Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Upon successful completion students should be able to:

• Articulate and interpret an understanding of key historical facts and events in the history of religion in the U.S. to 1840.
• Identify the influence of culturally based practices, values, and beliefs to analyze how historically defined meanings of difference affect human behavior.
• Identify and investigate historical theses, evaluate information and its sources, and use appropriate reasoning to construct evidence-based arguments on historical issues.
• Construct a well organized historical argument using effective, appropriate, and accurate language.

Assess by using any combination of the following:

• Exams
• Essays
• Oral presentations
• Research projects
• Book critiques
• Service Learning
• Class participation and discussion
• Other creative assignments

Competencies and Skills:

Analyze and evaluate primary and secondary sources:

• Connect evidence to its relevant historical context
• Analyze and evaluate written, artistic, or other evidence
• Assess the motivation and purpose of evidence

Evaluate different interpretations of past events and construct your own interpretation:

• Identify a historian’s thesis and supporting evidence
• Evaluate the arguments used to support different interpretations of historical issues
• Develop your own thesis and historical interpretation and use evidence to support it

Think critically about the relationship between past and present events and issues:

• Recognize and identify historical roots and parallels to current issues

Compare and contrast the experience of diverse groups in society:

• Listen to and appreciate the experience of students from a variety of  backgrounds
• Assess the contributions and experiences of various groups in society

Demonstrate college-level communications skills with an emphasis on writing (and may include listening and speaking):

• Communicate effectively in writing about a historical topic
• Communicate in writing an understanding of historical process and an evaluation of how concepts or values change over time

Clearly articulate thoughts and ideas to a particular audience which may include:

• Working collaboratively with other students to evaluate and understand historical events
• Working collaboratively with others in discussions, debate, or role plays
• Presenting information in oral presentations

Themes, Concepts, Issues:

• The origins and development of religious beliefs or practices

• Relationship between religion and politics

• Religious movements, revivalism

• Theological commonalities among religious faiths

• Intolerance

• Religion and social movements

• Freedom of Religion

• Civic religion

• Religious pluralism

• Self-understanding of the faithful (world view)

• Millennialism

• Syncretism

• Social justice

• Traditional religions

• Freedom of Religion

• Spiritual belief and individual conscience (dissension)

• Ethnicity, gender and social class

• Inter- and intra-religious controversies

• Religious “awakenings”

• Religious acculturation

• Proselytizing

• Modernism