Studies in Religion in America: Race and Religion in America

Subject associations
REL 505 / AAS 505
Term
Spring 2025
Instructors
Judith Weisenfeld
Registrar description

This course examines how the modern constructed categories of "race" and "religion" have interacted in American history and culture. We explore how religious beliefs and practices have shaped ideas about race and how American racialization has shaped religious experience. We consider the impact of religion and race on notions of what it means to be American and how these have changed over time. Topics include race and biblical interpretation; religion and racial slavery; religion, race, and science; popular culture representations; race, religion, and politics; and religious resistance to racial hierarchy.