Religion in the Americas

Catalog description

How has religion shaped the history of the Western Hemisphere and been reshaped by that history? This course focuses on key moments in the history of American religions in order to understand the social and political dynamics that created the religiously diverse public spheres of the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Course topics include Indigenous religious traditions and their encounters with European Christians; the impact of religious ideas on movements for reform, especially the abolition of slavery; the evolution of ideas and practices of religious liberty, including the role of the US Supreme Court; the internal diversity of Christian churches in the Americas; the political engagement of religious communities; moments of conflict between religion and science; and the creation and adaptation of new religious movements in the Americas, especially those of the African Diaspora.