SO 214 Sociology of Religion
Block 4, 2007
Office hours: M/W 1:30 - 3
Gail Murphy-Geiss
[email protected]
Palmer Hall #131A, ext. 6868
Course Description: The study of the social organization and function of religion with emphasis
on its interaction with other ideas and social structures and processes. Consideration of major
theorists (Durkheim, Weber, Troeltsch) will be integrated with contemporary socio-religious
issues such as secularization, fundamentalism, televangelism, new religious movements,
globalization, and the relations between religion and race, class, and gender. 1 unit
Required Texts:
Kurtz, Lester R. 2007. Gods in the Global Village (2nd edition).
Schaefer, Richard R. and William W. Zellner. 2008. Extraordinary Groups (8th edition).
Smith, Christian. 1998. American Evangelicalism.
articles and book chapters, available on e-res.
Course Requirements:
1. Read! Participation in class is essential; both attendance and preparation are required.
2. Nine e-posted questions, written each night and then used for class discussion. The first
eight will be limited to 400 words, while the ninth will be limited to 1200. These are all
due by 7:30am before each class.
3. Outline and presentation of a major Church/State case from the U.S. Supreme Court.
4. Written exam (predominantly short answer questions) on major themes and issues, to be
taken on Friday, Dec.7.
5. Class presentation (about 30-40 minutes) on a local religious congregation of your choice.
The group is to be studied through written materials, videos, etc. and especially
participant-observation, done in groups of 2-3.
Grading:
Final grade will be based upon the following scale:
class participation
10%
e-essays (3 points each for 1st 8)
24%
th
9 e-essay
11%
Supreme Court case
15%
exam
20%
presentation
20%
Assignments handed in late will receive grades 1/3rd of a letter grade lower for each day.
Attendance:
Because much of the learning that occurs in this course happens in the midst of class discussion,
attendance is crucial. Life happens (health problems, family emergencies, etc.), and when it does,
some students choose to miss class. You don’t have to ask for permission – I won’t give it; it is
your choice. Do let me know though. An excused absence is much less problematic than simply
“blowing off” class when I am figuring grades. Even so, keep all absences to a minimum; zero is
best! If you do miss class, it is your responsibility to find out from another student what was
missed.
Honor Code:
I take violations of the Honor Code very seriously, and will not hesitate to report any suspected
infringements to the Honor Council. I will try to be clear about the ways the Honor Code applies
to specific assignments, but if you are unsure, please ask. Also, please include a statement of
Honor Code compliance at the end of all written work.
Course Outline and Assignments:
Monday, Nov. 26: Introduction
Tuesday, Nov. 27: Tools and Durkheim
e-essay #1 due
preliminary report topics due
Kurtz, chapter 1
Schaefer and Zellner, chapter 3 (Gypsies)
Durkheim, “Society as Sacred”
Wednesday, Nov. 28: Eastern Religions and Marx
e-essay #2 due
report topics confirmed
Kurtz, chapter 2
Marx, “Religion as Alienation”
Thursday, Nov. 29: Abrahamic Religions and Weber
e-essay #3 due
Kurtz, chapter 3
Scaeffer and Zellner, chapter 1 (Old Order Amish)
Weber, “A Source of Social Action”
Friday, Nov. 30: Identity and Ethos
e-essay #4 due
Kurtz, chapter 4
Schaefer and Zellner, chapter 2 (Oneida Community)
Monday, Dec. 3: Multiculturalism
e-essay #5 due
Kurtz, chapter 5
Schaeffer and Zellner, chapter 5 (Father Divine Movement)
Tuesday, Dec. 4: Movements
e-essay #6 due
Kurtz, chapter 6
Schaeffer and Zellner, chapter 7 (Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Wednesday, Dec. 5: Conflict
e-essay #7 due
Kurtz, chapter 7
Schaeffer and Zellner, chapter 4 (Christian Science)
Thursday, Dec. 6: New Religious Movements
e-essay #8 due
Schaeffer and Zellner, chapter 8 (Scientology)
Friday, Dec. 7: Exam
Monday, Dec. 10: American Evangelicalism
e-essay #9 due
Smith
Schaeffer and Zellner, chapter 6 (Mormons)
Tuesday, Dec. 11: Church – State I
Supreme Court case outlines due
Wednesday, Dec. 12: Church - State II
Thursday, Dec. 13: New Religious Movements I: Jonestown
Friday, Dec. 14: New Religious Movements II: Branch Davidians
Monday, Dec. 17 - Wednesday, Dec. 19: Class presentations
Sociology of Religion
Supreme Court Cases
Reynolds v. U.S. (1879)
______________________________
Cantwell v. Connecticut (1940)
______________________________
Minersville School Dist. v. Gobitis (1940)
______________________________
W.V. State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette (1943)
______________________________
Everson v. Bd. of Education (1947)
______________________________
McCollum v. Illinois (1948)
______________________________
Zorach v. Clauson (1952)
______________________________
Braunfeld v. Brown (1961)
______________________________
McGowan v. Maryland (1961)
______________________________
Engel v. Vitale (1962)
______________________________
Sch. Dist. Abington Township v. Schempp (1963)
______________________________
Sherbert v. Verner (1963)
______________________________
Walz v. Tax Comm. of the City of N.Y. (1970)
______________________________
Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)
______________________________
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
______________________________
Harris v. McRae (1980)
______________________________
Stone v. Graham (1980)
______________________________
Heffron v. Intern’l Soc. For Krishna Consciousness (1981) ______________________________
Bob Jones Univ. v. U.S. (1983)
______________________________
Mueller v. Allen (1983)
______________________________
Marsh v. Chambers (1983)
______________________________
Lynch v. Donnelly (1984)
______________________________
Wallace v. Jaffree (1985)
______________________________
Aguilar v. Felton (1985)
______________________________
Goldman v. Weinberger (1986)
______________________________
Edwards v. Aguillard (1987)
______________________________
Lyng v. NW Cemetery Protective Agency (1988)
______________________________
Allegheny County v. ACLU (1989)
______________________________
Employment Division (Oregon) v. Smith (1990)
______________________________
Lee v. Weisman (1992)
______________________________
Lamb’s Chapel v. Ctr. Moriches Union Free Sch. Dis.(1993)_____________________________
Ch. of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah (1993)
______________________________
Board of Educ. of Kiryas Joel School v. Grumet (1994)
______________________________
Rosenberger v. Univ. of Virginia (1995)
______________________________
Capital Square Review and Adv. Bd. v. Pinette (1995)
______________________________
Agostini v. Felton (1997)
______________________________
McCreary v. ACLU (2005)
______________________________
Van Orden v. Perry (2005)
______________________________