Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0140 - American Religious Experience

This course provides an historical overview of the changing religious landscape of the United States from the Puritan Age to the contemporary period through an examination of selected literary and historical representations. We will consider contributions of writers representing a wide range of religious and ethnic communities, as well as such issues as the literary impact of religious values and outlook, biblical texts and traditions, denominational change and conflict, changing conceptions of nature, Native American life-ways, and encounters with traditions of the East. The syllabus for this course is designed with three primary objectives in mind: first, to acquaint students with selected writings, representing various genres, of a range of American writers for whom religious experience, values, and identity have been of crucial concern; second, to chart some of the principal movements of American religious history as they are reflected in these writings; and finally, to provide a sustained opportunity for each student to arrive at his or her own working understanding of the complex and multi-faceted relationship between religious experience and literary expression in the United States at pivotal moments in its history.

Culture, Humanities, and Languages Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research In this course students are expected to spend 8 hours of preparation and work weekly outside of class time.