What is the amorphous, ill-defined, and changing movement of Christian conservatives known as the religious right, or the Christian Right in America? Countless books, articles, television talk shows, special news reports, and even political campaigns and angry protests have focused on the subject. Who are they? What do they believe? What accounts for their rise over the last forty years? And how do they influence society and politics today?
The goal of this course is to have you think systematically and clearly in three areas: 1) the social bases of the Christian Right in America, 2) the causes and consequences of conservative social movements, and 3) the contemporary role of the Christian Right in U.S. politics. By the end of the semester, you should be able to articulate the main factors responsible for the mobilization of the Christian Right, some of the key social dynamics within the Christian Right, the social, political, and moral issues of central concern to the Christian Right, and the relationship between the Christian Right, the larger conservative movement in the United States, and the lives and concerns of everyday Americans.
This course is taught only once very four years. It is kept deliberately small so that the focus can be on seminar discussion. There are no lectures. Instead, students work together as a community of learners to collaboratively learn and discuss the materials together. The professor facilitates this community, and guides it where necessary. But the direction of the course, the issues that are raised, and the concerns explored are all ultimately up to the students themselves. Some of these discussions will be held asynchronously (which students can participate in when it is most convenient) and others will be held live via Zoom during the regularly scheduled class time.
There is no textbook for the course. Instead, we will read a series of books, book excerpts, and articles that offer different windows into the religious right in the U.S. Much of this is read through the Perusall service, which allows us to read and annotate the materials together. Some sample materials from the course:
- Hana Rosin's book God's Harvard
- Lydia Bean's book The Politics of Evangelical Identity
- Zoe Chace's podcast Who Really Is On Line 1?
- Benjamin Edelman's article Red Light States: Who Buys Online Adult Entertainment
Students will also have the opportunity to work with course concepts and demonstrate their grasp of material through a larger class project that we develop together. The last group project was an interactive timeline of the Christian Right. This year, we will develop a podcast on the Christian Right, Transforming America, with students contributing three episodes each to the podcast.
The course is rebuilt each time it's taught to incorporate the best available material and feedback from students.
I really enjoyed this class – every single reading and class discussion provided such an interesting context of the Christian Right that I had no clue about before...I learned so much and enjoyed it greatly.
This class has been exceptional...it has been far and above other classes.
Your class was one of the most engaging that I've taken in my four years at Lehigh, and that's despite being remote!
The Christian Right in America is taught by Professor Ziad Munson. The last time the course was taught, in Fall 2016, the average student rating of Dr. Munson's effectiveness in the course was 5.0 out of 5.
Credits:
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