Florida State University History Religion in American History Essay

Essay 1. This question asks you to put on your historian’s hat and tell a synthetic, interpretative story about religion in American history. Make an argument for what you see as one of the most important themes or developments in American religious history. Use three examples to support your argument, one from each of our three units. Move chronologically (you could select, for instance, one example from the colonial period, one from the 19th century, and one from the 20th century). As always, draw on the course texts and cite them.

You may choose to answer this question thematically, e.g.: “One of the most important themes in American religion is X.” Or, you may answer it developmentally, e.g.: “In the history of religion in America, we see a development from X to Y.” Take some time to think before composing your story.

Essay 2. Question 2 is just about Unit 3. Try not to repeat examples from your answer to question 1. Remember you may draw from scholarly articles (for Unit 3, these would include Bellah, Wilson, Urban, Cone, Kranson), primary sources (Wichita Eagle, Mooney), works of cultural criticism (Williams, Farrag, Gray, Loeffler), documentaries and films (Burns, Chaudary), and other resources including the lectures and discussions.

Kranson describes the challenges of being a Jew on “America’s terms.” First, explain what counter-cultural Jews meant by “America’s terms.” Then, apply this general idea to at least two other religious groups we’ve studied this unit (such as the Nation of Islam, Ghost Dancers, Peyotists, the Lost Cause, etc.). What does it mean for the groups to live on America’s terms, and how did the groups respond to those pressures?