Christianity in America: Puritans to the 20th Century by Joseph F. Kelly, Ph.D.—Full Course Description

This six-part course will survey the history of Christianity in this country from the colonial period to today with emphasis upon the impact of American civic values (e.g., democracy, free speech, separation of church and state) upon the development of Christianity here. The course will use Power Points, and its six sessions :

1. The earliest colonies - Anglicans in Virginia, Catholics in Maryland, diversity in New Amsterdam/New York, and Puritanism in New England - the latter topic will include the Salem Witch trials of 1692 and the Puritan commitment to education.

2. The growth of Protestantism, especially Presbyterianism, and tensions with the established Anglican church; Quaker Pennsylvania and freedom of religion; arrival of Baptists and Methodists; the French and Indian War as crusade.

3. Enlightenment values and the Founding Fathers; Jefferson and religious freedom; the First Amendment; the career of John Carroll; adapting the Faith to republican values

4. Western expansion; Christianity and slavery; abolition as a religious issue; European Catholic immigration; the Industrial Revolution and the Social Gospel; establishment of Christmas as a national holiday.

5. Modernism and Fundamentalism with attention to the Scopes' trial; the Temperance Movement; impact of the movement to the suburbs; the ecumenical movement; establishmenet of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

6. Civil Rights; feminism; gay rights; involvement of the Supreme Court in religious issues; abortion; presidential religious "firsts" - a Catholic, a born-again Baptist, a divorced president, a pro-choice president; class discussion on the future of Christianity in the U.S.

VISITORS FROM INDONESIA!

The Dean received a call from the Cleveland Council of World Affairs, stating that six men from Indonesia had been chosen by the U.S. Ambassador because of their leadership abilities to fly to the U.S. to learn about religious pluralism.  The Council heard that we had presented a program last year on Abrahamic Traditions, consisting of topics such as hospitality, prayer, eating, sacred texts, study, and almsgiving.

Since Joe LaGuardia works at Ursuline College, he hosted the visitors there for an afternoon.  Bernadette LaGuardia and Dr. Audrey Miller (who wrote the grant for the Abrahamic program) were present to describe the program.  All six spoke English, but they had two translators with them who helped with difficult concepts by translating into Indonesian.  After leaving Ursuline, the Indonesians went to Salt Lake, then to Seattle and back to Washington, D.C.  They had already visited Charlotte.

We were so pleased to present this follow-up to our successful Abrahamic program, and the visitors asked many questions and one said he would take the format back to his country.  It made us feel that the positive words and actions of our participants were going out to the whole world!  Check the pictures in our Photo Gallery.