(Scroll Down for Final Exam)

MIDTERM EXAM

RLST 2400 SUMMER, 2010

Religion and

Contemporary U.S. Society

PLEASE ANSWER ONE (1) OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

(and identify which question you are answering):

A. Do you believe that people living in the United States a hundred years ago, when the traditional U.S. nomos (the traditional "public religion") prevailed, were more or less alienated (as Peter Berger defines that word) than people living in a traditionally religious society (as Berger describes it in the first four chapters of his book)? Or might people in both societies be equally alienated, but in different ways? To answer this question you will have to explain Berger’s concept of alienation and his distinction between religious and secular society. You will also have to give specific examples from the traditional U.S. nomos as we studied it.

B. According to Berger’s theory, every society must deal with the inevitable tension between freedom and alienation, between the “I” and the “me.” In the traditional U.S. nomos (the traditional "public religion") as we have studied it, freedom is a highly prized value. Does this emphasis on freedom mean that the traditional U.S. nomos managed to escape or resolve the tension between freedom and alienation? In other words, is this an example where this central aspect of Berger’s theory does not fit? Or does Berger’s theory about freedom vs. alienation accurately describe the traditional U.S. nomos? Be sure to give specific examples from the traditional U.S. nomos as we studied it to support your answer.

This essay covers material studied through July 15.

It is due by midnight on July 22 (though earlier submissions will be appreciated).

Please email your exam to me in MS Word .doc format: Chernus@colorado.edu

Essays should be about FIVE (5) pages double-spaced.

(OVER)
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING ESSAY EXAMS

As in any other academic course, you are being tested on your ability to understand, organize, synthesize, and think logically about the ideas presented in the course. Therefore, in answering the question, you should show that you have read the assigned readings, attended class, and grasped the main ideas presented in readings and class. On some occasions you may be asked to write about your own personal experiences or feelings. But please remember that your grade is always based on your demonstrated understanding of the course material. Your primary responsibility in every essay is to show what you have learned in this course. The more course material you include in your essay, presented accurately and logically, the better your grade will be.

A good essay is written clearly, concisely, and precisely. It offers a series of general ideas, with each one supported by more specific ideas or evidence, and all the general ideas are arranged in a logical order. Make sure your essay has a clear logical flow of ideas within each paragraph and from one paragraph to the next. If your paragraphs could be rearranged in a different order and make just as much sense, your essay is not yet well organized! A good way to avoid this problem is to make an outline before you write your final draft, so that you can see the organization of your essay clearly. Make every word count, from the very first word; avoid needless introductions and repetitive conclusions. Make every sentence add a new thought or a new way of supporting a main idea.

You should always show that you can express the main ideas of the course in your own words. A good way to do this is to assume that you are writing for someone who knows nothing about the subject; imagine you are writing to a parent, a friend, etc. Do not use lengthy quotations (though you may want to refer to specific pages in the readings in parentheses or footnotes).

It will be to your advantage to discuss the course material as fully as possible with your professor, both in class and outside of class. It makes a lot of sense to discuss the ideas BEFORE you write the essays, though you are also encouraged to discuss the essays after they are returned to you with comments. I will be happy to discuss your exam with you, or go over a preliminary draft, during office hours or at other times by appointment.

THE SAME GUIDELINES WILL APPLY FOR THE FINAL EXAM.

PLEASE SAVE THIS SHEET FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

FINAL EXAM

RLST 2400 SUMMER, 2010

Religion and

Contemporary U.S. Society

Imagine that you have the power to decide what the nomos of the U.S. society will be by the end of the 21^st century. BUT you have only TWO options: A society that is totally postmodern in every way (postmodern in that sense that Gitlin and Jameson explained it); OR a society whose nomos is a synthesis of liberation theology and Spretnak’s holistic spirituality (ecological postmodernism, as she calls it). Which nomos would you choose for U.S. society, and WHY??

In answering the question, be sure that you show a good understanding of all the material we have studied since July 20. You can do that by explaining the two options and the positive and negative qualities of each, as you see them.

The guidelines on the back of the mid-term exam apply to this exam too.

Essays should be about FIVE (5) pages double-spaced.

Essays must be emailed to me by 2 PM on Friday, August 6 -- the drop-dead deadline if you want to receive credit for the course.