American Religious History
Fall 2001
Dr. Glenn Miller
3 credits

Purpose of the Course: The purpose of this course is to survey the development of religion in the United States. We will pay special attention to the way in which different religious groups in the United States developed and how those groups have interacted with each other.

Readings: The basic reading for the course is Edwin Gaustad A Documentary History of Religion in the United States. We will discuss selections from these volumes in each class session. The schedule of readings for different classes is given below.

In addition, I have asked the bookstore to order two narrative histories. You should chose one to read in conjunction with the assigned materials.

There are other good narrative histories of American religion available, including the classic studies of Robert Handy, Mark Noll, and Winthrop Hudson. If you already own one of these volumes or find the two books ordered for class too daunting, you may want to use one of these books as a substitute.

Written Work: The standard assignment for this class will be two take home examinations. Each examination will pose four different areas for study, reflection, and research. You are permitted to use any resources available, either in your own library or in at the seminary, and you will have one week to complete the assignment. You should complete the assignment within one week. The questions will be available October 24, 2001 and the work should be completed by October 31, 2001. The second examination will be distributed at the last class of the semester and will be due on the last date for submission of work on the official seminary calendar, January 14, 2002, Seniors can arrange to take their examinations earlier or to substitute an assignment for the last examination.

Although Bangor Seminary is a small institution, we have students with many diverse learning styles and needs. If you have a clear idea of your learning objectives, alternatives to the take-home examinations are available. I will post on my web page a list of alternative assignments and, if one of these more nearly fits your needs, make an appointment, and we can discuss substitution.

Evaluation:

Reading: For many students, reading is the primary way that the people, places and events of history are understood. Consequently, this course places a heavy emphasis on completion of the assigned reading for the discussion sessions. Your participation in the weekly discussion groups will count 20% of the final grade.

In addition, students who submit a statement that they have completed all of Gaustad (not only the sections discussed in class) and one of the standard textbooks will receive a + on their final grade. This + is sufficient to raise the course grade a half-letter. Thus, a B+ would become an A-, an A- would become an A.

Take Home Examinations will be graded on the basis of content and presentation. Your answers should have a clear focus, should reflect substantial study on your part, and should contain references to the works consulted in the preparation of your answer. Any quotations should be footnoted.

Footnotes and other references in the take home assignments may be in any form with which the student is comfortable. Personally, I prefer sociological notations where a brief note is inserted in the text and a very complete entry is made in the bibliography. This also makes it possible to submit fair complex papers as .txt files without loss of clarity.

Email and Electronic Submission: Increasingly, students are finding it convenient use email as a medium for discussions. I would hope that you would use this helpful means to ask each other question or to provide a way to work together. Such programs as ICQ and Microsoft Messenger are excellent for this purpose.

Naturally, questions about the course or the classroom work can be emailed directly to me at Gmiller@bts.edu. I generally try to answer my email every morning from Tuesday to Friday unless hindered by faculty meetings. In any event, I try not to let more than two business days pass without answering or, at least, acknowledging email messages.

Wherever possible, I appreciate students submitting their work electronically. You can do this by submitting your text as a Word, Word Perfect, or Lotus Word Pro attachment to an email or by sending the paper as a text (.txt) file. The advantage for me is that I can make comments on the paper directly at the computer and do not have to write comments on the paper and then try to draw them together in a summary paragraph. It also means that you do not have to submit the paper to a person or trust it to the US mails. You will also have an email receipt from me that the paper has been received, complete with time and date. Of course, hard copy will be accepted as well.

Special Word to Portfolio Students and Master of Arts Students. Some students have already shifted over to the Portfolio system for their final evaluation. Many faculty are enthusiastic about this new learning tool and its potential value for students, both as a means of evaluation and as an aid to after graduation placement. If you have made that decision, please give me a call, and we will discuss ways to include your American Religious history experience in your portfolio in attractive and effective ways.

CLASS SCHEDULE

American Religious History