This course explores the particularly rich history of religion in the U.S.
Beginning with myths and realities about "Puritans," the lectures explain how rivalry among competing Protestant groups led to the constitutional compromise that is written into the First Amendment.
Central to the course is a discussion of the impact of religiously diverse immigrants in the 19th century.
Other topics include:
- the religious dimensions of the Civil War
- how religious Americans adapted to an industrial and urban world, including their choices in adapting to new ideas such as evolution, or sticking to their faith in biblical literalism
- how religious celebrities like Fulton Sheen and Billy Graham took advantage of modern media to spread their gospels.