Ira Chernus  
PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER

 

SYLLABUS

 

RLST 4030, sec. 002                                                                          Fall, 2006

Topics:                                                                                                Prof. Ira Chernus

American Civil Religions

 

This course will explore the notion of “American Civil Religion” as an academic category, examine the history of that notion and critiques of it, and test that category against a range of historical data, including the discourse of the war on terrorism.   

 

 

Required Readings:

Robert BELLAH, The Broken Covenant, 2nd ed., University of Chicago Press

Marcela CRISTI, From Civil to Political Religion, Wilfred Laurier University Press

Richard T. HUGHES, Myths America Lives By, University of Illinois Press

Ira CHERNUS, Monsters To Destroy, Paradigm Publishers

 

These books are available at the Lefthand Bookstore, 1200 Pearl Street (just east of Broadway, south side of mall, lower level).  They are usually open 10:00-9:00 Monday - Saturday and noon-6:00 Sunday; call 443-8252 to check exact hours. 

They take cash , check, and Visa and Mastercards. 

  

You will find links to all of the other reading in the online syllabus, linked from the course home page: http://www.colorado.edu/ReligiousStudies/chernus/CivilReligions/index.htm   Please rely on the online syllabus rather than this print version. You will probably find it easier, and the syllabus may change during the course.

 

I will have office hours in Humanities 284 on Wednesday 1:00 – 2:00 and at other times by appointment:  chernus@colorado.edu;; 303-492-6169; 720-494-9011

 

I will be glad to make appropriate accommodations for any student with any kind of special needs for enhancing your education.

 

 

 

Schedule of Topics and Reading Assignments: 

 

Sept. 11:  The Classical Theory of American Civil Religion

                       

            BELLAH (whole book) 

 

Sept. 18:  The Theoretical Foundation

 

CRISTI, 1-73

 

Sept. 25:  American Civil Religion and its Critics

 

CRISTI, 55-68, 74-89; Donald Jones, “Civil and Public Religion,” Encyclopedia of American Religious Experience, 1398-1408;

John F. Wilson, "The Shape of the National Covenant," "The Religious Meanings of Community," "Civil Religion as a Revitalization Movement" (from Public Religion in American Culture) James Mathison, “Twenty Years After Bellah,” Sociological Analysis 50 (Summer, 1989), 129-149; Ira Chernus, "Unpublished Fragments"

 

Oct. 2:  American Civil Religion and Multiculturalism, part I

           

            HUGHES, ix-89

 

Oct. 9:  American Civil Religion and Multiculturalism, part II

           

            HUGHES, 91- 195

 

Oct. 16:  American Civil Religion and Multiculturalism, part III

 

N.J. Demerath and Rhys Williams, “Civil Religion in an Uncivil Society,” Annals of the American Academy 480 (July, 1985), 154-166; Rita Kirk Whillock, “Dream Believers: The Unifying Visions and Competing Values of Adherents to American Civil Religion,” Presidential Studies Quarterly 24(2), 1994, 375-388; Ira Chernus, review of “Myths America Lives By”; “Forum: American Civil Religion Revisited,” Religion and American Culture  4(1), 1994, 1-23; Charles Long, “Interpretations of Black Religion in America,” (from Significations), 148-155

 

Oct. 23:  From Civil to Political Religion, Part I

 

CRISTI, 91-163

 

Oct. 30:  From Civil to Political Religion, Part II 

           

CRISTI, 187-242

 

Nov. 6:  American Civil Religion and Twentieth-Century History

 

Enrico Augelli and Craig Murphy, "Gramsci's Understanding of Ideology" and "Elements of Common Sense in America" (from America's Quest for Supremacy and the Third World), 13-29, 35-52; Robert Wuthnow, The Restructuring of American Religion, chapter 10 and chapter 11; C.D.B. Bryan, Friendly Fire, 54-59; Gary Wills, “Original Sinlessness,” (from Reagan’s America), 449-460;

 

Nov. 13:  Neoconservatives and the Religious Right

 

CHERNUS, Introduction and chapters 1 - 6

 

 

Nov. 27:  American Civil Religion and the War on Terrorism

 

Robert Bellah, “Seventy Five Years," South Atlantic Quarterly, February, 2002; CHERNUS, chapters 7 - 14

 

Dec. 4:  Alternatives:  American Civil Religions?

 

CHERNUS, Conclusion;

Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass:  Song of Myself, Song of the Exposition, Song of the Redwood Tree, Song of the Universal, Pioneers! O Pioneers!, With Antecedents, A Broadway Pageant, By Blue Ontario’s Shores, Thou Mother With Thy Equal Brood, Rise O Days from Your Fathomless Deeps, The Centenarian’s Story, Come Up From the Fields Father, Vigil Strange I Kept, Over the Carnage Rose, Spirit Whose Work is Done, Adieu to a Soldier, Turn O Libertad;

 

Dec. 11:  Presentations of Student Research

 

 

 

 

COURSE RESPONSIBILITIES:

 

Everyone is responsible for coming to class well prepared to discuss the reading.

 

The major writing responsibility is a research paper analyzing one manifestation or example of American civil religions in light of some of the theoretical models we study. 

DEADLINES for research project:

OCTOBER 2: research topic approved

OCTOBER 30: preliminary outline and bibliography

NOVEMBER 27: rough draft

DECEMBER 18: final paper due

 

In addition, each student will write two short (appx. 5  page) papers responding to the reading and give class presentations and lead discussion based on those papers.