Congregations on the Ground: Exploring Local Religious Worlds (Fall 2017)
Religious Studies 771
Professor John Schmalzbauer
Office:
Strong Hall 263
Missouri
State University
Email:
jschmalzbauer@missouristate.edu
Phone:
836-5918
Course
Description
This
course will explore how local religious communities
do religion through music, architecture, rhetoric, and food.
Readings and class discussions will focus on the literature on “lived
religion” and “congregational studies,” paying special attention to the
practices of singing, building, speaking, and eating.
Students will conduct local field observations in Ozarks congregations,
interpreting what they see through the lens of these two literatures.
Course
Goals
1.
Explore
the meaning of religious practices in the lives of Americans
2.
Understand the role of “lived religion” in American congregations
3.
Learn
about the variety of religious practices in the Ozarks
4.
Conduct
research on lived religion in Ozarks congregations
5.
To
collect interviews on religion in the Ozarks for future scholars and writers
Required
Textbook and Electronic Reserve Readings
Attendance Policy:
Attendance is required at all class meetings.
Class Participation (10% of grade): Students will be evaluated on their
participation in class discussions, familiarity with the readings, and the
insightfulness of their comments.
Reading
Reflection Papers (30% of grade):
Students
will complete seven reading reflection
papers of 2-3 pages (see rest of syllabus for due dates).
Reflection papers should include:
-A brief
summary of the reading (one-third of the paper)
-A
critical analysis of the reading (one-third of the paper)
-Discussion of how the reading might inform your research on an Ozarks
congregation (one-third of the paper).
Field
Observation Reports (30% of grade):
Students
will complete four 3-4 page field
observation reports based on the same Ozarks congregation.
Each report will focus on a different type of religious practice (music,
rhetoric, architecture, food, etc.).
Reports should be modeled on the ethnographic approach found in the class
readings (especially Ammerman, Marini, and the contributors to the
Lived Religion volume).
Reports should also emulate and discuss readings from former MSU
graduate students (Cooper, Riccardi, Hildreth, and Cottrell). Professor
Schmalzbauer will give oral instructions about each field assignment in class.
Field
reports are due the following days:
-October
5: Field Report #1 on Congregational Culture
-October
26: Field Report #2 on Congregational Music
-November
9: Field Report #3 on Congregational Architecture
-November 21: Field Report #4 on Congregational Rhetoric
-December
7: Field Report #5 on Congregational Food
Final
Research Paper (30% of grade):
Students will complete a 12-15 page
research paper focusing on lived religion in a single Ozarks congregation.
Students must meet with Professor
Schmalzbauer about the paper at least once during the course of the semester.
Papers should use the “little stories” of Ozarks religion to address
larger issues in the fields of lived religion and congregational studies.
This means using readings from the class syllabus to make sense of your
findings.
Papers
must incorporate original research drawing on the following sources:
-Five
field observations in the same congregation recorded in five detailed field
reports
-Two
recorded interviews of people in the same congregation using our class
questionnaire
-Primary
sources (brochures, worship bulletins/programs, hymn or song books, menus,
posters/flyers, newspaper stories, etc.) from or about the same congregation
-Scholarly
secondary sources on the religious tradition/denomination of the
congregation
-Course
readings and other scholarly sources on the tradition you are studying
The
paper is due in Professor Schmalzbauer’s office prior to 5 p.m. on December 14.
Students must also turn in tapes of the interviews plus signed consent
forms on December 14. Interviews
will be donated to Meyer Library special collections.
Extra
Credit Points (Possible 15 Points):
Students
may earn up to 15 extra credit points for attending campus lectures and cultural
events approved by the instructor.
The events must be relevant to the academic study of religion. Students will
receive 5 points for each event they attend.
To receive the points, students must write a two paragraph summary.
Grading:
Grades
will be calculated using the following point system:
Class
Participation: 10% of Grade
Reading
Reflection Papers: 30% of grade
Field
Observation Reports: 30% of grade
Research
Paper: 30% of grade
Total
Number of Points: 1,000
The
following grading scale will be used:
4.0 A:
Outstanding Work (93-100)
3.7 A- :
Excellent Work (90-92)
3.3 B+:
Near Excellent Work (87-89)
3.0 B:
Very Good Work (83-86)
2.7 B-:
Good Work (80-82)
2.3 C+:
Slightly Above Satisfactory Work (77-79)
2.0 C:
Satisfactory Work (73-76)
1.7 C-:
Slightly Below Satisfactory Work (70-72)
1.3 D+:
Passing Work (67-69)
1.0 D:
Minimum Passing Work (63-66)
0.0 F:
Failed—No Credit (0-62)
0.0 I:
Incomplete
If a student is on the border of a grade, the instructor will take into consideration the overall performance of the student, class participation, and amount of improvement.
Academic Honesty Policy: Missouri State University is a community of scholars committed to developing educated persons who accept the responsibility to practice personal and academic integrity. You are responsible for knowing and following the University’s academic integrity policy plus additional more-specific policies for each class. The University policy, formally known as the “Student Academic Integrity Policies and Procedures” is available online at http://www.missouristate.edu/policy/Op3_01_AcademicIntegrityStudents.htm and also at the Reserves Desk in Meyer Library. Any student participating in any form of academic dishonesty will be subject to sanctions as described in this policy.
Non-Discrimination Policy: Missouri State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution, and maintains a grievance procedure available to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against. At all times, it is your right to address inquiries or concerns about possible discrimination to the Office for Institutional Equity and Compliance, Park Central Office Building, 117 Park Central Square, Suite 111, 417-836-4252. Other types of concerns (i.e., concerns of an academic nature) should be discussed directly with your instructor and can also be brought to the attention of your instructor’s Department Head. Please visit the OED website at www.missouristate.edu/equity/.
Policy on Disability Accommodations: To request academic accommodations for a disability, contact the Director of the Disability Resource Center, Meyer Library, Suite 111, 417-836-4192 or 417-836-6792 (TTY), www.missouristate.edu/disability/contact.htm. Students are required to provide documentation of disability to the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations. The Disability Resource Center refers some types of accommodation requests to the Learning Diagnostic Clinic, which also provides diagnostic testing for learning and psychological disabilities. For information about testing, contact the Director of the Learning Diagnostic Clinic, 417-836-4787, http://psychology.missouristate.edu/ldc.
Dropping this Class: It is your responsibility to understand the University’s procedure for dropping a class. If you stop attending this class but do not follow proper procedure for dropping the class, you will receive a failing grade and will also be financially obligated to pay for the class. For information about dropping a class or withdrawing from the university, contact the Office of the Registrar at 836-5520.
Cell Phone Policy: As a member of the learning community, each student has a responsibility to other students who are members of the community. When cell phones or pagers ring and students respond in class or leave class to respond, it disrupts the class. Therefore, the Office of the Provost prohibits the use by students of cell phones, pagers, PDAs, or similar communication devices during scheduled classes. All such devices must be turned off or put in a silent (vibrate) mode and ordinarily should not be taken out during class. Given the fact that these same communication devices are an integral part of the University’s emergency notification system, an exception to this policy would occur when numerous devices activate simultaneously. When this occurs, students may consult their devices to determine if a university emergency exists. If that is not the case, the devices should be immediately returned to silent mode and put away. Other exceptions to this policy may be granted at the discretion of the instructor.
Emergency Response Statement: At the first class meeting, students should become familiar with a basic emergency response plan through a dialogue with the instructor that includes a review and awareness of exits specific to the classroom and the location of evacuation centers for the building. All instructors are provided this information specific to their classroom and/or lab assignments in an e-mail prior to the beginning of the fall semester from the Office of the Provost and Safety and Transportation. Students with disabilities impacting mobility should discuss the approved accommodations for emergency situations and additional options when applicable with the instructor. For more information go to http://www.missouristate.edu/safetran/51597.htm and http://www.missouristate.edu/safetran/erp.htm.
Mental Health and Stress Management: As a student you may experience a range of personal issues that can impede learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance and may reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. You can learn more about free and confidential Missouri State University Counseling Center services available to assist you at https://counselingcenter.missouristate.edu/.
Title IX Policy: Missouri State University has a Title IX policy that guides our response to instances of sexual violence. Sexual Violence includes: Rape, Sexual Assault, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Discrimination, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Stalking, Sexual Harassment and Pregnancy issues. The Title IX policy can be located on the MSU Title IX website at www.missouristate.edu/titleix/. This website is also a good resource for any questions or issues involving Title IX and contains contact information for the MSU Title IX Office and staff. Read an overview of the Title IX office. If an MSU student discloses a Title IX related issue to a MSU faculty or staff member who is deemed to be a “Responsible Employee” under the policy, that faculty or staff member is required to report such disclosure to the Title IX Coordinator. A responsible employee includes any employee who has the authority to take action to redress sexual violence; who has been given the duty of reporting incidents of sexual violence or any other misconduct by students to the Title IX Coordinator or other appropriate school designee; or whom a student could reasonably believe has the authority or duty to take action.
Chosen Name Policy: A student may choose a name other than their legal name to identify themselves at Missouri State University. A chosen name is different than the student’s legal name. Refer to the Chosen Name policy for more information. Students can provide their chosen first and middle names in the Profile tab of My Missouri State.
Statement on Religious
Accommodations: The University may provide a reasonable accommodation based on a
person’s sincerely held religious belief. In making this determination,
the University reviews a variety of factors, including whether the accommodation
would create an undue hardship. The accommodation request imposes
responsibilities and obligations on both the individual requesting the
accommodation and the University. Students who expect to miss classes,
examinations, or other assignments as a consequence of their sincerely held
religious belief shall be provided with a reasonable alternative opportunity to
complete such academic responsibilities. It is the obligation of students to
provide faculty with reasonable notice of the dates of religious observances on
which they will be absent by submitting a Request for Religious Accommodation Form to
the instructor by the end of the third week of a full semester course or the end
of the second week of a half semester course.
Religion at a State University: Consistent with Supreme Court decisions regarding the teaching of religion at public institutions (Abington v. Schempp 1963), this course approaches the study of religion from a non-confessional standpoint. We will focus on describing and analyzing the place of religion in American culture, rather than arguing for one religious tradition or another. Students are free to express or not to express their own beliefs in class.
Unit I:
Introduction to Congregations and Lived Religion
August 24:
Introduction to the Study of Congregations and Lived Religion
Reading: “Definitions of Practice.” http://www.unc.edu/depts/practice/definitions.html
Reading: Nancy Ammerman, “Lived religion as an emerging
field.”
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e1f7/3c0f4fe6107ca827b6ca1eee93d4cff66256.pdf
August 31: Mapping
American Congregations Today
Reading: Mark Chaves,
Congregations in America.
**Due in Class: Reading Reflection Paper #1 on Today’s
Reading**
September 7:
Studying Lived Religion in America
Reading: David Hall, editor,
Lived Religion in America
**Due in Class: Reading Reflection Paper #2 on Today’s
Reading**
Unit II:
Exploring Religious Practices
September 14: Case
Study—Appalachian Lived Religion
Reading: Richard Callahan,
Work and Faith in the Kentucky Coal Fields.
Film in Class: “Powerhouse for God”
http://www.folkstreams.net/pub/FilmPage.php?title=74
**Due in Class: Reading Reflection Paper #3 on Today’s
Reading**
September 21:
Religions of the United States in Practice
Reading: Colleen McDannell, ed.,
Religions of the United States in Practice. Pay special attention to
the introduction and the sections on singing, teaching, and persuading.
**Due in Class: Reading Reflection Paper #4 on Today’s
Reading**
September 28:
Methods for Observing Religious Practices
Reading: Nancy Ammerman, “Culture and Identity in the
Congregation,” from Studying
Congregations: A New Handbook
https://myluthernet.luthersem.edu/ICS/icsfs/Culture_Identity_in_Cong.pdf?target=ed315f2d-3575-47d8-b70b-bfddfe904020
Reading: Website on congregational culture. Available at
http://studyingcongregations.org/culture-frame
**Due in Class: Online Human Subjects Training:
http://ora.missouristate.edu/IRB_Training.htm
October 5: Reports
from the Field—Observing Religious Practices in the Ozarks
**Due in Class: Field Report #1: Congregational Culture and
Identity**
Unit III: Singing
October 19: Sacred
Song in America
Reading: Stephen Marini,
Sacred Song in America: Religion, Music,
and Public Culture
**Due in Class: Reading Reflection Paper #5 on Today’s
Reading**
October 26: Sacred
Song in the Ozarks
Reading: Travis Cooper, “The Production of Pentecostal
Music at Evangel Temple,” 90-130.
http://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/2591/
**Due in Class: Field Report #2 on Congregational Music**
Unit IV: Building
November 2:
Sacred Architecture in America
Reading: Gretchen Buggeln,
The Suburban Church: Modernism and Community in Postwar America.
**Due in Class: Reading Reflection Paper #6 on Today’s
Reading**
November 9: Ozarks
Religious Architecture
Reading: Sarah Riccardi, “Praying Through Windows and
Peering Through Wood: Examining Vernacular Devotions in American Eastern
Orthodoxy Through a Materialist Lens,” 33-57.
http://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/2573/
**Due in Class: Field Report #3 on Congregational
Architecture (including digitized photos)**
Unit V:
Speaking
November 16:
Religious Rhetoric in America
Reading: Leslie Dorrough Smith,
Righteous Rhetoric: Sex, Speech,
and the Politics of Concerned Women for America.
**Due in Class: Reading Reflection Paper #7 on Today’s
Reading**
November 21:
Religious Rhetoric in the Ozarks
Reading:
Micah L. Hildreth, “‘Be Not Conformed to This World’: a History of Worldliness
in the Assemblies of God,” 128-178.
http://bearworks.missouristate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3584&context=theses
**Due in Class: Field Report #4 on Congregational
Rhetoric**
Unit VI: Eating
November 30: Food
and Religion
Reading: Benjamin Zeller,
Religion, Food, and Eating in North America.
**Due in Class: Reading Reflection Paper #8 on Today’s
Reading**
NOTE: The interview
questionnaire will be finalized on November 21.
December 7: Eating
in the Ozarks
Reading: Monica Leigh Peck Cottrell, “Sowing the Seeds of
Change: an Ethnographic Study of the Religious Motivations of Producers and
Consumers of Locally Produced Foods,” 35-102.
http://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/2585/
**Due in Class: Field Report #5 on Congregational Food**
December 14: Final
Paper, Recordings of 2 Interviews, and 2 Signed Consent Forms Due by
5 p.m. at Professor
Schmalzbauer’s Office (Strong Hall 263).
Guidelines and Timetable for Research Projects
1. Our class must get approval from the Human Subjects Protection Committee before doing any field observations or interviews. This means that you must complete the
online human subjects training by September 28. Complete the CITI Training. (http://ora.missouristate.edu/IRB_Training.htm). You should give your course
completion report to
Professor Schmalzbauer that day in
class.
2. You must choose an Ozarks congregation to do your field observations and interviews by September 21, 2017 so that you can complete the field assignment due
on September 28. Professor Schmalzbauer would like to approve your choice of congregation. Professor Schmalzbauer will make available lists of area congregations early
in the semester.
3. All
field observations must be conducted at the same congregation.
You must complete your congregational field observations
by the following due dates:
-October 5: Field Report #1 on Congregational Culture
-October 26: Field Report #2 on
Congregational Music
-November
9: Field Report #3 on Congregational Architecture
-November 21: Field Report #4 on Congregational Rhetoric
-December
7: Field Report #5 on Congregational Food
All field observations must abide by the human subjects guidelines
required by
Missouri State University.
Professor Schmalzbauer will go over these guidelines (and the
application we submit to
the Human Subjects Protection Committee) in class.
4. The
class will write an interview questionnaire together, including questions
addressing the following themes: cultural practices, music, architecture,
rhetoric, and
food.
Professor Schmalzbauer will serve as editor and compiler of the questionnaire. Since we will not complete the questionnaire until November 21, he will not be able to
email you the final version of the questionnaire until the evening of the 21st. Plan onscheduling your two interviews for the period of November 22nd to December
7th (the sooner the better).
Remember the interviews must be recorded and you must get
signed consent on the forms.
5. Your
paper should include some research on the religious tradition that the
congregation is a part of.
Prof. Schmalzbauer can help you with this part.
6. The
final paper itself is due before 5 p.m. on December 14, 2017
in Professor
Schmalzbauer’s office (Strong 263). Students must also turn in two recorded interviews and two signed consent forms at this time. Interviews may be donated to
Meyer Library archives where they be available to scholars and the general public