Religion & Politics in America

Catalog description

For over a century, scholars predicted religion’s influence in the public sphere would decline due to the forces of modernization and secularization. They were wrong. Religion remains a strong influence on politics in America, shaping laws on the state and national level. This seminar analyzes the relationship between religion and politics in the United States from a historical and contemporary perspective. Students will examine liberal and conservative viewpoints regarding religion on a range of topics, including abortion, gay rights, race, the environment and capitalism