Major Title: “American
Values: Religion and Society in the United States”
Description:
The purpose of this major is to explore religious
values as they function within social institutions. My
goal is to research and understand the interactions between the
value systems of the United States, major religions (primarily
Christianity) and their reflections in social institutions- particularly
aspects of these value systems which carry either undertones
or direct mandates for creating social equity. Social psychology
and social ethics will be the broad foundation upon which Christian
ethics, in particular, can be held up in relationship to political
science and sociology. At the intersection of all these
disciplines, this major will then look at the psychology of individuals
and their means of creating their individual understandings of
society and culture, into which their religious values are integrated. Specifically,
it will ask how it is that many individuals of many backgrounds
claim that equal opportunity and social justice take high priority,
yet fail to establish institutions or social structures that
reflect these values. Course work will fall into three
main categories: Social Science Resources for Studying Religion,
Religious Communities and Values, and Integrated Studies of Religion
and Society. In brief, this major is a study of the
interrelationships of individuals, U.S. society, and its religious
value systems.
Rationale:
In my studies thus far, I have found that the academic
approach to religion is fascinating but unfulfilling. A
study of religion within its social context, as opposed to a
study of religion as sets of beliefs and abstract values is crucial
to mobilize religious communities within their unique settings
so that they can mold society and be molded by it, allowing each
to evolve towards forging a more socially responsible, cohesive,
and just world. I find this sociological aspect of a religions
existence vital to unearthing the essence of any religion's realized
purpose. Thus, I am intrigued by how religions interact
with the societies from which they take nourishment and grow,
which invariably leads to analysis of the society itself, in
the form of political science, the psychological makeup of individual
members, sociology, and anthropology. Bringing these other
disciplines into dialogue with a study of religion is something
an established major in one department will not do, and the interrelationships
revealed as the study progresses will allow a synthesis of information
from various fields towards a cohesive understanding of the subject
matter. This will be a liberal arts major, drawing on almost
all branches of the humanities and requiring a command of many
modes of discourse, reasoning, and exploration. Further,
this major is consistent with St. Olaf's traditional emphasis
on a global perspective, concern for the importance of religion,
and interest in service. The practical knowledge of how
religion interacts with the dynamics of society will be useful
in almost any area of the ministry or social justice work, which
are my passions. Perhaps with this major I will have a
perspective as I go into the world that will allow me to see
connections where others may not and have a mind trained for
solving problems or inconsistencies that often go unattended.
Life Experiences:
The serendipity of the spring semester of my first year here is perhaps largely responsible for the genesis of this major, though I believe the seeds of my passion for this subject were planted long ago. My grandfather is a Lutheran minister, and I was raised by open-minded and thoughtful parents, who have always encouraged questioning and exploring the world. Last semester, after returning from the “Political and Liberation Theologies” interim program, I was struck by the immediacy of a coming war and the jarring disconnect I felt with issues in the world beyond St. Olaf. I found my way to St. Olaf Peace and Justice, the Northfield People for Peace and Goodwill, and to many friends who have since been a part of an awakening of my spirit to a world beyond my personal concerns and experiences. I feel a part of the world in a way I have not before, and am taken with a passion to serve and understand the community I participate in, particularly through my religious beliefs, which have always been of profound importance to me.
Courses:
Social Science Resources for Studying Religion: -Psychology 249 “Social Psychology”-
This course lays groundwork for analyzing how people behave in
groups, and a means for linking value systems and social institutions
via psychological theory. This course is foundational to
unearthing links between what people say, think, and do in groups.
-Political Science 117 “Politics and Human
Rights”- Religious institutions have direct and indirect
bearings on political ones. This course would be a means to analyze
various understandings of human rights in politics, without the
encumbrances of various religious doctrines, but rather with
the most basic of operating definitions, which can than be incorporated
back into perspectives of various faiths.
-Sociology 243 “Social Movements”- Here is a forum for addressing how changes, when thay may be called for in the context of social justice study, have been and may be effected. This is a study of acting on whatever conclusions may be drawn in studying how social justice issues and religious values interact.
-Sociology/Anthropology "Religion and Social Activism"
- This course is designed to investiage the ways in which religious
groups have been involved in or related to various social movements
in the past and the understand the relationship between religious
institutions and the stirrings of social change today.
-Sociology/Anthropology 373 “Ethnographic Research Methods”- This course will provide the practical tools for collecting and analyzing information to create my senior project.
-Interdisciplinary Studies 238 “War and Peace”-
Conflict is a crucible for societies and their claimed values. Perspectives
on conflict, violence, peace, or non-violence throughout history
will provide some of the starkest contrasts and comparisons
between value systems and actions, and may provide insights
into the
role of religious value systems in the most successful and
least successful societies.
Religious Communities and Values:
-Religion
241 “Judaism, Christianity, Islam”- A basic understanding
of these much related faiths- their basic values and the connections
and divergences among them will be essential to considering
how social justice manifests itself in societies were any one
of
these faiths is predominant or where any of them are in conflict.
-Religion 289 “Buddhism”-
In the context of my studies, Buddhism will be considered as a vehicle for messages
of justice and peace, another social model to be presented
and of which to conisder the practical implications..
Integrated Studies of Religion and Society:
-Religion 218 “Political and Liberation Theologies”-
This lens for interpreting the Christian Scriptures will provide
the social justice implicit in the Christian value system, from
one perspective, especially as seen by oppressed peoples throughout
the world.-Religion 295 “Religious Pluralism and the Nature
of Community”-
This course will provide a dialogue between themes throughout
other religion courses studied, and draw social models out of
each, allowing applications of justice theories to step outside
the bounds of individual religions and into a world of many faiths.
-Religion 296 “Love, Justice, and Social
Relations”- This course will explore ethics with a Christian
framework and how they function in specific aspects of society,
which will lend a vocabulary for creating models for turning
Christian values into social ethics.
-Religion 391 “Social Justice in the Bible”-
This will be a very focused, specifically Christian analysis
of what role social justice should and does take in the Bible
and how that impacts the parts of the world largely populated
by people of the Christian religion.
-Religion 399 "Globalization and World Religions" - This course will offer the lens of globalization as a current phenomenon in which religion, particularly Christianty, must strive to remain relevant and mainatin integrity of teaching and values.
Integrative Studies 391/392 “Senior Project I/II”- One or two courses that I complete will be independent research, for the formation and organization of information to be used in my senior project. I expect this to be primarily off campus, more of a field research/study. |