This course traces how conceptions of “religion” and “the state” changed in the United States from the turn of the twentieth century to the dawn of a new millennium.
Throughout the twentieth century, the state was a critical arbiter over what constituted religion and religious practice in the United States. Molded by evolving notions of race, ethnicity, gender, the family, citizenship, and social inclusion, a variety of communities and institutions have strained against state perceptions of their practices and beliefs. This course traces such contestations from the turn of the twentieth century through the dawn of the new millennium. Case studies such as the Moorish Science Temple, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the Nation of Islam, among others, will guide our conversation on changing definitions of “religion” and “the state” in the U.S.
Course History
Fall 2014: Dr. Rachel McBride Lindsey
Fall 2015: Dr. Rachel McBride Lindsey
Spring 2017: Profs. Leigh Eric Schmidt and Mark Valeri
Spring 2018: Prof. Leigh Eric Schmidt and Dr. Gene Zubovich
Spring 2019: Profs. Lerone Martin and Leigh Eric Schmidt
