: __Sybrina
Apr. 9
SEMINAR PAPERS
(P)
___Craig
(P)
___Bethany
(P)
___Ashley
Respondent: __Cynthia and Wynetta
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Snack: __Mary Elizabeth
Apr. 16
SEMINAR PAPERS
(P)
___Sybrina
(P)
___Wynetta
Respondent: ___Bethany and Ashley
Snack: ___Craig
Apr 23
No Class – Time to work on your papers.
May 4
Final papers due.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR IRB HUMAN SUBJECTS EDUCATION PROGRAM
Go to http://www.citiprogram.org to register for the human subjects education program
and to take the required testing modules.
When you get to the CITI page, click on Register for the CITI Course to get your user
name and password.
On the registration form, use your student ID number for your Emory ID and employee
number. For department, list Candler School of Theology. For course you wish to take,
choose “social and behavioral investigation course only.” Choose “interviewer” for your
role in human research. After submitting your registration information, choose Group 2
on the next page. You can then click on “Basic Course” to begin.
You can study the modules on-line or print them. The quizzes must be taken on-line. You
may retake them until you have learned the material well and have received the requisite
score. The site will keep track of the modules you have completed as well as your scores.
You need to get 80% correct on the quizzes for the required modules.
You do not need to take all of the modules in one sitting. When you leave the site, be sure
to log off. To continue your work on the modules, return to http://www.citiprogram.org.
Below are the modules that you will need to take:
Introduction
History and Ethical Principles
Defining Research with Human Subjects
The Regulation of The Social and Behavioral Sciences
Assessing Risk in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Informed Consent
Privacy and Confidentiality
Conflict of Interest in Research Involving Human Subjects
Emory University
Under the optional modules, you will also need to take:
Informed Consent
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Research With Protected Populations - Vulnerable Subjects: An Overview
Vulnerable Subjects- Research Involving Minors
When you have successfully passed the required modules, you will have the option to
view your completion report. Please print a copy of this completion report and turn it
into the instructors.
If you have any questions or run into any problems throughout the IRB process, feel free
to get in touch with Mary Elizabeth.