Religion and Civic Leadership

Catalog description

Throughout American history, religion has been central to how U.S. citizens and residents have thought about and engaged with issues of public concern. This course will pay particular attention to the Civil Rights Movement, where students will gain an introductory knowledge of key figures, competing theological and political themes, and social groups. Students will become equipped to understand how religion has shaped public discourse, dialogue across divides and our public square itself. They will have the opportunity to analyze a combination of primary and secondary sources, with special attention to the archives and personal papers of major players within the wider historiography of the Civil Rights Movement.