Chosen Peoples, Chosen Nation
RELI 275
Fall 2010 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
AMST 216 |
This course will examine a range of social, political, and philosophical issues surrounding the concept of chosenness--the belief that a particular community (usually one's own) has been singled out by God for some special favor or purpose. We will trace the roots of this concept in the Hebrew Bible and examine a number of religious communities (including Orthodox Jews, Black Hebrew Israelites, Puritans, and Rastafarians) who have claimed divine chosenness through narratives of Israelite descent. Above all, however, we will examine the role of chosenness in popular understandings of American national identity, tracing the history of U.S. claims to be a chosen nation. |
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Essential Capabilities:
None |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS RELI |
| Course Format: Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (AMST)(RELI) |
Major Readings:
Conrad Cherry, GOD'S NEW ISRAEL: RELIGIOUS INTERPRETATIONS OF AMERICAN DESTINY
Sacvan Bercovitch, THE AMERICAN JEREMIAD
Michael Barkun, RELIGION AND THE RACIST RIGHT
Regina Schwatz, THE CURSE OF CAIN: THE VIOLENT LEGACY OF MONOTHEISM
Anders Stephanson, MANIFEST DESTINY
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Examinations and Assignments:
A series of short papers on the readings, and a longer paper based on library research. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This course fulfills the "Thematic Approach" requirement for the Religion department major. |
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