TRS 280 – THE RELIGIOUS QUEST
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
WASHINGTON, DC
3 CREDITS – FALL 2012 (NO PRE-REQUISITES)
Professor:
Email:
Phone:
Christopher J. Born, Ph.D.
Born@cua.edu
x5712 (Office)
513.508.4816 (Cell)
Office: Caldwell 427
Hours: M & W, noon – 1:00 PM;
T & Th, anytime or by appointment
Class Time: MWF: 1:10 or 2:10 PM
Teaching Assistants: Catherine Levri (16shultis@cardinalmail.cua.edu)
Michael Stell (71stell@cardinalmail.cua.edu)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Religion matters. After the horrific events of September 11, 2001, there was a substantial
increase in the rate of church attendance across the United States. Before filing out to combat
the regime of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, rebels met at the mosque for evening prayers
during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. A firestorm erupted over Denver Bronco (now Jet)
quarterback Tim Tebow and his professed religious beliefs – and the “Tebowing” phenomenon
which ensued. There was intense debate between and within religious communities after the
HHS required contraception to be covered by religiously-affiliated institutions. With each
presidential inauguration, the president-elect places their hand on the Christian Bible while
swearing to uphold the oath of a constitution that separates the powers of church and state.
Religion is all around us, yet we often overlook the power religious beliefs and sentiments have
for groups and individuals even when going about our daily routines.
TRS280: The Religious Quest attempts to understand the role of religion in human affairs.
The course, in short, is an introduction to the academic study of religion. As with any
introductory course this course will, by its nature, be incomplete; however, we will investigate
the major topics within the study of religion and search for meaning as a human phenomenon.
The course will investigate “religion” as an academic subject and does not propose to evaluate
the veracity or falsity of truth claims proposed by the various religious traditions. Instead, we
will primarily examine the religious phenomenon from the human perspective.
First, any discussion of religion needs to define the term. Once we come to a “working
definition” and classification of what is and is not under the heading “religion,” we can address
the following essential questions:
Is religion a universal human phenomenon? Why and how should religion be studied?
How does the field of religious studies relate to theology and other academic disciplines?
How does religion relate to other aspects of life – such as ethics, salvation, ritual practice,
and hermeneutics? What are the most distinctive features and common dimensions of
religion? How can we best understand religious diversity? How do religion and
(contemporary) society interact with one another?
Our approach to these topics will be historical, analytical, and descriptive. We will approach the
religious phenomenon through a variety of mediums, including literature, film, and music. It is
essential that the student enter this class with an appreciation of a critical analysis of
religion in general and specific religious beliefs and practices, in particular.
Is “coexisting” possible in our world today?
What would it take?
TRS 280 – The Religious Quest
Fall 2012
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OBJECTIVES FOR THE COURSE:
1. To introduce the student to the challenges of defining “religion” as a concept.
2. To expand students’ understanding of the breadth and depth of “the religious quest,”
including the forms religion has taken throughout human history.
3. To initiate students into the field of religious studies by acquainting them with its major
figures and significant methods and approaches of investigation.
4. To demonstrate the central role religion (in all its manifestations) plays in all aspects
of human society and to have the students recognize this fact in current events.
5. To encourage students in the further study of religion, whether through additional courses
within the School of Theology and Religious Studies or through informal, personal
exploration.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Through lectures, reading, discussion, online activities, and writing, at the completion of the
course the student will be able to:
 Demonstrate comprehension of the essential differences between theology and religious
studies including the challenges in defining “religion” as a concept.
 Outline the universal forms of religious experience and expression as found in the
world’s major religious traditions.
 Recall the universal components of a religious worldview and show how the components
are manifested differently within the religious traditions.
 Read and assess the different theories presented in the anthropology, psychology, and
sociology of religion as well as emerging theories (such as rational choice).
 Explain the central importance religion plays in the lives of human beings and the
resulting impact religion has on social institutions.
 Reflect on the history of the “secularization debate” and new theories involving the
sustained levels of religiosity of the United States.
METHODS AND REQUIREMENTS:
 This course will utilize a variety of instructional methods. Interactive lectures (using
“clicker” devices), PowerPoint presentations, videos, discussion groups, online activities,
and other pedagogical tools will be employed during the semester. .
 The student is required to attend all Friday discussion sections as outlined in the course
calendar.
 The students are required to (1) complete the assigned readings, (2) attend the weekly
class meetings, (3) submit questions/comments in response to the readings, (4) participate
in discussion sessions, and (5) complete all other tests and written assignments.
FREEDOM FROM RELIGION
VS.
FREEDOM OF RELIGION
TRS 280 – The Religious Quest
Fall 2012
2
REQUIRED TEXTS/ITEMS
 Livingston, James C. Anatomy of the Sacred: An Introduction to Religion, Sixth
Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2009. (ISBN-13: 978-0-13-600380-9)

Pals, Daniel L. Eight Theories of Religion. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
(ISBN-13: 978-0-19516570-8)

ResponseCard NXT Clicker with Backlight by Turning Technologies (available from the
Bookstore)
In addition to the two books above – which can be purchased or rented from various online sites1
– the student will be responsible for a number of articles and excerpts according to the schedule
below. These additional readings are available through the Blackboard system. The Blackboard
electronic readings can be found online at http://blackboard.cua.edu/. You can login with your
own CUA username and password or as a guest.
The “Clicker” will be used throughout the course for quizzes and polling. The clicker can be
purchased through the bookstore and will be useable throughout your time at CUA. Students
must register their clickers through Blackboard no later than the second class session. Students
are responsible for bringing their clickers to each class period. No loaner clickers will be
provided. Clickers utilized in class and are necessary for students to receive participation grade.
ASSIGNMENTS:
(1) Attendance/Participation/Quizzes: You are expected to attend every class session. If you
cannot make it to a session, please let the instructor or teaching assistants know ahead of
time.
a. Students are expected to come to every class having read the assigned texts in
advance. Students will be involved in the discussion (and called upon) and will
need knowledge of the material to effectively participate.
b. Students are allotted three missed classes without penalty. Thereafter, each
unexcused absence will reduce the attendance and participation mark by one third
of a letter grade. Absences may be excused only according to University
guidelines and with full documentation.
c. There will be short quizzes each Friday. These quizzes will be pulled from the
reading material and presentations in class. The lowest quiz grade will be
dropped. The quizzes will make up a portion of the midterm and final exams.
(2) Activity and Discussion Responses: Each Friday, there are discussion sessions. Each
week, by Friday morning at 9:00 AM, students will submit (via BlackBoard) discussion
responses to the posted questions. There may also be online assignments and the student
can bring the results of their online activities with them to discussion sessions. The
discussion sessions will be focused on the insights of the student responses. Intelligent
and prepared participation in the discussion sessions will be measured and factor into this
component of the grade.
(3) Discussion Lead and Discussion Participation: Each student will take part in assisting in
leading the discussion on a Friday session. Toward the end of the semester, two students
1
Please check textbooks.com, amazon.com, bookfinder.com, or alibris.com for used versions of these books.
TRS 280 – The Religious Quest
Fall 2012
3
per session will asked to come up with material and discussion questions (in addition to
their own responses) to help facilitate the discussion. The material/questions can include
links, videos, art, images, etc. that help highlight the topic being discussed that session.
(4) Team Wiki Project: Students will be broken out into teams of five and they will be tasked
to (1) decide upon a topic relating religion to some aspect of culture (i.e., religion and
politics, religion and civil policy, religion and music, etc.), (2) build a Wiki page
highlighting articles, images, links, etc. relating to their topic, (3) and present their page
to the class. The page is due (and presented on) Monday, October 15.
(5) Mid-term exam: A midterm exam will be given on Friday, October 19. A study guide
will be distributed before the exam which will cover the content and the format of the
exam.
(6) Two short papers (6-8) pages: These papers will give the student the opportunity to show
that they can incorporate the ideas presented in the readings and lectures into a wellcrafted paper. The first paper will be due on Friday, October 26 and will compare two
thinkers addressed in the course. The second paper will be due on Friday, December 20
and utilize themes discussed in class and see how they apply in contemporary American
popular culture. More specifics will be distributed on these papers well before the duedates.
a. With regard to the papers, I will be using http://www.turnitin.com to assist with
editing and grading electronically submitted papers. Another function of the site
checks for plagiarized material in the paper. While I know this will not be an
issue, I do want to inform the students of this process.
(7) Final exam: The scheduling of the final exam can be found here:
http://enrollmentservices.cua.edu/Registration-and-Records/FinalExamScheduleFall2012.cfm.
The final will not be comprehensive. A study guide will be distributed during the
semester.
GRADING:









Reading quizzes (roughly each Friday)
Activities and discussion responses
Discussion lead and participation (including clickers)
Wiki project (group score) (Due Monday, 10/15)
Paper 1 (Due Friday, 10/26)
Midterm (Friday, 10/19)
Paper 2 (Due Friday, 12/7)
Final (not cumulative)
10%
10%
10%
10%
15%
15%
15%
15%
The point scale for this course is equivalent to the University grade system:
A = 95-100
B = 84-87
C = 74-77
A- = 91-94
B- = 81-83
C- = 71-73
B+ = 88-90
C+ = 78-80
D = 65-70
F = 64 and below
LATE WORK:
Late work may be accepted but deductions are up to the discretion of the instructor. If there are
pressing needs for an extension, please inform the instructor some time before the due date.
TRS 280 – The Religious Quest
Fall 2012
4
ACADEMIC HONESTY:
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Please see the university’s policy on academic
honesty at the following website:
http://studentlife.cua.edu/students/stuhbook/pol/academichonesty.htm
Clickers
Students are not permitted to input answers for another students using the clicker system.
Students found with more than one clicker during class will have all clickers in their possession
confiscated and owners will be evaluated for violations of academic integrity. Students involved
with any confiscated clickers will receive a zero for portion of the course.
SPECIAL REQUESTS:
Students with special needs, please let me know as soon as the semester begins so we can
accommodate alternative due dates and possibly testing methods.
IMPORTANT CUA DATES
Friday, 9/7  Last day to drop courses without record
Monday, 10/8  Columbus Day (No Class)
Tuesday, 10/9  “Administrative Monday” - Monday classes meet this day
Friday, 10/12  CUA Midterm (freshmen grades are due)
Friday, 11/9  Last day to withdraw from courses (with a “W”)
Wednesday, 11/21  Thanksgiving (No Class)
Friday, 11/23  Thanksgiving (No Class)
Friday, 12/7  Last day of classes
Monday, 12/10 – Saturday, 12/15  Exams
Wednesday, 12/19  Final grades due
-------------------- Class Schedule ----------------Date
Topic/Leading questions
Assigned reading for the day
PART I: ASSESSING THE LANDSCAPE - RELIGION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN CONTEXT
MON
8/27
WED
8/29
* Class introduction and syllabus overview
None
* Why should we study religion in the first place?
* Are we a “Christian nation”? Why or why not?
* Why should we be “religiously literate” in the
contemporary U.S.?
ALWAYS BRING THE READINGS WITH YOU TO CLASS!!
Check out the activity on BlackBoard due by Friday
morning (8/31) at 9 AM
* Using the ARDA website, what is the religious
composition of your home county? Are you surprised by
this?
* Using the ARDA website, how has the religious
demographics of your county changed over the past 20
years? Why should we familiarize ourselves with this
information?
* We will be reviewing how to use the clickers in class and
the value they provide.
* U.S. Religious Landscape Survey: Summary
of Key Findings, Pew Forum on Religion and
Public Life [Blackboard]
* Stephen Prothero, Introduction, Religious
Literacy [BlackBoard]
* Be sure to check your schedule in Cardinal
Station for time and location of your
discussion session.
* During class, using the “Clickers” from
Turning Technologies (see bookstore), we will
take the Pew Religious Quiz and discuss the
results.
* We will also discuss the religious
compositions of you home counties. Bring this
information with you to class.
FRI
8/31
TRS 280 – The Religious Quest
Fall 2012
5
MON
9/3
WED
9/5
FRI
9/7
MON
9/10
WED
9/12
FRI
9/14
MON
9/17
WED
9/19
No class: Labor Day
* Defining religion (part 1) – how should we define the term
“religion”? What can and cannot be considered “religion”
based on our definitions?
* Can Macintosh devotion seriously be considered a
religion?
* What about sports? Can sports, somehow, be considered a
religion? Why or why not?
Response to prompt on BlackBoard due by 9 AM, 9/7:
*Think about how you would define religion. What do you
think should be included in a definition? By the deadline,
submit your definition of religion. Think through this
exercise before Rattling something off.
* We will then compare your own definitions to other
definitions of religion in the field. We will vote on the
“best” definitions as we move forward.
* After discussing religion and sports, Mac devotion, and
debating definitions of “religion” as a term, we will turn to
the topic of “civil religion” in the United States. Does it
exist?
* Can sports serve as transmitters of this notion? What
about post-9/11?
* What are examples of civil religion you have found in
your own American experience? Think of the Super Bowl
festivities or Major League Baseball opening days – can
these American rituals be transmitters of American civil
religion? How so? What about other holidays?
* What does it mean to be “religious” versus being “moral”?
* How do you define being religious? Which character in
the short story is the most “religious”? Why? Be sure to
reference back to your own definition.
* Can we be good and moral without the threat of heaven?
Can we be good without God? What is the difference
between being religious and being moral?
* Pui-Yan Lam, “May the Force of the
Operating System be With You: Macintosh
Devotion as Implicit Religion,” Sociology of
Religion 62, no. 2 (2001): 243-262.
[BlackBoard]
* Michael Novak, excerpt from The Joy of
Sports [BlackBoard]
* There is no reading assigned for this day, but
it will be assigned for after class. We will
cover Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 1:
What is Religion?” during class.
* During class we will break into groups of 5
for the “Religion in the News” Wiki Project.
Think about potential topics for this project:
“religion and…”
* Robert Bellah, “Civil Religion in America”
[Blackboard]
* Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to
Find” [BlackBoard]
* Tinder, The Atlantic, Can We Be Good
without God? [BlackBoard]
* E.J. Dionne, Washington Post commentary
Response to prompt on BlackBoard due by 9 AM, 9/14.
* Who defines who is “in” or “out” of a religious group?
[BlackBoard]
Can you be part of a religious group while not adhering to
* Freedom from Religion advertisement
key teachings?
[BlackBoard]
* How much can one dissent from a religious group before
* Newsweek article on Melinda Gates
they cross over into no longer being a member?
[BlackBoard]
* What is the importance of boundary maintenance for
religious groups?
PART II: STUDYING THE RELIGIOUS PHENOMENA – HISTORICAL APPROACHES AND PITFALLS
* Introducing the methods of studying religion.
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 2: Ways of
* Benefits and drawbacks of approaching religion through
Studying Religion”
other disciplines
* Begin reading Eight Theories, Introduction
* What “lens” do you bring to studying religion?
and Chapter 1: Animism and Magic
* Anthropological approach to the study of religion: Tylor
and Frazer.
TRS 280 – The Religious Quest
* Finish reading Eight Theories, Introduction
and Chapter 1: Animism and Magic
Fall 2012
6
Response to prompt on BlackBoard due by 9 AM, 9/21.
* What is your opinion: in order to comment on a religious
group, does one need to be an involved member of that
group?
* What are the advantages/disadvantages to standing
“outside” your subject of inquiry?
* In your opinion, does the university experience downplay
the differences among the religions…and squash them all
into a single “appropriate and tolerable Christianity” (184)?
* Psychological approach to the study of religion, Part I:
Freud.
* How does Freud define religion? What are the
implications of his definition?
* Psychological approach to the study of religion, Part II:
James
* What is a conversion experience according to James? Can
you think of any historical (or biblical) examples?
Response to prompt on BlackBoard due by 9 AM, 9/28.
* Are religious people healthier than non-religious people?
Why or why not? And “healthier” in what way?
* What, in your opinion, is the link between religion and
psychology in the modern context?
* Economics and power in religion: Marx and Nietzsche
* Robert A. Orsi, “Snakes Alive: Religious
Studies between Heaven and Earth,” Between
Heaven and Earth: The Religious Worlds
People Make and the Scholars Who Study
Them, 177-204. [BlackBoard]
* Videos where the perspective is at issue.
WED
10/3
* Sociological approach to the study of religion, Part I:
Durkheim
* Eight Theories of Religion, “Chapter 3 –
Society as Sacred: Emile Durkheim” pp. 8586; 88-90; 95-114.
FRI
10/5
Response to prompt on BlackBoard due by 9 AM, 10/5.
* Specific prompts will be posted on BlackBoard as more
stories develop over time between these two topics.
* Religion and Politics: What are the links between the two?
Can religion be used as a predictor of voting patterns? Or is
it more complicated.
* What role, if any, has your religious faith had in your
support of political issues and candidates? Do you think that
religions institutions should involve themselves in political
issues and races for certain offices?
* Does the religious identification of a political candidate
have an impact on your likelihood to vote for them?
Specifically, would you vote for an atheist? Please explain
why or why not.
No Class  Administrative Monday
* Lyman A. Kellstedt, “Religion, the
Neglected Variable: An Agenda for Future
Research on Religion and Political Behavior.”
In Rediscovering the Religious Factor in
American Politics [BlackBoard] or other
reading.
Administrative Monday
* Sociological approach to religion, Part II: Peter Berger
* What does it mean to say that “everything happens for a
reason”?
* How do societies pass on religious ideals from one
generation to the next? Why is this important?
* Peter Berger, The Sacred Canopy, “Chapter
1: Religion and World Construction”
[Blackboard]
FRI
9/21
MON
9/24
WED
9/26
FRI
9/28
MON
10/1
MON
10/8
TUES
10/9
TRS 280 – The Religious Quest
* Eight Theories, “Chapter 2 – Religion and
Personality: Sigmund Freud,” pp. 53-61; 6472; 75-81.
* Excerpt from William James, Varieties of
Religious Experience [BlackBoard]
* TBD – article(s) on the link between religion
and psychological (and physical) well-being?
* Eight Theories, “Chapter 4 – Religion as
Alienation: Karl Marx,” pp. 118-119; 123-145.
* Friedrich Nietzsche, selections [Blackboard]
Fall 2012
7
WED
10/10
* Sociological approach, Part III (Berger)
* How important is it to make events in our lives
“meaningful”?
* How would Berger respond to the phrase “things happen
for a reason”?
FRI
10/12
Response to prompt on BlackBoard due by 9 AM, 10/12.
* Prompts to be posted on BlackBoard
* What do you consider to be sacred space? Why is it “Set
apart” – how is it treated differently?
MON
10/15
WED
10/17
FRI
10/19
MON
10/22
* Peter Berger, The Sacred Canopy, “Chapter
2: Religion and World Maintenance”
[Blackboard]
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 3: The
Sacred and the Holy.”
* Eight Theories of Religion, “Chapter 6 – The
Reality of the Sacred: Mircea Eliade,” pp. 196206; 220-226.
WIKI PROJECTS ARE DUE
* Each group will present their project for 5-6 minutes to the class.
* Rational Choice Theory and the economic study of
* Rodney Stark, “Economics of Religion,”
religion: Stark, Finke, and Iannaccone
Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion
[BlackBoard]
MIDTERM EXAM
PART III: COMPONENTS AND FORMS OF THE RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
* Universal forms of religious expression and experience
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 4: Sacred
(Sacred/Holy and Symbol, Myth and Doctrine)
Symbol, Myth, and Doctrine.”
FRI
10/26
* Universal forms of religious expression and experience
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 6: Sacred
(Sacred Scripture)
Scripture.”
* Introduction to hermeneutics
* Genesis I and Genesis II [Blackboard]
PAPER #1 DUE
* In –class viewing of Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers (1988)
MON
10/29
* Universal forms of religious expression and experience
(Society and the Sacred)
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 7: Society
and the Sacred.”
WED
10/31
* Society and Sacred in action: Popular Churches
“The significance here is not that the popular ‘churches’ are
unlike anything ever seen, but rather that they are consistent
with social patterns for relocating the religious impulse.”
* 44% of people polled no longer adhere to the religion they
were raised in as a child. Also, more and more and more
people are developing their own personal spirituality – being
“spiritual but no religious.” At the same time, people
continue to belong to various communities. What does this
article say about the need to “belong” to something? Do you
feel the need to “belong” to something? In your opinion,
why do you feel this way? Other than explicitly religious
communities, what other communities do you belong to that
satisfy some of the same needs/wants historically reserved
for religious organizations?
* What is the role of collective experiences and rituals in
building up these communities? Have you participated in
rituals that utilize the notions of “liminality” and
“communitas” (page 265)?
* Julie J. Ingersoll, “The Thin Line between
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning: Meaning
and Community among Jimmy Buffett’s
Parrotheads” from God in the Details:
American Religion in Popular Culture.
[BlackBoard]
* Also, there are some Buffett songs uploaded
in the "Course Readings" folder to listen to...if
you so choose.
WED
10/24
TRS 280 – The Religious Quest
Fall 2012
8
FRI
11/2
No class.
MON
11/5
WED
11/7
FRI
11/9
MON
11/12
* Universal components of a religious worldview (Deity):
What is the nature of divine and its role in human affairs?
* Universal components of a religious world view (Human
Problem): Why are we here and why do we have to suffer?
Response to prompt on BlackBoard due by 9 AM, 11/9.
* Is the use of religion in The Simpsons and South Park
offensive or is it merely reflective of how religion functions
in peoples’ lives…taken to the extreme.
* What other examples are there in pop-culture utilize
religious themes? What does this say about us as a nation?
* Universal components II (Cosmogony): How did the
world come into being? Why does this matter?
WED
11/14
* Universal components IV (Theodicy): Why do bad things
happen to good people?
FRI
11/16
Response to prompt on BlackBoard due by 9 AM, 11/16.
Prompt will be posted on BlackBoard.
* How do we use religion to deal with difficulties in life? Is
it a crutch or effective means of dealing with issues?
* How have you dealt with tragedy/challenges in your own
life? Do you see yourself using any particular theodicy in
making tragic events meaningful?
* Universal components IV (Ethics): What would you do?
MON
11/19
At some point during the semester, students
need to watch three documentaries and respond
to the prompt question after viewing all three.
They are all available online through
BlackBoard.
 Devil’s Playground
 Religulous
 Jesus Camp
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 8: Deity.”
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 10: Views
of the Human Problem.”
* Mazur and McCarthy,
“Homer the Heretic and Charlie Church:
Parody, Pietism, and Pluralism in The
Simpsons.” [BlackBoard]
* View The Simpsons Episode where Bart and
Homer almost convert to Catholicism
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 9:
Cosmogony.”
* From the Church of the Flying Spaghetti
Monster, “An Open Letter to the Kansas
School Board” [Blackboard]
* In addition to reading the “Open Letter,” go
to http://www.creationmuseum.org/ to see the
other side of the argument.
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 11:
Theodicy.”
* Excerpts from the Book of Job: Chapters 110 and 38-42. [BlackBoard]
* Excerpts from Why Bad Things Happen to
Good People [BlackBoard]
* Excerpt from Night [BlackBoard]
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 12: Ethics.”
* View Mother Night (available online)
WED
11/21
FRI
11/23
MON
11/26
No Class  Happy Thanksgiving!
* Universal components VI (Soteriology): How do we get
into heaven?
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 13:
Soteriology.”
WED
11/28
*Inter-religious relations: How do others get into heaven?
* How should one approach religious claims that do not fit
with one’s own?
* Which theological model (outlined by Jones) best fits your
own understanding of the many religions in the world
* Charles B. Jones, The View From Mars Hill,
“Chapter 5: Current Theological Models.”
[Blackboard]
No Class  Happy Thanksgiving!
TRS 280 – The Religious Quest
Fall 2012
9
FRI
11/30
Response to prompt on BlackBoard due by 9 AM, 11/9.
* Conversion dynamics: How do people switch religions?
MON
12/3
WED
12/5
Secularization? Where is religion headed in the future?
FRI
12/7
“Culture wars” and religion and the state
* What should be the relationship between the religion and
the state?
* Do you perceive a “culture war” in the United States?
How so?
* Do you want the leaders of the U.S. to be religious? To
what extent? Why or why not?
Paper #2 Due
* Rodney Stark, The Rise of Early Christianity,
“Chapter 1: Conversion and Christian
Growth.” [Blackboard]
* Watch episode of Boy Meets World and
ensuing discussion.
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 14:
Secularization.”
* Anatomy of the Sacred, “Chapter 15:
Contemporary Challenges to Traditional
Religion.”
Final Exam Week: Monday 12/10 – Saturday, 12/15
TRS 280 – The Religious Quest
Fall 2012
10