From the bountiful religious insights of Native Americans, to the dreams of religious freedom developed by many newcomers to these shores, this course will examine how religions in America have blossomed, migrated, transformed, and developed both in conjunction and in struggle with each other. By studying the religious conflicts and hopes of the peoples of this continent, we will develop critical methodologies for reading and evaluating spiritual and historical ideas, movements and writings. The course will focus on American religious creativity and diversity, with special interest in the interactions of different religions under conditions of cultural adaptation, immigration, oppression, and political-economic circumstances. The syllabus blends chronological history with experiential voices and thematic explorations.
This syllabus was created for the Young Scholars in American Religion program.
Jennifer RycengaAuthor
San Jose State UniversityInstitution
Public College or University Institution Type
Syllabus Resource Type
Undergraduate Course Class Type
1999 Date Published
Religious Studies Discipline
Buddhism, Catholic, General Comparative Traditions, Hinduism, Indigenous, Judaism, Other Christianities, Other Traditions, Protestant Religous Tradition
Gender/Women/ Sexuality, Immigration/Refugees, Pluralism/Secularism/Culture Wars, Race/Ethnicity Topics