History of American Religion

University of Texas at Dallas

12-Week Summer Term 2005

Samuel K. Tullock, Ph.D. History HIST 3364 521

CB1.110 Monday 6-10 p.m.
Office Hours: by appointment E-mail: stullock@ccccd.edu

Course Description
From the founding of Plymouth Bay to the current violent engagements between the
Middle East and the West, religion has played a critical role in the development of the
history of the United States. Indeed, the U.S. remains one of the most pious and
religiously diverse nations in the post-modern world. This course will analyze the
antecedents to American religious movements and the unique contribution the American
experience has made to the development of these movements. The class will take a
chronological and topical approach to this complex topic as it examines the relation
between religion and socio/political trends. Though Protestantism has dominated U.S.
history, the course will examine a broad range of issues outside the Protestant pail. In
addition, the course will give particular attention to the ecclesiastical structures and
doctrines of religious groups.

Texts
Mark Noll. A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada
Karen Armstrong. Islam: A Short History
Nathan Glazer. American Judaism
Various articles the professor will assign from the internet

Class Requirements
Class Attendance and Participation: Students must attend class regularly and
punctually. Class participation constitutes an essential element of this course; indeed,
student involvement forms an integral part of class experience. Therefore, please arrive
at class on time and plan to stay for the entire session. In addition, students must
complete reading assignments prior to class time and come prepared to interact with the
instructor and classmates on the topics of discussion. Dr. Tullock will take roll each
evening.

Papers:
Assignment One : Students must complete a brief paper (five to seven pages) on a
religious movement that relates to American history. In particular, students should focus
their research concerns on a religious tradition other than their own. Part of the research
will involve visiting a place of worship of the group of interest. Papers must include
primary resource research, adequate secondary resources, and, if possible, oral history.
Students should include a small collection of materials related to their research (church
bulletins, statements of faith, informational brochures, etc.) The papers should follow
either Turabian or MLA style and students must turn in the papers no later than class time
(6 p.m.) on June 13. Papers turned in late will receive a stiff reduction in grade. In
particular, the instructor wants students to experience a religious tradition other than their
own. The paper will describe the student’s experience with a religious group and provide
analysis of that experience. Please type (double-space, Times New Roman, ten or twelve
font)) the papers and provide a bibliography of resources used (MLA or Turabian). The
professor will not receive any work by electronic means. (fifty points)

Assignment Two : Students will write a brief paper (five to seven pages) that will provide
a scholarly analysis of a historical monograph. Dr. Tullock will provide a list of suitable
works and a description of the assignment (see handout). The papers should follow the
same guidelines as assignment one, and they are due at class time on July 18. (fifty
points)

Exams: The instructor will give two exams. Each exam will count up to 100 points
toward the final grade for the course. Please consult the class schedule for examination
dates.

Grade Scale:
A: 270-300 points
B: 240-269 points
C: 210-239 points
D: 180-209 points
F: 0-179 points

Cheating and Plagiarizing : These are serious offenses that could gravely damage your
academic record. Cheating will not be tolerated in any form. The instructor will record a
grade of “0” on the assignment for the initial episode of cheating. A second occurrence
of cheating will result in an “F” for the course.

Class Schedule:
Week One: May 16
Introduction of the course
Catholic antecedents to American colonization

Week Two: May 23

The Protestant/Catholic Dynamic
Judaism and Islam in Europe
Read: Noll, Introduction and chapter one
Glazer, chapters one and two
Armstrong, chapter four

May 30: class will not meet

Week Three: June 6

Separatists and Puritans in Old and New England
Other beginnings in the American colonies
Read: Noll, chapters two and three
Week Four: June 13
First Paper Due
Religious pluralism and the First Great Awakening
Religion in the Early National Period
Read: Noll, chapters four, five, and six

Week Five: June 20

“Outsiders” and the emergence of “American” Religion
Read: Noll, chapters seven and eight
Glazer, chapter three

Week Six: June 27

Mid-term Examination

July 4: class will not meet

Week Seven: July 11

The Civil War as “Holy War”
Read: Noll, chapters twelve and thirteen

Week Eight: July 18

Book Evaluation Due
The “Evangelical Consensus”
Read: Noll, chapter eleven and fourteen
Glazer, chapters four and five

Week Nine: July 25

Religious forces that shaped post-World War II America
Read Noll, chapters sixteen and seventeen
Armstrong, chapters four and five
Glazer, chapter six and seven

Week Ten: August 1

Final Examination