840:343 Religion and Politics Spring 2003
Professor H. Obayashi
Tu./Thur.5th Hck.127
Textbooks:
· Kenneth D. Wald., Religion and Politics in the United States, Congressional Quarterly, Inc.
· Reinhold Niebuhr, Moral Man and Immoral Society, Scribner’s
· * Walter Rauschenbusch, A Theology for the Social Gospel
· David Chidester, Patterns of Power: Religion and Politics in American Culture
· *Rosemary Reuther, The Radical Kingdom.
.
Requirements: A mid-term and the final are scheduled, both of which are essay exams. Participation in this class and keeping up with readings are essential in this course, which will count toward the final grade. Those texts above and below marked with an asterisk are on reserve at both Alexander (College Avenue Campus) and Mable Smith (Douglass Campus) Libraries. Those with a double asterisk are also accessible on the Internet through "Reserve Desk" (see attached)
COURSE SCHEDULE
I. The Biblical Background
1. Mosaic Concept of the Covenant as a Principle of Community
Max Weber, The Ancient Israel. (not on reserve)
**Max Weber, Sociology of Religion 46-79.
**Cecil Roth, History of the Jews, 1-46.
**Cecil Roth, A short History of The Jewish People; 15-46
*Bernard J. Bamberger, The Story of Judaism, 1-31. (Douglass Library only)
*Cornelius Loew, Myth, Sacred History and Philosophy, 99-117.
2. Prophets: Their Ideas of Justice, Peace and the Well-being of the People
* R. H Charles, Eschatology, 82-156.
Max Weber, The Sociology of Religion, 46-117.
Jacques Ellul, The Politics of God and the Politics of Man.
Cecil Roth, ibid., 47-69.
Bamberger, ibid., 32-55.
*Roland Bainton, Christian Attitudes Toward War and Peace, 17-52.
**Loew, ibid., 117-181.
3. Eschatology and Apocalypse: Images and Symbols in the Envisionings of the Future.
R. H. Charles, Eschatology, 168-246.
**Robert H. Pfeiffer, History of the New Testament Times, 1-90.
**C.K. Barret, The New Testament Background; 227-237
G. Vermes, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English.
Roth, ibid., 70-132.
Bamberger, ibid., 59-104.
4. The Christian Origin: Political Implications of the Life and Teachings of Jesus.
**John Yoder, The Politics of Jesus; 11-25
Ernst Kaseman, Jesus Means Freedom.
David M. Rhoads, Israel in Revolution: 6-74 C.E.
5. Marxist Interpretation of the Christian Origin
**Frederick Engels, “On the History of Early Christianity,” in Marx & Engels on Religion, 316-347.
II. European Background
1. Augustine: Church and State, “The City of God,” Just War.
Frederick W. Dillistone, “The Anti-Donatist Writings,” in Roy W.
Battenhouse, ed., A Companion to the Study of St. Augustine.
**Williston Walker, A History of The Christian Church, 160-167.
2. Medieval Issues in Church and State: Simony, Nicholaitanism and Lay
Investiture.
Kenneth Wald, Religion and Politics in the United States, 7-14
**Walker, ibid., 179-212.
3. Sectarian Movements in the Middle Ages: Monasticism, Hussite Rebellion,
Apocalypticism of Joachim Flore, Cathari, Waldensians, Savonarola.
Walker, ibid., 219-238, 252-274.
4. Church and State During the Reformation Times.
**Roland Bainton, The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century; 36-56.
Bertram Bornkam, Luther’s World of Thought.
Wilhelm Pauck, The Heritage of the Reformation.
J. T. McNeil, The History and Character of Calvinism.
Francois Wendel, Calvin.
5. The Radical Reformation: Its Socio-Political Outlook.
George H. Williams, The Radical Reformation.
Rufus Jones, The Spiritual Reformers of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries.
*Roland Bainton, Hunted Heretic: The Life and Death of Michael Servetus.
Library of Christian Classics, Spiritual and Anabaptist Writers.
*Rosemary Reuther, The Radical Kingdom.
III. Religion and Politics in America
1. Puritan Theocracy in America
*Kenneth D. Wald, Religion and Politics in the United States, 42-59.
David Chidester, Patterns of Power: Religion and Politics in American Culture, 1-48.
*William Sweet, The Story of Religion in America, 1-82.
*Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
2. Religion and The Politics in the New Republic
Wald, ibid., 59-72
Wald, 73-97; 97-123.
Marvin E. Frankel, Faith and Freedom
Chidester, 49-80; 80-107.
3. The First Amendment Religion Clauses
Wald, ibid., 73-87
John Witte, Religion and the American Constitutional Experiment; 82-92
4. Religion and the Supreme Court
Wald, ibid., 87-123
Witte, ibid; 101-148
5. Religion and American Public Policy
Wald, ibid., 124-144
Wald, ibid., 145-188
6. Evangelicalism, Social Gospel and Fundamentalism
Wald, ibid; 217-266
**Winthrop Hudson, Religion in America, 59-82.
*Peter Williams, America’s Religions, 166-174.
George Mardsen, Fundamentalism and American Culture.
Washington Gladden, Social Christianity.
*Walter Rauschenbusch, A Theology for the Social Gospel.
7. Religion and Minority Groups: Native Americans, Black Americans and Immigrant Americans
Chidester, 110-138; 139-164; 165-191.
*H. Richard Niebuhr, Social Sources of Denominationalism.
Will Herberg, Protestant, Catholic, Jews
8. Christian Realism Looks at Religion and Politics
Reinhold Niebuhr, Moral Man and Immoral Society (the whole volume).
9. The Religious Dimension of American Political Behavior
Wald, ibid., 169-188
Wald, ibid., 188-216
10. Some Issues of Religion and Politics in Israel and Moslem Countries
**Manfred H. Vogel, "The
State as Essential Expression of the Faith of Judaism",
In Cities of God, edited by Nigel Biggar, et al; 11-20.
**Robert M. Seltzer,"
Judaism and Liberal Causes: A Severe Covenant?", In Cities of God,
21-33
**Mitchell Cohen, "Pluralism & Theocrats: The Conflict Between Religion & State in Israel",
In cities of God; 35-51
**Fazler Rahman, "Islam
& Political Action: Politics in the Service of Religion",
In Cities of God; 153-165
**Charles J. Adams, "Islamic Resurgence, Religion and Politics in the Muslim World",
In Cities of God; 167-191
**Marvin Zonis, "How useful is Islam as an explanation of the Politics of the Middle East",
In Cities of God; 193-209