Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

CCOG for HST 247 archive revision 201403

You are viewing an old version of the CCOG. View current version »

Effective Term:
Summer 2014 through Summer 2015
Course Number:
HST 247
Course Title:
Religion in the United States since 1840
Credit Hours:
4
Lecture Hours:
40
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Covers basic features of native American religions, European backgrounds of Christianity, development of different religious groups in the United States and their impact on American life. Audit available.

Intended Outcomes for the course

After successful completion of HST 247 the student will be able to: 

  • Use critical thinking to analyze and evaluate the nature and impact of religion on American life and culture.
  • Understand and appreciate the value of a diversity of religious beliefs.
  • Engage in private and public discussions involving the construction of fact-based arguments regarding issues in the history of religion in the United States.

Social Inquiry and Analysis

Students completing an associate degree at Portland Community College will be able to apply methods of inquiry and analysis to examine social contexts and the diversity of human thought and experience.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

The SAC expects that instructors will assess student learning throughout the term using a variety of methods.  The SAC encourages instructors to consider the following in determining the achievement of course outcomes: 

  • Analyze primary and secondary sources of information.

  • Individual or team oral presentations.

  • Formal written papers that present and analyze historical topics or issues.

  • Participation in, and contribution to, all class and team discussions and activities.

  • Quizzes, exams, and exercises

  • Evaluate different interpretations of the same event.

  • Associate past events to contemporary times.

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

Themes

  • Changes and persistence in religious beliefs or practices

  • Religion and politics

  • Religious movements, revivalism

  • Theological commonalities among religious beliefs

  • Intolerance

Concepts

  • Religious freedom

  • Civic religion

  • Religious pluralism

  • Self-understanding (world view)

  • Utopian communities

  • Millennialism

Issues

  • Freedom of religion

  • “Immigrant” churches

  • Ethnicity, gender and social class

  • Inter- and intra-religious controversies

  • Religious “crusades” and "revivals"

  • Acculturation

  • Anti-Communism

  • Post-modernism

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

  • Critical thinking

  • Evaluate interpretations of historical events

  • Effective communication orally and in writing

  • Analyze the causal relationship between two or more historical events

  • Problem solving

  • Working collaboratively with others

  • Clearly articulate thoughts to a given audience

  • Close reading of primary and secondary sources by drawing on prior knowledge