For Tuesday, read Emmanuel Sivan's "The Enclave Culture," which I handed out in class. (This reading, like the last one, is also part of the Fundamentalisms Comprehended book by Marty and Appleby, on reserve in the library.)
Remember that you are required to submit at least a second summary by the mid-term exam, which is coming up soon.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Assignment for Thursday, 2/26
(Remember that we're moving things around in the syllabus.) For Thursday, read the excerpt (402-414) from "Fundamentalism: Genus and Species," by Almond, Sivan, and Appleby, that I handed out in class. (The reading, part of the Fundamentalisms Comprehended book by Marty and Appleby, is also on reserve in the library.)
For those of you who haven't yet written summaries, this is your FINAL CHANCE to write and submit a summary for February (as required by the syllabus).
For those of you who haven't yet written summaries, this is your FINAL CHANCE to write and submit a summary for February (as required by the syllabus).
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Assignment for Tuesday, 2/24
PLEASE NOTE that we are departing from the syllabus a bit. So for next Tuesday, read Chapter 3 in Wald & Calhoun-Brown, "Religion and American Political Culture." Feel free to submit a summary.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Assignment for Thursday, 2/19
For Thursday, read Chapter 4 in Wald & Calhoun-Brown, "Religion and the State." You may submit a summary on turnitin.com as usual.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Assignment for Tuesday, 2/17
For next week, continue on in Wald & Calhoun-Brown and read chapter 6, "Religion and Political Action." As usual, you can submit your summaries on the turnitin.com website if you'd like. (Remember that you need to submit one summary by the end of the month, and a second by the midterm.)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Assignment for Thursday, 2/12
For Thursday, please read Chapter 5 in Wald & Calhoun-Brown, "Mobilizing Religious Interests." Feel free to summarize (summaries can be uploaded on turnitin.com).
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Assignment for Tuesday, 2/10
For Tuesday, read Chapter 1 in Wald & Calhoun-Brown, "A Secular Society." You are welcome (and encouraged) to write a summary for this assignment. Summaries must be uploaded onto the Turnitin website by the start of class on Tuesday.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sample Summary #2
Lauren Conrad PS 106
9/26/08 Summary # 2
Power & Choice: An Introduction to Political Science, chapter 2, by W. Phillips Shively
In chapter 2 of Power & Choice, author W. Phillips Shively defines and categorizes the ideas that shape our political viewpoints, called ideologies. According to Shively, ideologies are defined as a related group of ideas about politics that support one another. Ideologies can be used for two main purposes. From a personal standpoint, ideologies help an individual identify and compartmentalize various opinions within the political environment around them. Second, ideologies can be used in public with the intent of persuading another that our political views are what is best for society. This public usage of an ideology works best if it is defended impersonally as Shively explains that personal motives are not valid within a political argument. For example, a person advocating free college tuition cannot validate his position by simply stating that he himself is poor. On the other hand, this person’s argument can be defended ideologically through asserting that by eliminating college costs, citizens have the opportunity to cultivate skills that can maximize their contributions to society.
Shively proceeds to categorize the many global ideologies into three main groups: Liberalism, Conservatism, and Socialism/Communism. These political viewpoints emerged from the dominant social system of Feudalism, the hierarchical political structure existing in Europe during the middle ages in which people and land where bound to one another based on social status. The social depravity of the time, coupled with the industrial explosion of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth century, caused people the restructuring of society and politics into these main ideological perspectives.
According to Shively, liberalism holds the idea that the chief ideal in society is the ability of its citizens to develop as individuals to their maximum capabilities. This objective, according to liberalists, can only be achieved through personal responsibility and choice, with the least governmental interference as possible. The American colonists that broke away from England during the seventeen century can exemplify this political perspective.
Conservatism contrasts significantly to this point of view. Where liberals believe in individual responsibility and choice, conservatives hold that society is best served if the interests of the group as a whole are maintained through governmental authority, instead of individual pursuits. This objective, according to conservatives, is facilitated best through government involvement and a shared sense of community values. Conservatives hold authority as the main factor in society as they are responsible for the advancement of the entire community.
Socialism/Communism originally developed to appeal to the displaced working class during the nineteenth century. Socialists agreed with the liberal sentiment that all people are politically equal, but felt that government should be involved in the worker’s lives in terms of providing services to humanize their working conditions, which were not the most agreeable in nineteenth century Europe. Shively highlights Karl Marx as the pioneer of this political ideology.
Communism is a more radical form of the socialist ideology in that communists see the objective of socialism only being attainable through revolution, by any means necessary. This caused a rift in the early twentieth century as the revolutionist set up communist parties, whereas the more democratic socialists established a more diplomatic and less extreme organizations.
9/26/08 Summary # 2
Power & Choice: An Introduction to Political Science, chapter 2, by W. Phillips Shively
In chapter 2 of Power & Choice, author W. Phillips Shively defines and categorizes the ideas that shape our political viewpoints, called ideologies. According to Shively, ideologies are defined as a related group of ideas about politics that support one another. Ideologies can be used for two main purposes. From a personal standpoint, ideologies help an individual identify and compartmentalize various opinions within the political environment around them. Second, ideologies can be used in public with the intent of persuading another that our political views are what is best for society. This public usage of an ideology works best if it is defended impersonally as Shively explains that personal motives are not valid within a political argument. For example, a person advocating free college tuition cannot validate his position by simply stating that he himself is poor. On the other hand, this person’s argument can be defended ideologically through asserting that by eliminating college costs, citizens have the opportunity to cultivate skills that can maximize their contributions to society.
Shively proceeds to categorize the many global ideologies into three main groups: Liberalism, Conservatism, and Socialism/Communism. These political viewpoints emerged from the dominant social system of Feudalism, the hierarchical political structure existing in Europe during the middle ages in which people and land where bound to one another based on social status. The social depravity of the time, coupled with the industrial explosion of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth century, caused people the restructuring of society and politics into these main ideological perspectives.
According to Shively, liberalism holds the idea that the chief ideal in society is the ability of its citizens to develop as individuals to their maximum capabilities. This objective, according to liberalists, can only be achieved through personal responsibility and choice, with the least governmental interference as possible. The American colonists that broke away from England during the seventeen century can exemplify this political perspective.
Conservatism contrasts significantly to this point of view. Where liberals believe in individual responsibility and choice, conservatives hold that society is best served if the interests of the group as a whole are maintained through governmental authority, instead of individual pursuits. This objective, according to conservatives, is facilitated best through government involvement and a shared sense of community values. Conservatives hold authority as the main factor in society as they are responsible for the advancement of the entire community.
Socialism/Communism originally developed to appeal to the displaced working class during the nineteenth century. Socialists agreed with the liberal sentiment that all people are politically equal, but felt that government should be involved in the worker’s lives in terms of providing services to humanize their working conditions, which were not the most agreeable in nineteenth century Europe. Shively highlights Karl Marx as the pioneer of this political ideology.
Communism is a more radical form of the socialist ideology in that communists see the objective of socialism only being attainable through revolution, by any means necessary. This caused a rift in the early twentieth century as the revolutionist set up communist parties, whereas the more democratic socialists established a more diplomatic and less extreme organizations.
Sample Summary #1
Heidi Montag PS 106 01
December 4, 2008 Summary # 7
In chapter eighteen of Power and Choice Shively takes a closer look at global politics. Global politics refers to the interactions between multiple states. The choices that these groups make, especially in terms of power, affect their interactions and also events that occur on a global scale. Global politics has always loosely followed this definition, but as a whole these political interactions have changed dramatically since the end of World War II.
Before World War II, Europe held the majority of the world’s power. As the twentieth century began to approach, Europe was gradually becoming over exhausted and began to weaken. This allowed for the Soviet Union and the United States to emerge as important world powers. As Europe began to grow less important, the United States and the Soviet Union became a bipolar system, governing large portions of political power. When tensions arose between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, this bipolar system began to create a problem. This eventually gave way to a Cold War, where no physical fighting ensued. Nuclear weapons became a central focus of this war, making it impossible for either side to make significant progress.
Another significant change that occurred around this time period was the growing importance of the third world in international politics. While individually the states that make up the third world are not very strong, when they come together they hold significant weight on a global scale. Since the Cold War the tension that has arisen between the developed world and the third world has created further issues. While these problems have complicated global interactions, a few changes have taken place that has lessened hostility on a global scale. International politics has expanded because a larger group of states has begun to hold weight. Also, states have become more dependent on one another. Open markets have allowed individuals to see similarities across state lines. Another improvement has been the recent attempt to create a law that allows for international enforcement across boundary lines.
While similarities can be drawn between politics in a state and politics across state lines, there are also significant differences between the two. One noticeable difference between the two is that there is no form of central authority in international politics. This makes settling problems between states particularly difficult. A lack of central authority allows for an unequal balance of power between larger and smaller states. Not having a central authority also forces leaders to have a better grasp on their morals, since there isn’t very much standing in between them and corruption. International politics can also face problems when it comes to leaders of different states communicating with one another. Quite a bit of information can be lost in translation and cultural differences can also make communication difficult.
As mentioned earlier, more than anything international politics is swayed by those who have the most power. The power of a state is often determined by how strong their military is, their overall population, their economic power, their geography and their leaders. While power effects the larger international decisions made, on a day to day basis not everything is based on power. Smaller decisions are made through the use of consulates. An ambassador from each state also helps to make decisions. While the international system may not have a central form of authority, international sanctions can be used to punish a state. If issues between states become extremely serious and non-negotiable then war is also an option.
December 4, 2008 Summary # 7
Chapter 18: Global Politics
W. Phillips Shively
W. Phillips Shively
In chapter eighteen of Power and Choice Shively takes a closer look at global politics. Global politics refers to the interactions between multiple states. The choices that these groups make, especially in terms of power, affect their interactions and also events that occur on a global scale. Global politics has always loosely followed this definition, but as a whole these political interactions have changed dramatically since the end of World War II.
Before World War II, Europe held the majority of the world’s power. As the twentieth century began to approach, Europe was gradually becoming over exhausted and began to weaken. This allowed for the Soviet Union and the United States to emerge as important world powers. As Europe began to grow less important, the United States and the Soviet Union became a bipolar system, governing large portions of political power. When tensions arose between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, this bipolar system began to create a problem. This eventually gave way to a Cold War, where no physical fighting ensued. Nuclear weapons became a central focus of this war, making it impossible for either side to make significant progress.
Another significant change that occurred around this time period was the growing importance of the third world in international politics. While individually the states that make up the third world are not very strong, when they come together they hold significant weight on a global scale. Since the Cold War the tension that has arisen between the developed world and the third world has created further issues. While these problems have complicated global interactions, a few changes have taken place that has lessened hostility on a global scale. International politics has expanded because a larger group of states has begun to hold weight. Also, states have become more dependent on one another. Open markets have allowed individuals to see similarities across state lines. Another improvement has been the recent attempt to create a law that allows for international enforcement across boundary lines.
While similarities can be drawn between politics in a state and politics across state lines, there are also significant differences between the two. One noticeable difference between the two is that there is no form of central authority in international politics. This makes settling problems between states particularly difficult. A lack of central authority allows for an unequal balance of power between larger and smaller states. Not having a central authority also forces leaders to have a better grasp on their morals, since there isn’t very much standing in between them and corruption. International politics can also face problems when it comes to leaders of different states communicating with one another. Quite a bit of information can be lost in translation and cultural differences can also make communication difficult.
As mentioned earlier, more than anything international politics is swayed by those who have the most power. The power of a state is often determined by how strong their military is, their overall population, their economic power, their geography and their leaders. While power effects the larger international decisions made, on a day to day basis not everything is based on power. Smaller decisions are made through the use of consulates. An ambassador from each state also helps to make decisions. While the international system may not have a central form of authority, international sanctions can be used to punish a state. If issues between states become extremely serious and non-negotiable then war is also an option.
Summary Guidelines
One of your course requirements is to write and submit a certain number of summaries of reading assignments (see syllabus for exact number and any specific deadlines). Below are some guidelines for writing these summaries.
Purpose: Summaries have at least two purposes. First, they are part of your participation grade because they help to prevent you from falling behind in your reading assignments. When students experience time pressures, reading assignments are some of the first things to be abandoned. Yet if you write regular summaries, you are more likely to contribute to class discussion and less likely to be unprepared for exams or paper assignments. (Good summaries can be helpful study aids.)
Second, summaries help you focus on the main points of an assigned reading. You cannot write an accurate summary unless you make careful choices about what is important or central in a text. This includes filtering out material that is not essential; as noted below, summaries can be too long as well as too short.
How to Write a Successful Summary:
-- A summary should be approximately one, and certainly no more than two, double-spaced, typed pages with 1” margins. (Summaries that are significantly shorter than one page, or more than two, may be returned for no credit.)
-- Summaries must be submitted electronically, using the Turnitin website, before the start of the class period in which the reading will be discussed. If multiple readings are assigned for a class period, you may choose which reading to summarize; however, only one summary may be submitted per class. If you are absent, you may still submit a summary for credit. No late summaries will be accepted for any reason.
-- All summaries should have a heading using the same, single-spaced format. In the top left, put your name and date. In the top right, put the course number and which number summary it is, e.g., Summary #5. (This assures that your count and mine are the same.) On the third line indicate the reading you are summarizing, listing title and author. (See sample summary for a heading example.)
-- In the body of the summary:
Grading: Summaries are not evaluated with letter grades. Either a summary is acceptable, or it is not. As suggested above, failure to follow the above guidelines may lead me to return a summary without credit. I will likely consider a summary unacceptable if it:
We will spend some time in class going over these guidelines. I encourage you to SUBMIT YOUR SUMMARIES EARLY; do not run out of time to complete the required number.
Purpose: Summaries have at least two purposes. First, they are part of your participation grade because they help to prevent you from falling behind in your reading assignments. When students experience time pressures, reading assignments are some of the first things to be abandoned. Yet if you write regular summaries, you are more likely to contribute to class discussion and less likely to be unprepared for exams or paper assignments. (Good summaries can be helpful study aids.)
Second, summaries help you focus on the main points of an assigned reading. You cannot write an accurate summary unless you make careful choices about what is important or central in a text. This includes filtering out material that is not essential; as noted below, summaries can be too long as well as too short.
How to Write a Successful Summary:
-- A summary should be approximately one, and certainly no more than two, double-spaced, typed pages with 1” margins. (Summaries that are significantly shorter than one page, or more than two, may be returned for no credit.)
-- Summaries must be submitted electronically, using the Turnitin website, before the start of the class period in which the reading will be discussed. If multiple readings are assigned for a class period, you may choose which reading to summarize; however, only one summary may be submitted per class. If you are absent, you may still submit a summary for credit. No late summaries will be accepted for any reason.
-- All summaries should have a heading using the same, single-spaced format. In the top left, put your name and date. In the top right, put the course number and which number summary it is, e.g., Summary #5. (This assures that your count and mine are the same.) On the third line indicate the reading you are summarizing, listing title and author. (See sample summary for a heading example.)
-- In the body of the summary:
- Restate the author’s main points in the order they have been presented. A summary is not simply a compilation of random notes. Your task is to present the author’s argument and key evidence. It may help to use the first sentence or two to briefly summarize the overall argument.
- Identify the author’s argument, not your view on the subject. Although you are not prohibited from including your reaction to what you read, the point of the summary is to restate the author’s key points. If you devote too much space to your view and too little to the text, you can expect me return the summary without credit.
- Put the author’s main points in your own words. You may NOT quote from the reading in these summaries.
- Divide your summary into paragraphs, one for each of the author’s key points. (Failure to divide a summary into paragraphs is a warning sign that you have not followed the structure of the author’s argument.) When a text contains headings, you can often use these as a guide in organizing your summary, with (generally) one summary paragraph per heading.
- Summarize the entire argument, and not just the first few pages. Summaries that cover only part of the assigned reading will be returned without credit. (Again, summaries in most cases should only cover ONE text, even if more than one reading is assigned for a particular class.)
Grading: Summaries are not evaluated with letter grades. Either a summary is acceptable, or it is not. As suggested above, failure to follow the above guidelines may lead me to return a summary without credit. I will likely consider a summary unacceptable if it:
- Is too short (only half a page);
- Is too long (over two pages);
- Only covers a small part of the reading;
- Devotes a considerable amount of space to your views instead of the author’s;
- Presents the author’s words, not yours;
- Violates these guidelines in any other way.
We will spend some time in class going over these guidelines. I encourage you to SUBMIT YOUR SUMMARIES EARLY; do not run out of time to complete the required number.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Assignment for Thursday, February 5
For Thursday, read the handout I provided in class - the section on "Classical Sociological Definitions of Religion." I will leave extra copies on my desk for anyone who missed class on Tuesday.
Do NOT summarize this reading - I will go over summary guidelines on Thursday.
Do NOT summarize this reading - I will go over summary guidelines on Thursday.
Syllabus
Course Description
A foreign paramilitary organization, motivated in part by religious beliefs, destroyed the World Trade Center as a response to American foreign policy. The Christian Right, we are warned, is a movement dominated by theocrats who wish to govern the United States while guided by Biblical principles. Orthodox Jewish settlers push further into Israeli-occupied territory in Palestine, further unsettling a Middle East seemingly dominated by millennia-old religious vendettas. Religion and politics clearly have something to do with each other; in many cases, their interactions have crucial effects on political outcomes.
For much of the last century, despite the growing evidence that religion continued to affect politics and vice versa, many social scientists pretended that the two actually were growing apart. Thanks to recent events and the efforts of a few committed scholars, the study of religion and politics is now a growing subfield of political science. Scholars can no longer ignore religion’s important consequences for political outcomes, both in the United States and across the globe.
In this class, we’ll look at the ways in which religion and politics interact. We will focus somewhat on the contemporary United States—mainly due to the instructor’s expertise—but will also look to examples from other contexts and countries. After an overview of some important definitions and concepts from the study of religion and politics, we will examine “conservative” and “liberal” religion (with these terms used loosely), ranging from liberal social movements like civil rights to the religious fundamentalists found in all major religions. Next we will investigate religious doctrines of war and peace, and also examine challenges to religion’s role in politics offered by atheists and other critics. We will also include an examination of selected, contemporary public policy issues that have a religious dimension, such as abortion and marriage equality; these latter topics likely will provide the basis for student research papers. By the end of the course, we should have a better understanding of how religion impacts political and public life, for better and for worse.
Required Texts
Students are encouraged to purchase the following book:
Religion and Politics in the United States
Kenneth D. Wald, Allison Calhoun-Brown (eds)
Fifth Edition (2007)
ISBN: 9780742540415
This book is available from Shakespeare and Company (939 Lexington Avenue, at 69th Street). You may be able to find a less expensive used copy online. If you purchase online or elsewhere, however, make sure that you can get the book in a timely fashion.
Additional readings may be assigned throughout the semester through the use of handouts, library resources, and online links at the course website.
Course Requirements
-- Come to class prepared. Complete all required readings beforehand, and bring your readings to class.
-- Participate. Attend class regularly and on time—you cannot participate if you are not present—and join your colleagues in critical analysis of the assigned readings. In order to encourage participation, you will be asked to complete the following assignment:
Your grade will be based on your written work and your class participation. Course requirements will be weighted as follows when calculating your grade:
Annotated Bibliography: 10%
Paper: 25%
Grading criteria will be included when the paper assignments are distributed. A one letter grade penalty will be imposed upon late papers without valid documentation (e.g., medical emergency).
Exams: 45%
Of the two exams, your lowest grade will be worth 20%, while your highest will be worth 25%. Make-up exams will be given only when proper documentation for the absence is provided.
Participation: 20%
Submission of all required summaries establishes a base participation grade of B. Failure to submit a summary will lower this grade by one-third of a letter (e.g., B to B-). Excessive lateness or absences may lead to further reductions, while frequent and thoughtful contributions to class discussion will have the opposite effect.
Incomplete grades will be assigned only for a valid and documented cause, for a length of time specified by the instructor when the documentation is accepted.
Academic Integrity
Students should be aware of the college’s policies regarding cheating, plagiarism and any other kind of academic misconduct as outlined in the MMC Academic Honesty Policy. These policies will be discussed briefly during the first class, and are available here and at the course website. Students who have questions or concerns about their written work should discuss these with the instructor before submitting any assignments.
Special Needs
Any student who is learning disabled, whose primary language is other than English, or who has other special needs and may thus require special accommodations should notify me immediately.
Course Schedule (subject to change)
Tuesday, February 3
Introduction and Course Overview
Thursday, February 5
What is Religion?
Tuesday, February 10
Secularization
Thursday, February 12
Religious Interests
Tuesday, February 17
Religious Action
Thursday, February 19
Church and State
Tuesday, February 24
American Religion – Demographics
Thursday, February 26
American Political Culture
Tuesday, March 3
Morals in Politics
Thursday, March 5
Christian Evangelicals in the United States
Tuesday, March 10
Christian Evangelicals in the United States (continued)
Exam Review
Thursday, March 12
MID-TERM EXAMINATION
Tuesday, March 17
NO CLASS – HONORS DAY
Thursday, March 19
NO CLASS – INSTRUCTOR CONFERENCE
Tuesday, March 24
Religious Fundamentalism
Thursday, March 26
Social Movements
Tuesday, March 31
Religion and State-Building
Thursday, April 2
Liberation theology
Tuesday, April 7 - Thursday, April 9
NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
Tuesday, April 14
Just War Theory
Thursday, April 16
Islamic Jihad
Tuesday, April 21
The “War on Terror”
Thursday, April 23
Evolution
Tuesday, April 28
Abortion
Thursday, April 30
Marriage Equality
Tuesday, May 5
T.B.D.
Thursday, May 7
T.B.D.
Tuesday, May 12
The “Proper” Role of Religion
Thursday, May 14
Atheism and Secularism
Exam Review
Tuesday, May 19
FINAL EXAM
A foreign paramilitary organization, motivated in part by religious beliefs, destroyed the World Trade Center as a response to American foreign policy. The Christian Right, we are warned, is a movement dominated by theocrats who wish to govern the United States while guided by Biblical principles. Orthodox Jewish settlers push further into Israeli-occupied territory in Palestine, further unsettling a Middle East seemingly dominated by millennia-old religious vendettas. Religion and politics clearly have something to do with each other; in many cases, their interactions have crucial effects on political outcomes.
For much of the last century, despite the growing evidence that religion continued to affect politics and vice versa, many social scientists pretended that the two actually were growing apart. Thanks to recent events and the efforts of a few committed scholars, the study of religion and politics is now a growing subfield of political science. Scholars can no longer ignore religion’s important consequences for political outcomes, both in the United States and across the globe.
In this class, we’ll look at the ways in which religion and politics interact. We will focus somewhat on the contemporary United States—mainly due to the instructor’s expertise—but will also look to examples from other contexts and countries. After an overview of some important definitions and concepts from the study of religion and politics, we will examine “conservative” and “liberal” religion (with these terms used loosely), ranging from liberal social movements like civil rights to the religious fundamentalists found in all major religions. Next we will investigate religious doctrines of war and peace, and also examine challenges to religion’s role in politics offered by atheists and other critics. We will also include an examination of selected, contemporary public policy issues that have a religious dimension, such as abortion and marriage equality; these latter topics likely will provide the basis for student research papers. By the end of the course, we should have a better understanding of how religion impacts political and public life, for better and for worse.
Required Texts
Students are encouraged to purchase the following book:
Religion and Politics in the United States
Kenneth D. Wald, Allison Calhoun-Brown (eds)
Fifth Edition (2007)
ISBN: 9780742540415
This book is available from Shakespeare and Company (939 Lexington Avenue, at 69th Street). You may be able to find a less expensive used copy online. If you purchase online or elsewhere, however, make sure that you can get the book in a timely fashion.
Additional readings may be assigned throughout the semester through the use of handouts, library resources, and online links at the course website.
Course Requirements
-- Come to class prepared. Complete all required readings beforehand, and bring your readings to class.
-- Participate. Attend class regularly and on time—you cannot participate if you are not present—and join your colleagues in critical analysis of the assigned readings. In order to encourage participation, you will be asked to complete the following assignment:
- Summaries. Write nine (9) one-page summaries of assigned readings throughout the course of the semester. Guidelines for summary writing will be distributed during class at the beginning of the semester. In general, you can submit summaries whenever you would like, with the following restriction: one summary must be completed in September, with an additional one (two in total) due by the mid-term exam. Still, I encourage you to WRITE YOUR SUMMARIES EARLY – do not wait until the end of the semester, or you may run out of time to complete your required number. Summaries must be submitted electronically before class (see below).
- Exams. You will be given two examinations during the course, a mid-term and a final. The final exam focuses primarily on material covered in the second half of the course, but may build upon and refer to material discussed earlier. Exams will consist of brief essay questions, with the questions distributed in advance. Questions will be based on the required readings and on classroom discussions.
- Paper Assignments. A 12-15 page research paper is required, with final draft due towards the end of class. As part of your research, you will be required to submit an annotated bibliography, which will be graded separately from the paper. Details for the assignment, including deadlines and instructions, will be distributed in class during the semester.
- Using a web browser, go to http://www.turnitin.com.
- Click on “New Users Click Here” in the upper right corner of the screen. Create a student profile using the class ID of 2599515 and enrollment password randp09.
- Follow the remaining enrollment instructions. Remember your user name (which should be your e-mail address) and password for future access.
Your grade will be based on your written work and your class participation. Course requirements will be weighted as follows when calculating your grade:
Annotated Bibliography: 10%
Paper: 25%
Grading criteria will be included when the paper assignments are distributed. A one letter grade penalty will be imposed upon late papers without valid documentation (e.g., medical emergency).
Exams: 45%
Of the two exams, your lowest grade will be worth 20%, while your highest will be worth 25%. Make-up exams will be given only when proper documentation for the absence is provided.
Participation: 20%
Submission of all required summaries establishes a base participation grade of B. Failure to submit a summary will lower this grade by one-third of a letter (e.g., B to B-). Excessive lateness or absences may lead to further reductions, while frequent and thoughtful contributions to class discussion will have the opposite effect.
Incomplete grades will be assigned only for a valid and documented cause, for a length of time specified by the instructor when the documentation is accepted.
Academic Integrity
Students should be aware of the college’s policies regarding cheating, plagiarism and any other kind of academic misconduct as outlined in the MMC Academic Honesty Policy. These policies will be discussed briefly during the first class, and are available here and at the course website. Students who have questions or concerns about their written work should discuss these with the instructor before submitting any assignments.
Special Needs
Any student who is learning disabled, whose primary language is other than English, or who has other special needs and may thus require special accommodations should notify me immediately.
Course Schedule (subject to change)
RELIGION AND POLITICS: AN OVERVIEW
Tuesday, February 3
Introduction and Course Overview
Thursday, February 5
What is Religion?
Tuesday, February 10
Secularization
Thursday, February 12
Religious Interests
Tuesday, February 17
Religious Action
Thursday, February 19
Church and State
Tuesday, February 24
American Religion – Demographics
Thursday, February 26
American Political Culture
CONSERVATIVE RELIGION
Tuesday, March 3
Morals in Politics
Thursday, March 5
Christian Evangelicals in the United States
Tuesday, March 10
Christian Evangelicals in the United States (continued)
Exam Review
Thursday, March 12
MID-TERM EXAMINATION
Tuesday, March 17
NO CLASS – HONORS DAY
Thursday, March 19
NO CLASS – INSTRUCTOR CONFERENCE
Tuesday, March 24
Religious Fundamentalism
LIBERAL RELIGION
Thursday, March 26
Social Movements
Tuesday, March 31
Religion and State-Building
Thursday, April 2
Liberation theology
Tuesday, April 7 - Thursday, April 9
NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
WAR AND PEACE
Tuesday, April 14
Just War Theory
Thursday, April 16
Islamic Jihad
Tuesday, April 21
The “War on Terror”
RELIGION AND PUBLIC POLICY
Thursday, April 23
Evolution
Tuesday, April 28
Abortion
Thursday, April 30
Marriage Equality
Tuesday, May 5
T.B.D.
Thursday, May 7
T.B.D.
CHALLENGING RELIGION
Tuesday, May 12
The “Proper” Role of Religion
Thursday, May 14
Atheism and Secularism
Exam Review
Tuesday, May 19
FINAL EXAM
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