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CS92PROD
Black Religious and Urban History: Migration and Transformation

CHUM 304
Spring 2007
Section: 01  
Crosslisting: AFAM 305, RELI 489
Course Cluster: Urban Studies

How have the experiences of migration and urbanization affected American religion in general and African American religion in particular? This course will read studies of urban places along with studies of the religions they inspired, examining primarily but not exclusively black religions. By reading urban history and religious history simultaneously, we can achieve an understanding of both content and context. The course will proceed both chronologically and thematically, from the emphasis on the Exodus in nineteenth century Southern African American religion to the embrace of mysticism, Ethiopianism, and Orientalism in the Jim Crow period; from the old-time religion of the Black Church to the newer New Testament-centered faiths of the Holiness and Pentecostal movement. Along the way, the course will use classic case studies of Washington DC, New York, Chicago, and the West, and cover the invention of Black Israelite, Black Muslim, and Rastafarian faiths, the rise of Gospel music, and the importance of African American religion to the Civil Rights movement. For comparisons sake, the course will also include some studies of the urban religions that surrounded black city-dwellers.

Essential Capabilities: Writing
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA RELI
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on APR-26-2024
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