Religion in America

by Hemeyer, Julia Corbett

• ISBN13: 9780205645206
• ISBN10: 0205645208
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-05-29
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Summary

Religion in Americagives students and teachers a comprehensive yet concise introduction to the changing religious landscape of the United States. Extensively revised and updated, theSixth Editioncontinues to engage students in reflection about religious diversity. The author presents the study of religion within the context of the humanities as a tool for developing understanding and appreciation of communities of faith other than ones own, and for understanding the dynamics at work in religion in the United States today.

Author Biography

Dr. Julia Corbett Hemeyer is Professor of Religious Studies, Emerita, at Ball State University. Since her retirement from classroom teaching in 2004, she is a part time hospital chaplain, and interfaith minister in private practice as a spiritual mentor, meditation teacher, author, and guest speaker. For more information, please visit her website: http://www.ManyPathsInterfaithMinistries.net

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Preliminary Considerations
Introduction: Religious America: Diversity and Freedom	p. 1
Studying and Describing Religion	p. 7
Why Study Religion?	p. 7
Studying Religion as a Part of the Humanities	p. 8
Describing Religion	p. 12
Popular Religion	p. 14
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 18
For Further Reading	p. 18
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 19
Religion in the Life of the United States	p. 20
Disestablishment and the Constitution	p. 20
By the Numbers: Data on Religious America	p. 23
Religion after 9-11	p. 26
Civil Religion and Beyond	p. 27
Religion on Campus	p. 32
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 33
For Further Reading	p. 34
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 34
Conflict and Controversy	p. 35
Sexual Misconduct by the Clergy	p. 36
Gays and Lesbians in Communities of Faith	p. 38
Religion and Violence After 9-11	p. 42
Religious Expression in a Religiously Diverse Culture	p. 50
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 56
For Further Reading	p. 56
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 56
Christianity in the United States-Commonality and Diversity
The Waning Influence of Mainline Protestantism and the New Evangelical Majority	p. 57
Christian Faith and Practice: Overview	p. 57
Protestant Christianity	p. 61
Mainline Protestantism	p. 66
Denominational Distinctiveness	p. 68
Evangelicals: The New Center in American Protestantism	p. 82
Women in Protestantism	p. 88
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 92
For Further Reading	p. 93
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 93
Christianity in American Culture: Diverse Themes	p. 94
Evangelical Christianity in American Culture: Three Cases	p. 95
Megachurches	p. 98
The Religious-Political Right	p. 100
Separatist Fundamental Christians	p. 106
Holiness Christians	p. 109
Pentecostal Christianity	p. 112
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 116
For Further Reading	p. 117
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 117
Catholic Christianity: Sacramental Community	p. 118
The Distinctiveness of Catholic Christianity	p. 120
Additional Distinctive Catholic Beliefs	p. 121
Catholic Worship: Word and Sacrament	p. 123
Catholic Lifestyles in the United States	p. 126
The Church as a Social Institution	p. 128
The Second Vatican Council, 1962-1965	p. 130
Who Are American Catholics?	p. 131
Women in the Catholic Church	p. 135
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 138
For Further Reading	p. 139
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 139
Ethnic Diversity in Christianity: Two Examples	p. 140
Ethnic Christianity	p. 140
Eastern Orthodox Christianity	p. 142
Eastern Orthodox Christianity in the United States	p. 143
African American Christianity	p. 151
The Changing Face of Ethnic Christianity	p. 165
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 166
For Further Reading	p. 167
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 167
American-Born Christianities	p. 168
Overview	p. 168
Latter-day Saints	p. 172
Christian Scientists	p. 183
Seventh-day Adventists	p. 185
Jehovah's Witnesses	p. 187
An American Innovation	p. 189
Community and Reassurance	p. 190
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 191
For Further Reading	p. 191
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 192
Expanding Diversity
Living a Jewish Life in the United States	p. 193
Who Is a Jew?	p. 193
A Brief Historical Note	p. 195
Jews and Christians	p. 196
Principal Beliefs and Practices of Jewish People	p. 198
One Judaism, Several Expressions	p. 207
Jewish Women	p. 214
Holocaust, Memory, and Religiousness	p. 216
Anti-Semitism	p. 217
Into the Future	p. 219
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 220
For Further Reading	p. 220
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 221
Muslims in the United States: A Growing Minority	p. 222
Islam, and Islam in the United States	p. 222
Muhammad	p. 223
The Qur'an	p. 224
Beliefs	p. 224
The Five Pillars of Islam	p. 226
Muslims in the United States	p. 229
Muslim College Students	p. 232
Muslim Organizations	p. 233
Muslima: Muslim Women in America	p. 234
Islam and Black Americans	p. 235
Into the Future	p. 237
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 238
For Further Reading	p. 238
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 238
Humanism and the Unitarian Universalists	p. 239
What Is Humanism?	p. 239
Humanism in the United States	p. 241
Humanist Organizations	p. 242
Atheism and Agnosticism	p. 244
Unitarian Universalists	p. 247
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 253
For Further Reading	p. 254
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 254
Hindus and Buddhists: Asia Comes to America	p. 255
Hinduism and Hindus in the United States	p. 256
American Buddhists and Buddhism	p. 266
The Call of the Orient	p. 280
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 282
For Further Reading	p. 283
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 283
Other Religious and Spiritual Movements	p. 284
The Religions of the Native Americans	p. 284
The New Age Movement	p. 289
The Self-Help Movement and Twelve-Step Programs	p. 293
Feminist Wicca	p. 296
The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches	p. 301
Religion on the Web	p. 302
Satanism	p. 303
Christian Identity	p. 305
Questions and Activities for Review, Discussion, and Writing	p. 306
For Further Reading	p. 306
Relevant World Wide Web Sites	p. 306
Epilogue: Community and Communication	p. 307
Index	p. 309
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.