Midterm Exam - Thursday, March 12

Your midterm examination will be next Thursday, March 12, in class. You will be randomly assigned two of the following four essay questions:

1. Why is religion such a powerful force in social and political life? (In your answer, use at least two of the sociological accounts of religion we examined this semester.)
2. In what ways are religious interests like other kinds of interests (business, consumer, environmental, etc.)? In what ways are they different?
3. What are the different approaches to church/state separation in American political life? What makes the U.S. case so distinctive?
4. What distinguishes religious fundamentalism from other kinds of religious groups, sects, or organizations?