RELG 337: RELIGION AND POLITICS
“RELIGION IN THE WHITE HOUSE: THE FAITHS OF THE U.S.
PRESIDENTS FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON TO BARACK OBAMA”
Professor: Scott Sargent
Spring 2016
Phone: 803-777-4100
Tu/Thu 6:00 to 7:15 p.m.
Email: [email protected]
Building/room: HU318
Office hours: by appointment only
Please note – this is NOT a U.S. History or Political Science course. My intention is to strictly adhere to
issues directly related to Religious Studies, and I believe an examination of the many and diverse
religious beliefs of the U.S. presidents provides an opportunity to do so in an interesting and timely way.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
American voters have never elected a self-described atheist or agnostic as President of the United
States. Even as surveys addressing religion in America (such as those conducted regularly by the Pew
Research Center) indicate that the percentage of American believers is shrinking, the voting public
appears to be reluctant to elect a candidate who is not explicitly religious. No legal mechanism exists for
determining the religious beliefs of candidates for this office; on the contrary, Article VI of the U.S.
Constitution states (in part) “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or
public Trust under the United States.” Nevertheless, many presidential aspirants have made their
personal beliefs a major part of their campaigns, a tendency which seems to grow more pronounced
with every new election cycle. Obviously, there is a strong connection between religion and this highest
of public offices, and this course will examine the religious beliefs of the presidents.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the many and diverse religious traditions of the
U.S. Presidents, as well as a few traditions that have not yet made it into the White House, but may very
well be represented there in the near future. The main objectives of this course are:
-to introduce students to the vocabulary and techniques employed by Religious Studies as an
academic discipline;
-to examine Christianity as a distinct religious tradition (which will first require a brief
examination of Judaism, without which an understanding of Christianity is incomplete);
-to compare and contrast the tenets of the Christian denominations with which U.S. Presidents
have been affiliated to date (a list which includes Baptists, Congregationalists, Disciples of Christ,
Dutch Reformed, Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, and one Roman Catholic);
-to introduce students to some of the less common, and thus more often misunderstood,
traditions of U.S. Presidents (and a few candidates) including Unitarians, Quakers, River
Brethren, and Mormons;
-to conjecture about the differences in the percentages of U.S. Presidents of these various faiths
versus their prevalence in the general American population (in other words, if religion is so
conspicuously important to voters, why do they often vote for a candidate whose religious
beliefs are very different from their own, e.g. Unitarians); and
-to examine a few recent examples of American policies that were clearly influenced by the
religious beliefs of the sitting President.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK(S):
TBD
In addition to the textbook(s), the instructor may require additional reading assignments from handouts,
or from material which may be easily found on the internet.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance will be taken daily in keeping with the University’s attendance policy (“absence from more
than 10 percent of the scheduled class sessions, whether excused or unexcused, is excessive and the
instructor may choose to exact a grade penalty for such absences.”) Any absences beyond the fourth
occurrence may result in the loss of one grade level, i.e. an "A" will be lowered to a "B+".
GRADING:
10% = regular attendance and informed participation in classroom discussion, which is to say,
discussion which reflects careful and thoughtful reading of assigned materials and consideration
of material presented in lectures and covered in group discussions;
25% = mid-term examination – students will choose two to three topics from a larger pool of topics
assigned by the instructor, and compose in-class essay-style responses in blue books;
25% = in-class presentation based on research on an approved topic relevant to course material;
40% = research paper on a relevant topic to be chosen by the student and approved by the instructor,
and which will take the place of a final examination.
LECTURES:
[In addition to these proposed lectures, one class will be given over to the mid-term examination, at
least one class for a guest speaker (I definitely want to have a Mormon address the class and take
questions, as this is a faith with which I have familiarity but not expertise), and several days for student
presentations. With the latter in mind, as well as the requirement for daily class participation, I think it
would be a good idea to limit enrollment to a manageable number of students, somewhere around a
couple dozen at most.]
CLASS 1
Roll call, syllabus review, introduction to the topic and to each other
[Assign: read Robert Bellah, “Civil Religion in America” essay; www.robertbellah.com/article_5.html]
homework = begin a journal in a loose-leaf 3-ring binder with a page on each presidential candidate
from any party, and plan to add to it as the semester progresses. Tabs would be helpful. Students who
will bring laptops to class faithfully and who can keep up with them in class and access information
quickly may use laptops instead of binders.]
CLASS 2
Vocabulary
Discussion of Religious Studies as an academic discipline;
definition(s) of religion,
(Ninian Smart’s) 7 dimensions of religion,
phenomenalism vs. reductionism;
premodern, modern, and post-modern worldviews
Discussion of Civil Religion
[Assign basic Judaism reading]
CLASS 3
Basic Judaism –
Vocabulary
Context of prophetic and priestly social groups in the ANE;
emergence of monotheism in the ANE;
history of Judaism; fall of the temple, rise of rabbinical Judaism in Diaspora
doctrine;
impact of Judaism on Christianity;
OT passages and allusions in US presidential rhetoric
[Handout: Nicene Creed / 7 Ecumenical Councils chart]
CLASS 4
Christianity –
Vocabulary
Early (Orthodox) history; 7 Ecumenical Councils; canonization of the Holy Bible;
Orthodox doctrine, Nicene Creed;
The “Great Schism” results in formation of the Catholic Church (1054)
[Assign: Catholic doctrine – the basics]
CLASS 5
Christianity, continued –
Vocabulary
Catholic doctrine
Protestant Reformation (1517)
Protestant doctrine
Church of England; Charles I; persecution of dissidents
Proliferation of new Protestant denominations throughout Europe
NT language and allusions in US presidential rhetoric
[Handout: flowchart of Protestant denominations]
CLASS 6
Overhead: map of colonies
Vocabulary
Spread of Protestant Christianity to the New World (up to the Revolutionary War period)
Major groups of early colonialists:
British
The Church of England; the 39 articles (reading assignment)
Religious beliefs of colonialists fleeing persecution by the Church of England –
Pilgrims and Puritans
Early settlements – Jamestown,
French
Roman Catholics
Jesuits
Huguenots
Spanish
Roman Catholics
Jesuits
Fransiscans
[Assign: research on The Episcopal Church (USA) website, www.]
CLASS 7
EPISCOPALIANISM
Anglicanism becomes Episcopalianism in the newly formed USA
Episcopal polity, doctrine, history
Episcopalian presidents:
Harrison
Tyler
Pierce
FDR
Ford
Bush I
[Assign: Declaration of Independence and Constitution (preamble, article 6 part 3, and the first
amendment).]
CLASS 8
Influence of European Enlightenment and Deism upon the Founding Fathers
[Assign presidential speeches/writings]
CLASS 9
(Possibly / qualified) Deist presidents:
Washington
Jefferson
Madison
Review for Exam #1
CLASS 10
EXAM #1
[Assign: research on UMC website: www.]
CLASS 11
METHODISM
Methodist history, polity, doctrine, etc.
Methodist Presidents:
Hayes
McKinley
Polk (possibly, may have been Presbyterian)
[Assign: research on Presbyterian website: www.]
CLASS 12
Presbyterianism
Presbyterian polity, history, doctrines, etc.
Presbyterian Presidents:
Monroe (maybe, could be deist)
Jackson
Polk (maybe, could be Methodist)
Buchanan
Cleveland
Harrison
Wilson
Reagan
[Assign: research on Dutch Reformed Church website: www.]
CLASS 13
DUTCH REFORMED
Dutch Reformed Church Polity, History, Doctrine
Dutch Reformed Presidents:
Van Buren
T. Roosevelt (maybe)
[Assign: research on Disciples of Christ Church website: www.]
CLASS 14
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST
Disciples of Christ church polity, history, doctrine, etc.
Disciples of Christ Presidents:
Garfield
L.B. Johnson
[Assign: research on two different Baptist websites: Baptist and Southern Baptist – do you see any
difference between the two as far as their historic support for the separation of church and state?]
CLASS 15
BAPTISTS
Baptist church polity, history, doctrine, etc.
Baptist Presidents:
Harding
Truman
Carter
Clinton
G. W. Bush
[Assign: research on Congregational Church website: www.]
CLASS 16
CONGREGATIONALISM
Congregationalist church polity, history, doctrines, etc.
Congregationalist Presidents:
Coolidge
[Assign research on Friends and River Brethren / Mennonite websites, if any]
CLASS 17
QUAKERS AND RIVER BRETHREN (MENNONITE)
Quaker church polity, history, doctrines, etc.
Quaker Presidents:
Hoover
Nixon
River Brethren church polity, history, doctrines, etc.
River Brethren Presidents:
Eisenhower
[Assign: research on Unitarian Universalist Church website, www.]
CLASS 18
UNITARIANISM
Unitarian church polity, history, doctrines, etc.
Unitarian Presidents:
J. Adams
J.Q. Adams
Fillmore
Taft
[Assign: essay on skepticism:]
CLASS 19
AGNOSTICISM, ATHEISM, SKEPTICISM
Presidents of little or no known faith:
Grant
Arthur
T. Roosevelt, maybe
Review for Exam #2
CLASS 20
EXAM #2
[Assign: sermon from 2nd Great Awakening; speech from Lincoln]
CLASS 21
The Second Great Awakening, the American Civil War, and Abraham Lincoln
[Assign: JFK’s speech 09/12/1960]
CLASS 22
JFK and “the Catholic issue”
[Assign: Carter’s “malaise” speech]
CLASS 23
Jimmy Carter, the first evangelical President
[Assign: Reagan speech]
CLASS 24
Ronald Reagan and the Christian Right
[Assign: W Speech]
CLASS 25
George W. Bush and the Christian Right
[Assign: homework = list as many explicitly religious traditions as you can that are associated with the
White House and the President, and be prepared to discuss them.]
CLASS 26
Explicitly religious practices (often but not always Christian) and traditions of the post-WWII presidents:
prayer breakfasts;
official observance of religious holidays (eventually including Jewish and Muslim ones);
“one nation under God,” controversy in the Pledge of Allegiance;
“in God we trust,” controversy on legal tender;
“so help me God” added to oath of office;
seeking the blessing of God during major presidential addresses
[Assignment: examine online Pew Surveys on Religion and Politics: www.]
CLASS 27
Statistics: what statistical trends suggest about the relationship between religion and politics in America
today, and how that will affect presidential campaigns, platforms, and policies of the 21st century.
[Assignment: examine your list of current Presidential candidates from all parties and write a brief
summary of their religious beliefs and how they may impact policy if elected.]
CLASS 28
Concluding discussion – religion in the 2016 Presidential race
[OR – Special Topic – Mormonism]