The End of the World in America
Religious Studies 370Professor Amy DeRogatis Religious Studies Department E-Mail: derogatis@cal.msu.edu |
Fall 1999 Mon., Wed., 3:00-4:20 304 Bessey Hall |
Course Goals
/ Class Procedures / Monographs / Course RequirementsCourse Description
In the year 2000 we will reach the millennium. The closer we come
to that moment, the more Americans think about what the chronological landmark means for
ourselves and our communities. This course is designed to examine the various ways
in which American culture has anticipated the end of the world and / or the
millennium. Throughout the course we will focus on how people imagine a New Age or
New World, and will locate those millennial impulses within larger theoretical and
historical frameworks. To do this we will examine how individuals respond to and
refashion American social norms, such as family relationships, gender roles, capitalism,
institutional religion, and the built and natural environment.
Course Goals
There are three primary goals for this course. In this class you
will: 1) become familiar with the historical manifestations of millennialism;
2) look closely at two twentieth century millennial groups; 3) examine the ways in
which millennialism emerges in popular culture. To reach these goals we will read
scholarly and popular writings on millennialism, view films, read novels, and visit
millennial web sites.
Class Procedures
The course is divided into three sections. The first section
introduces you to sacred texts that foretell the end of the world. The second
section adopts a case-study approach to examining American millennial groups. The
last section addresses American apocalyptic culture.
This is an ambitious course in scope and content. You will need
to use a variety of critical thinking strategies to approach the course materials.
Most of the assigned readings and viewings have been written / created in the past few
years; it is material that invites argument and demands appraisal. Class discussion
will be devoted to the consideration of these assigned texts, therefore, the success of
this course depends upon everyone's careful preparation and active
participation.
Monographs
Paul Boyer, When Time Shall Be No More: Prophesy Belief in Modern American Culture (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 1992)
Lawrence Foster, Religion and Sexuality: The Shakers, the Mormons, and the Oneida Community (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1984)
Stuart Wright, Armageddon in Waco (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1995)
Daniel Wojcik, The End of the World as We Know It (New York: New York University, 1997)
David Chidester, Salvation and Suicide (Bloomington: Indiana Univ. Press, 1988)
Course Pack
Videos
The Seventh Sign
The Rapture
Dr. Strangelove
Twelve Monkeys
Web Sites
We will develop webliography and a group standard for evaluating websites.
Start searches here: http://www.mille.org/sites.html
Course Requirements
Your final grade will be determined by the following: Class Participation: 15% Research Paper (11/29/99) 25% Web Site: 10% Midterm (10/27/99): 25% Final: 25% |
Course Participation (15%)
This upper-level class will be conducted as a seminar. Thus, the
success of the class depends on each student's active participation. While I will
lecture occasionally, the bulk of the class time will be devoted to discussing your
responses to the assignments. Therefore, you must come to class prepared to speak,
listen, and think. The required readings must be completed each Tuesday prior to
class. Always bring your readings to class. Participation in a structured
academic discussion requires a particular set of skills. One of my goals for this
class is to help you to develop and fine tune these skills. Thorough preparation
through close reading / viewing is the first and crucial step. Beyond that, you must
learn to ask creative questions that emerge from your own ideas and experiences and
to listen to others while building upon their comments and observations. Full
participation in discussion involves interacting with colleagues through a respectful
exchange of ideas and opinions (See tips for class preparation).
- Your participation grade will be based on your ability to engage in active discussion as outlined above. Half way through the class I will give each student a written progress evaluation and suggestions for improvement.
- Regular attendance will count toward your participation grade. Students may miss up to two classes for necessary absences, however additional absences will affect participation grades.
Research Paper: (25%)
Due: 11/29/99
Each student will research and write an 8-10 page paper. We will
discuss the topics, contents, and guidelines in class.
Web Site (10%)
Each student in this course will construct a web site that examines a
theme of a specific group that we have studied. We will discuss the procedure and
content in class.
Exams (50%)
The midterm and final exams will be blue book exams that will consist
of identifications and essay questions. I will choose identifications and essay
questions. I will choose identification terms from readings, lectures, and
discussions. I will distribute sample essay questions one week prior to each exam.
Film Viewings
Many times this semester you will be asked to view films in the
evenings and sometimes over the weekend. Attendance is required at these viewings
even if you have already seen this video in another context. Discussions of the
films are planned for the class immediately following the viewing.
CRITICAL QUESTIONS: For each film we will ask four critical questions:
1) What events lead to the end of the world?
2) Who initiates these events?
3) Are these events inevitable?
4) How can one survive the end of the world?
Academic Integrity
All the work that you submit for this course falls under the academic
integrity umbrella. Therefore, you must provide citations for ideas, quotes,
paraphrases, etc. that you include in your final projects. Neglecting to cite the
sources is plagiarism. We will discuss proper citation for final projects in this
class, but if at any time throughout the semester you have a question about citing a
source, please ask me!