3/31/2025 5:54:49 AM	RELS 32 Course Outline as of Fall 2025	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  RELS 32	Title:  RELIGION IN AMERICA
Full Title:  Religion in America
Last Reviewed:3/10/2025

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  HUMAN 10.4

Catalog Description:

Students will explore and analyze the history of and interaction among diverse ethnic and cultural groups in the shaping of American religious discourse and institutions and the encounter between secular and religious forces. This course will survey the many multicultural personalities, ideas, and movements of the past 400 years.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL C1000 or equivalent

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

Students will explore and analyze the history of and interaction among diverse ethnic and cultural groups in the shaping of American religious discourse and institutions and the encounter between secular and religious forces. This course will survey the many multicultural personalities, ideas, and movements of the past 400 years.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL C1000 or equivalent
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Fall 1996	Inactive:
Area:	E G	Humanities American Cultures/Ethnic Studies
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	C2	Humanities		Fall 1997
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	3B	Humanities		Fall 1997
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1996	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1996	Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Major Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Identify and analyze the spectrum of American religious culture in its historical development.

2. Compare and contrast the diverse cultural and ethnic roots of religious expression in America.

3. Describe and give examples of the historical, social, and psychological processes that are involved in the creation of new religions.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

 

1. Track and analyze the impact of colonization on both European and indigenous peoples' religious expressions.

2. Describe and distinguish the impact of the institution of slavery on both the Europeans and Africans in America and on their religious expressions and political and cultural development.

3. Describe and appraise the impact of industrialization and immigration in non-Anglo Europeans and their religious expressions.

4. Distinguish and compare the leading and intellectual and scientific claims behind emerging spiritual expression.

5. Explain and appraise the interaction between religious communities and secular political culture in America.

6. Identify and evaluate the major personalities and events which shaped American religious discourse.

7. Examine and appraise the effect of religious enthusiasm in the shaping of such American political discourse and institutions as abortion, Suffrage, Prohibition, Civil Rights, evolution, Scientific Creationism, Intelligent Design, Same-Sex Marriage etc.

8. Probe the variety and rivalry of religious denominations and the restless debates within denominations which led to schism and proliferation in American culture.

9. Investigate and evaluate the emergence of new religions and new religious expression in American society.

10.  List examples of religious institutions and styles of expression from each major historical source of origin and  their cognate traditions.

Topics and Scope

I. Native American Religious Expression

    A. Rituals

    B. Myths

    C. Religious Concepts

    D. Ecological Sustainability

II. Puritanism and Early Colonists

III. The Impact of Colonization on the Religious Expressions of Europeans and Indigenous Peoples

IV. Protestant Denominations such as:

    A. Methodist

    B. Baptist

    C. Presbyterian

    D. Congregationalist

    E. Episcopalian

V. Quakers and Mennonites

VI. Deism and the First Amendment

    A. Jefferson

    B. Paine

    C. Franklin

VII. Slavery and African American Religions such as:

    A. African-Christian Syncretism

    B. African American Christianity

    C. Nation of Islam

VIII. Judaism in the United States

    A. The impact of immigration

    B. The Reform movement

    C. Orthodox and Conservative

    D. Reconstructionism and Zionism

IX.  Catholicism in the United States

    A. Americanism

    B. Nativism & "Know Nothings"

    C. The Catholic Worker

X. Apocalypticism and New American Religions

    A. The Mormons

    B. Christian Science

    C. The Millerite Craze

    D. Jehovah's Witnesses

    E. Seventh-Day Adventists

    F.  Mesmerism

    G. Scientology

XI.   Pentecostal, Holiness Movements, Evangelism and Revivalism

XII.  Politics, Religion, and Social Change

XIII. Humanism & Free Thought

XIV. World Religions in the United States

    A. Buddhism

    B. Islam

    C. Hinduism

    D. Others

XV. American Civil Religion

Assignments:

Assignments:

1. Weekly reading assignments of between 25-50 pages

2. Written assignments, including short essays (2-5) and/or term paper

3. Objective and/or essay exams (2 - 5)

4. Quizzes of objective or short written answer format (4 - 10)

5. Additional assignments, as determined by instructor, may include field trips, interviews, debates, and/or oral presentations

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 30 - 50%
Written assignments, including short essays and/or term paper
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 40 - 70%
Quizzes and exams
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 0 - 10%
Classroom participation, additional assignments (if assigned)

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Religion In America. 9th ed. Corrigan, John and Hudson, Winthrop. Routledge. 2018. (classic).

America's Four Gods: What We Say About God and What That Says About Us.  Froese, Paul and Bader, Christopher. Oxford University Press. 2015. (classic.)

Religion in American Life: A Short History. 2nd ed. Butler, Jon and Wacker, Grant and Balmer, Randall. Oxford University Press. 2011. (classic).

Revive Us Again: The Reawakening Of American Fundamentalism. Carpenter, Joel. Oxford University Press.1999. (classic).

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