First Week After Spring Break
You will be asked to form a small group with one or two other students. Each group will be required to review two chapters in Roger Finke and Rodney Stark’s award-winning book The Churching of America, 1776-1990: Winners and Losers in Our Religious Economy (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1992). [On reserve as a book in the LSC library] Additionally, one group will present on a part in R. Laurence Moore’s book Selling God: American Religion in the Marketplace of Culture (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994). [Pp. 176-88; on reserve as an article in the LSC library.]
Presentation time will be around 10 minutes. You will not be required to turn in a written report, but each group member should present, and each should be prepared to respond to questions. Your response to questions is an important part of your presentation; I will strongly take it into consideration in grading you. You may also be required to ask a question when others are presenting, so write down one or two good questions for each chapter of the book.
Presentations should be orderly and structured. They should address the following questions:
1) What is each chapter about?
2) What are the authors main points?
3) What issue do you think is particularly valuable to yourself or to other students in this class?
4) Can you identify any problems, weaknesses, or unclarities in the author's account?
Even though all students are required to read the whole book, do not assume that your audience is familiar with the chapters' contents.
Students who do not present have to be quiet during the presentations. It is very important not to disturb those giving a presentation. Please be mindful and courteous, and ask questions at the end of the presentation. All group members will receive the same grade. Presentations take place in chronological order of the book’s chapters.
The following are proposed groups, which can be changed.
Chapters Presenting Group Questioner
Finke/Stark
Chap. 1 Barry/Debbie Michael
Chap. 2 Barry/Debbie Jeff
Chap. 3 Andy/Kris Larissa
Chap. 4 Andy/Kris Danielle
Chap. 5 Larissa/Danielle Andy
Chap. 6 Larissa/Danielle Kris
Chap. 7 (with appendix) Jeff/Michael Debbie
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Moore Jeff/Michael Barry