Liberal & Evangel.Protestantism/US

Instructor: Dr. Antony Alumkal

TA: Dr. Hannah Adams Ingram

Office Phone: 303-765-3131

Email: aalumkal@iliff.edu

Click Below for Syllabus in Word File

AlumkalIST3085Liberal&EvangelicalHybridSpring2017.doc

Course Synopsis: This course compares liberal and evangelical forms of Protestantism in the United States, drawing on both scholarly analysis and popular works. Topics of focus include interpretations of the Bible, race, gender, politics, and science.

The course aims to introduce students to the following:

1. The shared historical roots of liberal and evangelical theology as attempts to reconcile Christianity with enlightenment thought.
2. The primary beliefs associated with each religion subculture.
3. How these two religious subcultures operate in public life and popular culture.

1. The following books are required texts for the course.

Borg, Marcus J. 2003. The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith. San Francisco: HarperSanFranciso.

Evans, Christopher. 2010. Liberalism without Illusions: Renewing an American Christian Tradition. Waco: Baylor University Press. 

Marsden, George. M. 1991. Understanding Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 

McLaren, Brian D. 2010. A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions that Are Transforming the Faith. San Francisco: HarperOne. (Note: Be sure not to confuse this book with its predecessor, A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey.)

Warren, Rick. 2002. The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Grand Rapids: Zondervan. (Note: Feel free to use a later edition of the book, but make sure not to buy one of the companion books like The Purpose Driven Life Journal. Used copies start at $0.01 + shipping!)

2. The following readings are available as pdfs on the Canvas site:

Alumkal, Antony. 2004. “American Evangelicalism in the Post-Civil Rights Era: A Racial Formation Theory Analysis.” Sociology of Religion 65:195-213. 

Alumkal, Antony. 2012. “Racial Justice in the Protestant Mainline: Liberalism and Its Limits.” Pp. 275-298 in Faith and Race in American Political Life, edited by Robin Jacobson and Nancy Wadsworth.  Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press.

Alumkal, Antony. 2012. “Strategic Frame Ambivalence: Intelligent Design and Reparative Therapy Navigate the Worlds of Religion and Science.” Paper presented at the American Sociological Association, Denver, CO.

Balmer, Randall. 1993. Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America. New York: Oxford University Press. Chapter 2

Bartkowski, John. 1998. “Changing of the Gods: The Gender and Family Discourse of American Evangelicalism.” History of the Family 3: 95-115. 

Gallagher, Sally. 2004. “The Marginalization of Evangelical Feminism.” Sociology of Religion 65: 215-237. 

Marti, Gerardo and Gladys Ganiel. 2014. The Deconstructed Church: Understanding Emerging Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press. Introduction.

Tinker, Tink. 2013. “Why I Do not Believe in a Creator.” Pp. 167-179 in Buffalo Shout, Salmon Cry: Conversations on Creation, Land Justice, and Life Together, edited by Steve Heinrichs. Waterloo, Ontario: Herald Press.

Requirements:

1. The first type of assignment in the course will be regular postings on Canvas. The class will be divided into smaller posting groups to keep the conversations manageable. For each posting assignment, you will be expected to make at minimum two kinds of posts. The first post is a response to the assignment question. The second post, which will have a later deadline, is a response to someone else’s post. The response should involve more than simply saying “I agree” or “I disagree” by adding more analysis (e.g. discussing why the statement may be true), nuance (e.g. saying that you believe the statement is true in some cases but not in others), or by asking a follow-up question.

If you post at all required times and your posts are good quality, you can expect to get full credit (10 out of 10 points). You can check your grades on Canvas.

2. Students are required to attend the two Gathering Days sessions: April 26, 1-5 pm and April 27, 8 am to Noon.

3. Students are required to write a final research paper. The paper should be 8-10 pages. It should present information about a particular religious group, movement, or belief and then discuss how this case confirms, contradicts, or expands concepts from the course read­ings. For example, you might analyze the theology presented on the Focus on the Family website and then discuss how it does or does not match Marsden’s description of evangelical beliefs, and then contrast the theology with that of liberal Protestants. Hint: Do not make your description of what you studied so long that there is no room left in the paper to discuss the course readings. You want the paper to demonstrate that you have mastered the readings. When in doubt, say more about the course readings.

Grading:

Forum Posts: 30%

Gathering Days Participation: 20%

Final Paper: 50%

Students may take the course pass/fail if they request this option by email during the first two weeks of class. You do not need to provide an explanation for why you are choosing this option.

My assumption is that students in a masters program can be expected to produce above average academic work. Therefore, the modal grade I assign is B+. A paper will earn a B+ if it 1) fulfills all of the requirements of the assignment and 2) demonstrates that the student has a solid (though not necessarily flawless) understanding of the con­cepts in the course readings and lectures. A paper will earn a grade higher than a B+ if it fulfills the assignment and demonstrates exceptional insight into the course concepts. A paper will earn a grade of B or B- if there are minor to moderate shortcomings in either fulfilling the assignment or demonstrating understanding of course concepts. Grades below B- are reserved for papers with major shortcomings in either area.

Forum Conduct:

The course should involve a free exchange of ideas, which means you are welcome to express your viewpoints and to disagree with the viewpoints of the instructor or your fellow students. This should always be done in a way that shows respect for the other people involved in the course. Refer to the Iliff Community Covenant for more details.

Lectures:

Each week there will be two written lectures (Word file) posted on Canvas along with a short podcast (mp3 file) providing additional information.

Google Hangouts:

I plan to do two Google hangouts, one before Gathering Days and one after. I will give more details in a Canvas announcement. These are optional times for additional conversation.

Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (MDiv, MASC, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (MTS, MA).

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community.