Religion in America

1. Religion in America

2. New World Experiment • Depended on a population of educated people • Social order depended on morality and morality on religion • Bible reading would foster faith, which would foster ethical behavior, which would sustain social order

3. American Revolution • Children needed to read not only to be good Protestants but also to be good citizens—to free themselves from the tyranny of popes as well as kings. • The American experiment, which vested sovereignty in the people, depended for its survival on an informed citizenry.

4. American Education • Both religious and secular • 17th and 18th century New England was “perhaps the most literate place on earth” (61). • “Literary rates for whites were higher—for both men and women—in the colonies than on the Continent” (62).

5. African Americans and Indians • Literacy came slowly • For African Americans—slave owners feared for their slave to learn to read the Bible for themselves • W.E.B. DuBois: Only 5% could read on the eve of the Civil War

6. King James Bible • In 9 out of 10 homes in the early republic • The best-selling book and the most influential cultural artifact • The book for reading in households and schools well into the 19th century • “a manual of law, literature, history, and warfare, as well as a primer for reading and, of course, for religion” (62).

7. Sermons/Lectures • “The average weekly churchgoer in New England . . . listened to something like seven thousand sermons in a lifetime, totaling somewhere around fifteen thousand hours of concentrated listening” (63). • Equivalent to roughly 10 times the listening load of a four-year college student today

8. Limitations • Limited to Christianity—more specifically Protestantism • Anti-Catholicism was one of its key components • Very limited knowledge about Judaism or Mohammedanism (Islam) • Only most sophisticated scholar or well-traveled sea captain knew of Asian religions

9. Puritans • Reigning theology in the colonies • Recognized two clerical offices: pastor and teacher • 4 part sermons: text, doctrine, reasons, and uses • Emphasized scripture—reading it, understanding it, applying it

10. Myth • Once upon a time American education was secular • Wrong! From their beginning, common public schools were very much a part of an unofficial yet powerful Protestant establishment

11. Sunday Schools • Fostered religious literacy by • publishing and distributing religious tracts • constructing a vast network of libraries, which just before the Civil War accounted for most of the nation’s total libraries and nearly half its total library volumes • Taught middle-class morality

12. Colleges • America’s first 3 colleges were established to educate clergy • Harvard-1636 • William and Mary-1693 • Yale-1701

13. Pious Politics • President Eisenhower baptized while in office on Feb. 1, 1953 • “Under God” phrase added to Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 • “In God We Trust” becomes nation’s official motto in 1956

14. Judeo-Christian Nation • Re-historicized as a Judeo-Christian nation due to influx of Catholic and Jewish population • The three joined together to fight Godless communism • Affirmed one God who Creator, Lawgiver, and Judge, who inspired the Bible, acted in history, and adopted Americans as a chosen people of sorts

15. Rewriting Religion • Sacrifices religious literacy (specificity) for tolerance • Lowest common denominator morality • Spirituality: • religion stripped down to its experiential dimension • Do-without-religion • Religion without memory

16. America Today: Still Highly Religious • America is a highly religious country, and has been since its earliest days. Nearly every religion in the world has adherents or organized institutions in the United States. American religious institutions are large, powerful and influential in social and political life. Even Americans who are members of no established religion are likely to believe in God. According to a Gallup opinion survey, nearly all Americans, 98% of them, believe in a higher power, compared to 84% in Switzerland, 73% in France and 60% in Sweden. • Americans also tend to believe in life after death: 73% compared to 50% in Switzerland and only 38% in Great Britain. About 60% of Americans are members of a church, synagogue or other religious group, though many more identify with various religions because of their birth or upbringing. About 40% of Americans attend religious services regularly, compared to only 20% in Great Britain.

17. Separation of Church & State • The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the first of the “Bill of Rights,” states that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” • Looking back through the funnel of history, the founding fathers all had connections to some variety of what we now call Protestantism. • Despite the legal primacy of separation of church and state, Christianity and the Judeo-Christian tradition represented in the bible are extremely important constituents of American culture.

18. Christian Majority • The United States has the largest Christian population of any country on earth. Although the proportion of Christians saw a slight decline in the last two decades of the 20th century, Christians still make up nearly four-fifths of the American population. American Christianity encompasses many sects and theologies, and yet breaks down into three major classifications: Evangelical Protestants, Mainline Protestants, and Roman Catholics. The broad Evangelical classification is the largest group, and it is growing. Roman Catholics, nevertheless, outnumber any individual Protestant or Evangelical denomination. • American Christianity is by no means monolithic. Roman Catholic and Protestant theologies have radically different approaches to theological issues, and even lifestyle. Protestantism itself divides into dozens of independent denominations, each with different practices and administrative hierarchies. • A number of Christian groups do not fall into the broader classifications: the Eastern Orthodox Church, Armenian and Polish National Catholics, The Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarians and Christian Scientists, plus many smaller sects. • Among non-Christians, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism cover about 5% of the American population, with those having no religious affiliation accounting for the remaining 15%.

19. Protestantism • Baptists: • Full body immersion baptism, Southern “Bible Belt,” Southern Baptist Convention • Methodists: • Very active in social causes, flexible baptism standards, United Methodist Church • Lutheran: • Martin Luther, oldest, retains many Catholic practices, upper Midwest • Presbyterians • Appointment of church members as deacons or elders, originated in Scotland, • Episcopalean • Smallest sect yet richest, 11 presidents were episcopalean, mix of Catholic and Protestant traditions (ex: priests yet they can marry)

20. Seventh Day Adventists • Seventh-Day AdventistsThe Seventh-Day Adventist Church has its origins in 19th century America. The “seventh day” portion of the group’s title reflects its observance of Saturday as the Sabbath. The “Adventist” portion reflects the church’s tenet that the Advent, or Second Coming of Christ, is about to occur. The church counts more than two million American members. Seventh-Day Adventists keep the Sabbath. They worship on Saturdays and refuse to do secular work on that day, preferring to do charity work or engage in family activities and meals. An important part of Adventist Holy Communion, which takes place only four times a year, is the ritual foot washing called the “Ordinance of Humility,” based on Christ’s washing of his disciples’ feet at the Last Supper. Members partake of a symbolic “Lord’s Supper” after the ceremony is complete. • Adventists believe in a sense of destiny and consider it their duty to warn others of the impending end of the world. They believe in the infallibility of biblical scripture. Their interrelated concepts of “investigative judgment” and “divine sanctuary” deal with the process of salvation in the face of individual free will.

21. The Quakers • A relatively small group that has played an important role in U.S. history has been the Quakers, members of the “Religious Society of Friends.” Originating in 17th century England, they were the original founders of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the “City of Brotherly Love.” Since early days, Quakers have been associated with pacifism. Other Quaker customs, now largely extinct, but still referred to in popular culture, include the custom of plain dress as well as plain speech (the use of the archaic familiar pronouns such as “thou,” “thee,” “thy” and “thine” instead of the formal pronouns “you,” “your” and “yours.”) Persecution of Quakers by other religious groups in both Great Britain and early America led to some of the earliest efforts to guarantee religious liberty in America. One of the keys to Quakerism is the participant’s highly personal relationship with God. Quakers believe in an “inner” baptism and communion. In their meetings, all members bear witness to their principles and the way they live their faith.

22. Mennonite • The Mennonite movement began with the Anabaptists in Germany, Switzerland and Holland in the 16th century. Its key tenet was the concept of adult baptism, and more generally the notion that adult believers should freely choose to involve themselves in their religion rather than being enrolled automatically at birth. Anabaptists and Mennonites faced severe persecution in both Catholic and Protestant countries until they found a safe haven in the Quaker settlements of Pennsylvania. Further Mennonite immigration in the 19th century brought groups to Ohio and Indiana. A wide variety of Mennonite sub-groups are active in the United States. An ongoing theme of Mennonite life throughout American history has been a refusal to engage in military service, and a resistance to American involvement in wars of all kinds. Mennonite groups shun involvement in American political, social and cultural life to varying degrees and may sometimes administer their own schools. Some conservative Mennonites retain archaic modes of “modest” dress, the women favoring long dresses and bonnets. The employment of modern technologies and conveniences varies widely among Mennonite groups.

23. Amish • The “Amish” people, most numerous in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana (but active all over the United States) are ultra-conservative Mennonites. Most Amish people refuse all modern conveniences, including automobiles, photography, and electricity. Nearly all are of German descent, and many continue to speak German dialects. They dress in clothing reminiscent of the 19th century, and use horses and buggies for transportation. They educate their children only through the typical “eighth-grade” level to keep worldly influences to a minimum. • The Amish represent a unique corner of American life, highly at odds with the prevailing concept of American individualism. Central to Amish belief is their rejection of any form of pride and personal arrogance, their embrace of humility, and a certain level of “going with the flow” in submitting to the will of Jesus. These extremely religious people center their lives on work, faith, family, and community rather than on the self.

24. Mormon • The Mormons, or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, are by far the largest in the “other Christians” category with over five million adherents. The church was founded in western New York State in 1830 by Joseph Smith, who claimed to have received his authority by direct divine bestowal. Mormons believe in the Bible and in their own complementary work, The Book of Mormon. They believe in immortality and in the need for the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They believe that people travelled to ancient America from Israel to settle and that some of them were prophets. A prophet named “Mormon” wrote the Book of Mormon which God preserved on gold plates for Joseph Smith to find in 1820 and translate. The Book of Mormon shows how Jesus Christ visited ancient America after his Ascension. Mormons were greatly persecuted in their early years and eventually found a home in the desert of Utah. In earlier days, they were associated with polygamy (having many wives), though the church now eschews this practice. They abstain from all alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea. Mormons believe in active proselytization, and each strives to serve at least a year as a missionary. • Because the Mormons believe a person can have his or her ancestors ordained and be capable of eternal life, Mormons place great store on genealogy and finding one's ancestors. They maintain large genealogical databases which they allow outside researchers to use.

25. Christian Scientists • Christian Scientists follow the Bible and teachings of Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910) as expressed in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Most American Christian Scientists are members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts (the “Mother Church” ) as well as branch churches. To promulgate its teachings, the Church maintains Christian Science “Reading Rooms” in most major communities. • Christian Scientists believe that God is divine mind and that matter is only a false sense of substance. The Christian Scientist strives to see his or her true sense as spiritual. Accordingly, disease is a result of the delusions of the carnal mind. Prayer and spiritual understanding can thus overcome disease. Because of these beliefs, Christian Scientists do not believe in scientific medicine, but have their own highly trained “practitioners” who treat illnesses through spiritual means. As a result, Christian Scientists are sometimes at odds with the law. They have been the subject of many controversial court cases, often related to their refusal to provide conventional medical treatment for their children. Another ongoing controversy involves health insurance reimbursement for “spiritual” health care.

26. Unitarian Universalists • Unitarian Universalists have only a few hundred thousand members but have had influence on American society far in excess of their numbers. U.S. Presidents John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Fillmore and Taft were Unitarians, as were many prominent Americans like Susan B. Anthony, Horace Mann, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau. Unitarian Universalists believe in the oneness of God rather than in a trinity. They value the ethical precepts of Jesus rather than his spiritual leadership. They believe in a meaning of life here and now on earth. • Unitarian Universalists open their thinking up to all religions and ethical teachings and accept all kinds of people into their church, even atheists. It is the Unitarian Universalist belief that the belief in God is a personal one. Because they do not accept Jesus Christ as “lord and savior,” many other Christian churches do not accept Unitarian Universalists as Christians, though Unitarian Universalists consider themselves Christian because of the inspiration they derive from Christ's ethical teachings.

27. Jehovah’s Witness • Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian Christian denomination with roots in the late 19th century America. Witnesses reject the notion of the holy trinity. They believe that God sent Jesus to earth as a sacrifice to vindicate his sovereignty and that Christ took power in heaven as king in 1914. He cast Satan out of heaven at that time, causing troubles to begin on earth. The “great tribulation” is going to come, during which God will destroy everything that is wicked and begin a thousand year reign of Christ. After Armageddon, conditions of paradise as in the Garden of Eden will be restored to the earth. Jehovah's Witnesses believe in actively preaching their doctrine and trying to gain converts by going door to door (dressed modestly) to distribute copies of their familiar publications, Awake! and The Watchtower. They refuse to salute the flag, receive blood transfusions, or enter into military service. They believe that theirs is the only true faith and study their own version of the Bible, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Witnesses believe secular society is morally corrupt and severely limit their interaction with people outside of their sect. Witnesses also refuse to celebrate holidays such as Christmas and Easter (or even their own birthdays) which they consider either of pagan origin or inconsistent with their view of Christianity.

28. Roman Catholicism • Roman Catholicism differs from Protestantism in two critical areas. Protestants believe in private interpretation of the Bible. Catholics believe the Church is appointed by God as custodian of the Bible to interpret the scripture. Most Protestants believe in a universal priesthood of all believers, while Catholics have a specially ordained priesthood. Catholicism runs by a set dogma, or series of rules, emanating from the Pope in Rome. American Protestant groups, even when they have a set dogma, keep their hierarchy entirely inside the United States. • Where Protestants vary on social issues like divorce, birth control, abortion and homosexuality (many leaving these questions to the consciences of their members), the Catholic church has set guidelines on these matters. It also censors certain movies, plays and books, which Catholics may not read or attend. Since Catholics are supposed to believe by absolute faith, they are expected to take the Church's word on these matters. • It should be noted that the Catholic church is not as strict about tobacco, alcohol or gambling as some Protestant churches are. The Catholic practices of confession and absolution tend to mitigate some of these strictures. • Catholic priests may not marry, and they must be male. Many Protestant groups allow or even encourage female clergy. In nearly all cases, Protestant ministers may marry.

29. Black Church • Before the Civil War of 1861-1865, when most African-Americans still lived in the south, blacks and whites worshipped in the same Protestant churches. The churches had segregated “colored” sections, usually in the back of the church. When the war ended, whites rebelled against the notion of fully integrated churches, while blacks protested against the segregation that became endemic in the south within ten years after the war’s end. The major Protestant denominations, led by the Baptists, split along racial lines. The reasons for the split are long gone, but today nine out of ten African-American churchgoers attend black churches, mostly Baptist. Through the tumultuous history of African-Americans since the Civil War, including migration to the north, racism, poverty, and the civil rights movement, the black church has played an important role in keeping communities together and moving for social change. Black churches have contributed many notable American religious and political leaders, the most well known being slain civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., familiar to all Americans for his “I Have a Dream” speech. • Some black churches specialize in “bible preaching” in which a skilled preacher will whip his followers into an enthusiastic religious frenzy. In these cases, members of the congregation often become quite vocal. Upbeat gospel music adds to the atmosphere. • The gospel music of the black church is one of the backbones of African-American music, which in turn is an indispensible part of America’s unique musical heritage.

30. Jews • Religion, Nationality or Race? While many Jews and non-Jews consider the Jews to be more of an ethnic group than a religion in America, most of the nation's 7,000,000 or so Jews have had at least a nominal connection to Jewish religious practices. The Jewish religion is ancient. The Jewish people have suffered through thousands of years of cruel persecution and oppression. America has served as a great refuge for Jews, who quickly became part of American life. American Jews are a close second to Episcopalians in average personal income and education level. The largest proportion of Jews are concentrated in the Northeast and in the Miami and Los Angeles areas. More Jews live in the United States than in any other country, including Israel.

31. Men are significantly more likely than women to claim no religious affiliation. • Among people who are married, nearly four-in-ten (37%) are married to a spouse with a different religious affiliation. • Mormons and Muslims are the groups with the largest families; more than one-in-five Mormon adults and 15% of Muslim adults in the U.S. have three or more children living at home. • The Midwest most closely resembles the religious makeup of the overall population. The South, by a wide margin, has the heaviest concentration of members of evangelical Protestant churches. The Northeast has the greatest concentration of Catholics, and the West has the largest proportion of unaffiliated people, including the largest proportion of atheists and agnostics. • Of all the major racial and ethnic groups in the United States, black Americans are the most likely to report a formal religious affiliation. • Nearly half of Hindus in the U.S., one-third of Jews and a quarter of Buddhists have obtained post-graduate education, compared with only about one-in-ten of the adult population overall. Hindus and Jews are also much more likely than other groups to report high income levels. • People not affiliated with any particular religion stand out for their relative youth compared with other religious traditions. Among the unaffiliated, 31% are under age 30 and 71% are under age 50. Comparable numbers for the overall adult population are 20% and 59%, respectively. • In sharp contrast to Islam and Hinduism, Buddhism in the U.S. is primarily made up of native-born adherents, whites and converts. Only one-in-three American Buddhists describe their race as Asian, while nearly three-in-four Buddhists say they are converts to Buddhism. • Jehovah's Witnesses have the lowest retention rate of any religious tradition. Only 37% of all those who say they were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses still identify themselves as Jehovah's Witnesses.