(WCH) REL 170: Signifying Religion: An African American
Worldview
My introduction to religious studies course emerged from a
chance encounter and a deceptively simple question. I was making small talk with an academic editor who
specialized in history. In the course of
our conversation, she felt comfortable enough to ask me, “Why would African Americans
be Christians given the religion’s role in the slave institution?”
I could tell that the question came from a place of
vulnerability. For starters, there was her whiteness and my blackness and all
that could mean. Her hushed tone and inward lean suggested that this was one of
those “anything you ever wanted to know about black people but were afraid to
ask” kind of inquiries.
There were also the implications to consider. On the one
hand, she was asking a point of information about a historical trend. On the other,
she was trying to articulate the politics of meaning making. She could have
asked why black persons would choose to stay in America given the nation’s role
in the slave institution. But the idea of religion
appeared to her more provocative and problematic. My course reframes her
question and represents my fifteen-week long response.
“Religion” is treated as a signifier with which black slaves
learned to identify effectual expressions in the modern West. Following the
lead of Charles Long, we note that when African Americans have signified
“religion,” the discourse has frequently entailed a mythic ideal (e.g.
“Africa”), a monumental crisis (e.g. slavery), and a potential for
transformation (e.g. God). Students test Long’s thesis for themselves by
surveying primary sources—everything from FBI files on the Moorish Science Temple
of America to Kanye West lyrics.
Along the way, students are introduced to various approaches to religious studies. Class time is devoted to nuancing their
understanding of an emic worldview (i.e. the confessions of African Americans
among others), but—more poignantly—to facilitate critical reflection on Homo religiosus. To be clear, we don’t
invoke Eliade’s phrase to reinforce a sui
generis understanding of religion so much as to historicize it. Black
persons adopted “religion” to become Homo
sapien in view of themselves and others in the New World.
At the close of last semester, the class prepared essays
informed by blog posts from Russell McCutcheon and Monica Miller of Culture on the Edge. Miller graciously joined us for our final discussion. By course’s end, students were accustomed to
discussing religion in terms of the work humans make signs do for themselves
and to others.
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Course Description
As a historically marginalized people, African Americans
frequently find their religious experiences discussed either too familiarly
(e.g. “They are basically all Christians.”) or too abstractly (e.g. “They are
so spiritual.”) by wider publics. But what if one were to begin the study of
religion with the African American experience? In this class, we will study the
diversity of African American life in order to enrich our understanding of the
category, “religion.”
Student Learning
Outcomes
By successfully completing the requirements of this course,
you will be able to do the following:
(1)
Explain
Charles Long’s three loci of African American religions.
(2)
Define
religion in light of its social, material, and psychological features.
(3)
Characterize
the shape of African American religiosity.
(4)
Distinguish
insider/outsider perspectives on religion in primary and secondary sources.
(5)
Read
critically— surfacing a work’s topic, research question, thesis statement, and
argument structure.
(6)
Write
cogently—holding forth about a single thesis while blending assertions,
evidence, and commentary to persuade a reader.
(7)
Converse
generously about the study of religion
And by successfully completing the
requirements of the course, you will be able to demonstrate your ability to
meet the following student learning outcomes, which are outcomes for the
Western Cultural Heritage Core:
(8)
Explain
the importance of the African American religious experience to understandings
of Western Civilization;
(9)
Describe
the broader historical context of African American religiosity;
(10)
Give
illustrations of the complex and complicated relationship African Americans
have with religion;
(11)
Give
examples of ways in which the concept of African American religion has been
subject to a variety of interpretations;
(12)
Analyze
primary and secondary source materials related to African American religion
Required Course
Materials
Bibliography
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
“Fear of a Black President,” August 22, 2012, The Atlantic. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/09/fear-of-a-black-president/309064/.
Troy Duster,
“Ancestry Testing and DNA: Uses, Limts and Caveat
Emptor,” The Council for Responsible Genetics, (n.d.), http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/pageDocuments/O7HIKRKXYB.pdf
Grey Gundaker,
“The Bible as and at a Threshold: Reading, Performance,
and Blessed Space,” pp. 754-772 in African
Americans and the Bible: Sacred Texts and Social Textures, ed. Vincent L.
Wimbush (New York: Continuum, 2000).
Thomas R. Gray,
“The Confessions of Nat Turner as told to Thomas R. Gray (1831),” Documenting the American South, http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/turner/turner.html
Alex Haley,
“Roots: An American Family’s Story of Survival and Triumph,” Alex Haley: The Man Who Traced America’s
Roots: His Life, His Works, Originally Published in the May & June 1974
and April & May 1977 issues of Reader’s
Digest (New York: Reader’s Digest, 2007), 96-156.
Christopher
Johnson, “God, the Black Man, and the Five Percenters,” National Public Radio, August 4, 2006. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/
story.php?storyId=5614846.
Shirley Ju, “The
Five Percent Nation: A Brief History Lesson,” HNHH: Hot New Hip Hop, July 21, 2014, http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/the-five-percent-nation-a-brief-history-lesson-news.11319.html?gallery-19245-photo-0.
Martin Luther
King, Jr., “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963, http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html.
Spencer Kulow,
“Hip Hop, Five Percenters, and Food,” American
Studies 2001: Introduction to American Studies, University of Virginia, http://amst2001.neatline-uva.org/neatline/show/hip-hop-five-percenters-and-food
Sholomo Levy,
“Who Are We? Where Did We Come From? How Many of Us Are There?” Blackjews.org, (n.d.) http://www.blackjews.org/articles.htm.
Charles H. Long,
“Perspectives for the Study of Afro-American Religion in the United States,” History of Religions 11:1 (August 1971),
54-66
W.A. Matthew, “The
Black Jews of Harlem,” Blackjews.org,
(n.d.) http://www.blackjews.org/articles.htm.
Peggy McIntosh,
“White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See
Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies,” Working Paper (Wellesley, MA:
Wellesley College Center for Research on Women 1988)
Paul O. Myhre,
ed. Introduction to Religious Studies
(Winona, MN: Anselm Academic, 2009).
*This
textbook will serve as our window onto contemporary perspectives in Religious
Studies. It includes essays from scholars in various subfields.
Matthew Tittle,
“Is God a White Racist?” Houston
Chronicle, November 21, 2006, http://blog.chron.com/keepthefaith/2006/11/is-god-a-white-racist/.
Iyanla Vanzant, “Iyanla Vanzant: Begin Your Journey,” http://iyanlavanzant.com/
David Walker, “
‘I Ask You, O My Brethren1, Are We Men?’” excerpt from “Walker’s Appeal,”
September 28, 1829, The African American
Experience: Black History and Culture Through Speeches, Letters, Editorials,
Poems, Songs, and Stories, ed. Kai Wright (New York: Black Dog and
Leventhal Publishers, 2001), 144-152.
Jonathan Walton,
“Invocation,” Watch This! The Ethics and
Aesthetics of Black Televangelism (New York: New York University Press:
2009), 1-17, http://www.nyupress.org/webchapters/walton_intro.pdf.
Malcolm X, “God’s
Judgment of White America (The Chickens Coming Home to Roost),” December 4,
1963, edited by Imam Benjmain Karim, Malcolm-X.org
http://www.malcolm-x.org/speeches/spc_120463.htm.
This learning management software will house all of our
written and submitted assignments. Through it, I will also share an array of
e-resources to enrich your understanding of African American Religions. See
this site as a digital representation of our classroom community. You can
conveniently access it by selecting our course title under the “Teaching” menu
at sowingtheseed.org.
Poll Everywhere
In order to facilitate efficient exchanges and evaluations
in each session, we will use Poll
Everywhere. Poll Everywhere is an audience response system with which you
will be able to answer questions using SMS text messages, Twitter, web-enabled
devices, or most smart phones.
Class Preparation
Our course is divided into thematic weekly units. Barring a
few exceptions, you will prepare about 20 pages of reading for each class
session. Each week you will receive a study guide to help you hone in on key
concepts, vocabulary terms, and larger questions. Completing the reading and the
study guide are essential for meeting the Student Learning Outcomes.
Tuesday
During Tuesday class sessions, we will spend the first 10
minutes reviewing your study guide. You should bring forth questions from the
reading for small group and class discussion. From there we will launch into a
hands-on activity related to the week’s unit focus and an example of African
American religiosity.
Thursday
For Thursday class sessions, we will begin with a Poll
Everywhere quiz over the material on the week’s study guide. After clarifying
any issues, we will have a seminar discussion over the prepared reading. It
will begin with a short paper presentation by a pre-assigned student, followed
by questions of clarification, qualification, and extension.
Fourth-Hour
In lieu of a fourth-hour in-class meeting, we will continue
our seminar virtually via Canvas. Everyone besides the week’s seminar
facilitator will compose a response paper. These papers will show mastery of
the week’s learning objectives by advancing a thesis that converses with the
facilitator’s paper and the week’s readings. The facilitator will use these
papers to revise his or her work. Together, these materials will provide an
excellent review for midterm and final exams.
Assignments/Evaluations
of Student Learning Outcomes
A. Assessment of
Student Learning Outcomes
My assessment of student learning outcomes will derive from
your performance on the following assignments:
-Study Guide Completion and Class Participation
Each class member is expected to participate in class
activities and complete their study guides. I do not insist that a student
master material on the first attempt, but I expect you to put forth a solid
effort. That means contributing to our corporate review of the study guides and
our Tuesday hands-on activities. Your
study guides are due online by 8:00am on Tuesday unless specified otherwise.
-Quizzes
Our Thursday quizzes cover material related to the week’s
study guide. Each four-question quiz is multiple choice. These measure basic
knowledge over the week’s material. If you are consistently scoring below 75%,
see me immediately so that we may amend any problems with your preparation
practices.
-Seminar Facilitator Paper
Each student is assigned a week where he or she will present
a 4-5-page paper to guide our Thursday seminar discussions. Your paper should
put forth a single thesis about the week’s unit focus (e.g. religion and
violence) in relationship to the tradition or moment we studied that week (e.g.
the Civil Rights tradition). In addition, you should provide three discussion
questions to spur conversation about your paper. Your paper is due by Thursday at midnight (12:01am) on Canvas.
You will also have a chance to revise your paper by the following Thursday at
midnight. The revision will serve as your final grade for the assignment.
-Seminar Response Paper
Each week, students will complete a 3-page paper that builds
upon on the foundation laid by the Seminar Facilitator Paper. This will give
you a final opportunity to work through the covered course material. Your first
page will introduce your thesis about the week’s content—readings,
course discussion, and themes. The next two pages should defend your thesis,
directly citing the week’s readings and the Seminar Facilitator’s Paper. This
assignment is due on Canvas by Sunday at
midnight (12:01am).
When I read your papers, I am looking for whether (1) your
argument reflects a satisfactory understanding of the week’s learning objectives,
(2) does it show appropriate mastery of signifying theory and (3) does it show
appropriate mastery of critical expression (i.e. Get to the Point Introduction model and ACE model). Seminar Response
Papers that do these three things will receive a 100. Those that do not will
receive no credit pending revision by the student. You will have one week from
the day you receive my comments to resubmit your revision in order to receive a
100. Otherwise your grade will remain a 0.
-Midterm Exam
The midterm exam will cover information
from the study guides in addition to insights from our in-class meetings. The
format will include multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, short answer,
and essay. If you keep up with the study guides, actively participate during
class sessions, study the seminar papers, and attend the review session, you
should perform well.
-Final Exam
The final exam will be a take-home
essay and seminar discussion that tests your skills as a critical student of
religion. While the exam will focus on content from the second-half of the
course, you’ll be required to demonstrate the analytical skills that we have
been developing thought the term.
B. Grading of Student Performance
12.5% - Study Guide Completion and
Class Participation
12.5% - Quizzes
15% - Seminar Facilitator Paper
15%- Seminar Response Papers (Fourth-Hour)
20% - Midterm
25% - Final
C. Grading Scale
59 > =F
Unacceptable Performance
60-63 =D-
Insufficient Performance
64-66 =D
Needs Improvement
67-69 =D+
Adequate Performance
70-73 =C-
Acceptable Performance
74-76 =C
Satisfactory Performance
77-79 =C+
Promising Performance
80-83 =B-
Good Performance
84-86 =B
Great Performance
87-89 =B+ Commendable Performance
90-94 =A-
Excellent Performance
95-100 =A Superior Performance
D. Class Schedule
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Unit Focus
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Tuesday
|
Thursday
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Week 1
What is Religion?
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1/13
#BlackLivesMatter
*For homework, please look over the syllabus and post any
questions on the Course Q&A Discussion Board. You can find it under the
Course Mechanics module on Canvas.
-Update your Profile Page on Canvas>People
|
1/15
What is (African-American) Religion?
-Myhre, 3-14
-Do your best to complete the study guide. You will not be
penalized if you do not complete it, but it is good practice for what you
will be doing throughout the semester. Upload it to Canvas before the
beginning of class for extra credit (good for one required study guide).
-Watch the Get to the Point Introduction Video
*Bring (but do not read) the McIntosh essay to class.
| |
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Week 2
How is Religion
Studied?
|
1/20
-Myhre, 15-26
-Watch the ACE Video
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1/22
Black Theology & Black
Religious Studies
-Long, 54-66
| |
|
Week 3
Origin Stories and Religion: How are Religions Formed?
|
1/27
-Myhre, 27-34
*Note that you are not reading the entire chapter in
preparation for class, just the first seven pages. I would like you to begin
reading the next assignment, taking into account what Ratke has to say about
origin stories, myth, and religion.
**Take a look at =>
|
1/29
In Search of Roots: Part 1
-Haley, 96-156
*This reading is a
narrative, so it moves quickly. But give yourself plenty of time to complete
it.
| |
|
Week 4
Religion as
Truth-Claims
|
2/3
-Myhre, 41-52
|
2/5
(Beyond) Ontological
Blackness
-Tittle, 1-6
| |
|
Week 5
Sacred Words,
Stories, Writings, and Books
|
2/10
-Myhre, 53-66
|
2/12
Promised Land &
Black Hebrews
-Walker, 144-152
-Levy
-Matthew
*Try to get a sense of
“Exodus” in each essay
| |
|
Week 6
An Aesthetic
Approach to Religion
|
2/17
-Myhre, 67-78
|
2/19
Five Percenters
-Johnson
-Ju
-Kulow
*Listen to the radio story by Johnson and the videos
included in Shirley. Remember that you’re using an “aesthetic” lens in your
study of religion. So reflect upon the role of the senses in religion.
| |
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Week 7
Midterm Exam Week
|
2/24
Midterm Review
|
2/26
Midterm Exam
| |
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Spring Break
|
3/3 (No Class)
|
3/5 (No Class)
| |
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Week 8
Social Activism and
Engagement
|
3/10
-Myhre, 115-135
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3/12
Black Church & Civil
Rights
-King
-Malcolm X
| |
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Week 9
Violence and
Religion
|
3/17
-Myhre, 97-114
*Take a look at =>
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3/19
Righteous Anger
-Gray
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Week 10
Religious Ethics,
Moral Values, and Standards for Human Conduct
|
3/24
-Myhre, 79-96
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3/26
The Race(s) and Religion(s)
of Barack Obama
-Coates
| |
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Week 11
Ascetically and Mystically
Removed and Engaged
|
3/31
-Myhre, 153-162
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4/2
(Post)Black Transcendentalism
-Vanzant
*Explore her website and record observations of her withdrawal
from and engagement with the world
| |
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Week 12
World Religions:
Environmentally Active
|
4/7
-Myhre, 135-152
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4/9
Conjuring Culture
-Gundaker, 754-773
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Week 13
Technology and
Religion
|
4/14
-Myhre, 163-175
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4/16
Televangelism
-Walton, 1-17
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Week 14
Ritual Studies//
Studying Science and
Religion
|
4/21
-Myhre, 194-210
-Study Guide for Extra Credit (Good for one required study
guide)
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4/23
Family Reunions
-Myhre, 176-193
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Week 15
Studying Science and
Religion
|
4/28
In Search of Roots: Part 2
-Duster
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4/30
Final Exam Q&A
| |
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Final Exam
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Essay due by Thursday,
5/7/15, 7:00 on Canvas.
Meet for seminar
discussion from 8-10:30AM
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