How has religion shaped how American politics, and how have politics shaped American religion? These are the central questions of this course, which uses both historical and contemporary examples to explore how Americans with diverse beliefs, practices, identities, and affiliations have connected their religious lives with their civic lives. We'll pay attention to the intersection of religion and politics in law, public policy, grassroots organizing, and popular culture, and topics we'll discuss include the religious freedom issues faced by Native Americans, the role of Christian nationalism in conservative movements, and the involvement of diverse religious communities in activism related to racism, immigration, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ rights. Most importantly, this course is designed to empower students to pursue their own research projects on the intersection of religion and politics. We'll read secondary source literature as well as a wide variety of primary sources, including texts, film and television, music, art, digital media, and archival material from the University of Michigan's libraries.

Course Requirements:

This course requires regular participation in seminar discussions, timely completion of reading and writing assignments, and active involvement in writing workshops. There is no midterm or final exam.

As a course that fulfills the Upper-Level Writing Requirement, it includes the following components:

• 25-40 pages of polished (i.e., revised) writing;
• sequenced writing assignments that build on one another over the course of the semester;
• substantial writing-related instruction and discussion;
• an expectation that you will revise at least 50% of your writing;
• at least three opportunities for you to receive feedback on your writing in progress from me or your peers.

Intended Audience:

This course is open to all undergraduate students, of any academic or religious background.

Class Format:

Seminar