LFU:online

Institut für Amerikastudien Institut für Amerikastudien

Mag. Georg Engel Mag. Georg Engel

610012

"One Nation under God?" - Religion and Politics in America

PS 2

wöch.

keine Angabe

Englisch

More than any other Western nation, America has always been a nation of believers, since 2001 with an openly religious President at its helm. This proseminar will focus on the battle lines in the cultural war between religious America and secular America, between the constitutional right to freedom of religion and the counterclaim of freedom from religion. Apart from looking at some important historical aspects which may explain the exceptional position of religion in America today, the proseminar will deal with the highly controversial issues that the two Americas fight for/against in the field of education (creationism vs. Darwinism; intelligent design vs. evolution; banned books; school prayer; sex education; home schooling) and politics (abortion, religious symbols in public space; family planning and AIDS prevention, foreign policy; religion and war; Faith-based and Community Initiatives, etc.). In this context we will also have to look at the (real and attempted) influence of religious groups and “religious empires” (TV-evangelists; religious media empires such as CBN [=Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network] and TBN [=Trinity Broadcasting Network]) on election campaigns and on the political decision-making process. We will also have to look at the whole complex of “Bush and Religion”, since he has pursued openly religious policies and enjoys close ties to the Religious Right. I want to emphasize that the focus of the proseminar is not on religious and theological aspects but on social and political aspects.

Finding relevant information/material; writing a research paper; effective presentation of a paper in class; developing debating skills within the peer group. Short lecture inputs; analysis of a variety of texts; student presentations; discussion.

short lecture inputs; student presentations; discussion; final exam

Students must have passed the "Introduction to American Literature and Culture" to attend this course
Beginn: 7. 3. 2006