The religious heritage of the United States encompasses a fascinating array of wildly diverse traditions– some transplanted from other cultures, others “homegrown.” Religion has in fact played such an important role in shaping American society from its very beginnings that we can’t hope to understand our nation’s history and culture adequately without examining its religious elements. This course offers an introductory survey of religion in America from early Native American traditions to the present. Our central concern will be the relationship between American religion and American culture.

This syllabus was created for the Young Scholars in American Religion program.

T. Paul Thigpen
Author

Southwest Missouri State University
Institution

Public College or University
Institution Type

Syllabus
Resource Type

Undergraduate Course
Class Type

1999
Date Published

Religious Studies
Discipline

Catholic, General Comparative Traditions, Indigenous, Islam, Judaism, New Religious Movements, Other Traditions, Protestant
Religous Tradition

Gender/Women/ Sexuality, Immigration/Refugees, Politics/Law/Government, Popular Culture/Media/Music/Sports, Pluralism/Secularism/Culture Wars, Race/Ethnicity, Nationalism/War/Civil Religion
Topics