|
Resources
Websites: reading | research
| statistics | religions
| politics
Issues (Webquests): Evolution vs.
Creationism | 1st
amendment
(links will open in a new window for printer friendly
files or external websites)
How
to read a book This advice will help you keep up with and absorb
what you are reading
 Websites:
Supplemental
readings and materials:
-
Divining
America: Religion and the National Culture (from National Humanities
Center: NHC) Essays on Religion in American from colonial times through the
20th century
-
Religion
and the Founding of the American Republic (from Library of Congress: LoC) explores the role religion played
in the founding of the American colonies, in the shaping of early American
life and politics, and in forming the American Republic. Features over 200
related object images (with captions) including early American books,
manuscripts, letters, prints, paintings, artifacts.
-
Life
in the USA: Religion in America
offers a brief overview of major religious groups in America at the
beginning of the 20th century.
-
Links
to online Powerpoint presentations From Dr.
Mark Stoll, Texas Tech University. Professor Stoll uses the Oxford text Religion
in American Life: A Short History (Jon
Butler, Grant Wacker, Randall Balmer). These are outlines
of background information to supplement the text and can serve to highlight
significant information. (When you open one of these presentations, click on
the "show" icon in the lower right to view the slides. You can
also "expand" the outline view in the left column.)
-
Series
of lectures on Religion in America from professor Terry Matthews, Wake
Forest University. You may find some of these helpful in your research for your
paper.
-
Americans
and Religious Diversity (a worksheet)
The United States is perhaps the most religiously diverse nation in the
world. What do Americans think about religious diversity? Do they see it as
a problem or as a virtue? Using the Religion and Diversity Survey, this
learning module examines some empirical data on Americans' attitudes toward
religious diversity and toward growing numbers of non-Christian Americans.
Resources
for Research:
-
Virtual
Religion Index: American Studies resources for online research regarding religions in America.
Provides links to websites on a variety of topics related to religion in
America. (A potentially valuable resource for researching your term paper or
exploring more in-depth on quite a number of topics you will read about from
your reading.)
-
Religions
in America Research Guide provides access to resources, including links
to Webpages for various American religious groups, some of which may relate
to the religions/denominations related to your research project.
-
The
Pluralism Project at Harvard University. "Our mission is to help
Americans engage with the realities of religious diversity through research,
outreach, and the active dissemination of resources." Provides
directory and profiles of religious centers, news, statistics and many other
resources on over a dozen major religious traditions that have a presence in
America.
-
Religious
Movements contains profiles of over
two hundred small, little known, often misunderstood religious movements,
including many newer groups (don’t call them "cults"!).
Includes information on history, beliefs and practices of the groups as well
as some controversial issues related to various groups.
-
Overview
Of World Religions (Some
pages still under construction) offers an overview of each of 11
major religions (excludes Baha'i - covered under Shia Islam).
Provides a family tree-like diagram of the historical development
and divisions of each religion. Clicking on these divisions gives an
overview of each: Doctrines, history, symbols. Also provides
regional timelines for development of various religions in any given
area of the world (links from the timelines take one to the
historical development diagrams).
Statistics
and Surveys on Religion in America:
-
The
Association of
Religion Data Archive: provides USA and state maps ("maps &
reports") with distribution in
numbers of members, congregations, and rate per 1000 members. Also provides
access to hundreds of social surveys (in their "data archive") with ability to analyze response rates
of specific questions (breakdown includes religious affiliation and
attendance rates of respondents)
-
History of American Religion: Timeline 1600 - 2004
a chronology of American Religious History: 1600 - 2004 by Austin Cline,
Regional Director for the Council for Secular Humanism (2007 About, Inc.)
-
Ontario
Consultants on Religious Tolerance: population
for various faith groups in US
-
Adherents.com
statistics on the largest religious groups in US
-
American
Ethnic Geography provides colorful maps indicating populations by county
for various religions in America
-
Teaching
About Religion: Worldview Education also provides demographics
on the distributions of major religions in America (state-by-state
comparisons)
-
Religion
and Diversity Survey This survey
includes questions about the public's views about religious diversity, such
as attitudes toward and contact with Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. The
survey was designed by Robert Wuthnow at Princeton University in conjunction
with the Responding to Diversity Project sponsored by the Lilly Endowment
(conducted Sept. 2002 - Feb. 2003).
-
American
Piety in the 21st Century (pdf) Selected findings from the Baylor
Religion Survey (Sept. 2006). Reviews current trends in religious
affiliation and beliefs among Americans. (from the Baylor
Institute for Studies of Religion)
-
U.S.
Religious Landscape Survey (2007) Based on interviews with more than
35,000 Americans age 18 and older, this extensive survey by the Pew Forum on
Religion & Public Life details the religious affiliation of the American
public. Learn
about the survey (video) View
the full report
-
 Muslim
Americans: A National Portrait (2008) A Gallup survey of over 300,000
Americans, including almost 1000 Muslims. Did you know that Muslim Americans
are more racially diverse and, on a whole, significantly younger than any
other religious group in American? Learn about these and other interesting
facts. View
the full report (including PDF, PowerPoint of key findings and video of
press conference from March 2, 2009)
On
specific religions in America:
-
The
Jewish Americans from PBS (aired January, 2008): explores 350
years of Jewish American history. Explore themes regarding Jewish
Life in America, including video clips from this six hour
documentary.
-
The
Mormons From PBS Frontline: watch the entire four hour documentary
reviewing Mormon history, beliefs and practices. Companion website
provides FAQs, interactive pages on Mormon history, themes, discussion
and resources (reading and online) to learn more about this unique
American born religion.
On
Religion and Politics in the US:
-
One
Nation: Religion & Politics A Religion & Ethics
Newsweekly blog on various issues concerning religion and American
politics. View videos, read and leave comments.
-
Mitt
Romney Delivers Speech on Faith (NPR, Dec. 6, 2007): Links here provide access to transcripts and audio recordings of the entire speech. Also provided
are links to JFK's speech regarding the place of his Catholic religion in his bid for president.
(JFK's speech has both audio and video available)
-
"Souled
Out" (NPR/Diane Rehm, Feb. 12, 2008): Award-winning
journalist E.J. Dionne explains why he believes the era of dominance
by the Religious Right in American politics is coming to an end. He
also forecasts the role of faith in politics after George W. Bush
leaves the White House.
On
teaching evolution vs. creationism in the public schools (a
webquest) On the First
Amendment to the US Constitution (a webquest)
 Holy
Cow
Catholic
Collision
Religious
Real Estate
Christmas
Questions
What
is a "holy" book?**
Courthouse
or Cathedral?
Washington
Thwarts Theology**
Under
whose God?
Free
to believe, but not to act
Which
God is the Right God?**
Courthouse
Commandments
"In
Buddha We Trust"
|
