1We might find ourselves thinking or asking, what’s the point .docx

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We might find ourselves thinking or asking, what’s the point of
knowing this stuff? Why should religious content matter? Why
should a “basic American” know the 10 Commandments of
Judaism and Christianity, the 4 Noble Truths of Buddhism, the
5 Pillars of Faith of Islam, the 5 K’s of Sikhism, the 7 Deadly
Sins of Catholicism, or the 5 key relationships of
Confucianism? So what? Prothero’s response is simple and it is
profound: “Content is the necessarymeans to understanding.” It
is necessary for our self-growth and development; moreover,
knowledge and understanding are indispensable in the fight
against ignorance, intolerance, and discrimination.
Stephen Prothero Religious Literacy
Worksheet #1 Introduction and Chapter 1 “A Nation of
Religious Illiterates”
Page references are furnished for the blue-cover 2007 textbook
edition, followed by the later version e-text pagination.
Ballar Singh Sadhi was killed by a vigilante at an Arizona gas
station because he thought the man wearing a turban was a
Muslim and a terrorist. (p3 textbook; p6 e-text)
What religion was the victim? Look up Ballar Singh
Sadhi’s religious tradition in the dictionary section of Prothero
(pp185-292 textbook; pp163-252 e-text) and explain two things
about it.
In the textbook version on page 5 (p9 e-text) Prothero notes,
“religion has always been a major factor in US politics, and
international affairs.”
Prothero quotes Diane Eck, who laments, “Christians in the US
are…abysmally ignorant about the religious traditions of the

rest of the world.” List what Eck calls “the Big Five” major
religious traditions of the world (pp8 textbook; p11 e-text).
*Note: Daoism and Confucianism of China, and Jainism and
Sikhism of India were not included by the author, though I
definitely include these in my religions of the world courses.
Name a number of issues, reforms, and debates in our culture
that “are not comprehensible in a religious vacuum”—meaning
that apart from a religious framework we cannot adequately
analyze issues. (p6 textbook; p9 e-text)
French sociologist Daniele Hervieu-Leger lamented about the
European loss of [religious] faith. Note the metaphor for
religion she uses, and argue that Europeans have broken it.
Explain her metaphor. (p8 textbook; p11 e-text)
In 1955 American sociologist Will Herberg wrote a ground-
breaking study on Religion in America (p9 textbook; p12 e-
text)What was the title of the book?What was its major
premise/concern? [hint: Herberg is dismayed about allegiance
to “religion that makes religion its own object,” and laments
over the loss of specificity and content. Herberg’s premise
possibly inspired Prothero to tackle this issue some fifty years
later.]
According to Prothero, how is religious illiteracy a “civic
problem,” and why is having an “educated citizenry” important?
(pp10-13 textbook; pp13-15 e-text) How does Prothero define
religious literacy? (pp15, 17 textbook; pp17, 19 e-text)
Once we understand the problem, what proactive steps can we
take to improve and put into practice religious literacy?
Or, do you think that beyond acquiring knowledge, there’s little
or no practical or take-away value to cultivating religious
literacy? Explain.
I think Prothero makes a compelling observation when he
writes, “the war on terrorism is to a great extent…a war of
________.” What is it? Simply fill in the blank. (p17 textbook;

p19 e-text)
Chapter 1 “A Nation of Religious Illiterates”
Thanks to the Establishment clause, the US government is
secular by law; thanks to the free exercise clause, American
society is religious by choice. How does Prothero respond to
arguments that America is secular, or that America is
‘Christian’? (pp28-29 textbook; pp27-28 e-text)
Prothero summarized the possible dilemma or our simultaneous
American identity as staunchly secular and/or resolutely
religious. What dramatic historical event involving the first
presidential inauguration—though seemingly mere “protocol”—
does Prothero use to illustrate his response to the above
dilemma of secularism or religion? (p29 textbook; p27 e-text)
To where did political philosopher John Rawls insist that
religion restrict itself? (pp29 textbook; pp27 e-text)
Should religion be in the private realm only? Why? If not, how
should “religion” be handled in the public square? *Note:
remember in Week 1 we saw civil or public religion played out
in an overlap of church and state.
Which city in the US does Prothero call the “most religiously
heterogeneous”? (p 32 textbook; p 30 e-text) By the way, how
would you define heterogeneous?
Prothero mentions another US albeit smaller city that
exemplifies religious pluralism. Name it.Give a few religious
options offered “on the menu” in this same US city.
(p33 textbook; p31 e-text)
Prothero describes how in 1854 David Thoreau complained
about the religious illiteracy of his neighbors in Concord, MA.
A contemporary of Thoreau’s was Ralph Waldo Emerson—a
Christian turned Unitarian turned Transcendentalist (for more

about Emerson pp34 textbook; p32 e-text; and pp134-135
textbook; pp119-120 e-text) To understand part of Emerson’s
journey, look up trinity and Unitarianism and explain the
difference between the two. Next, on this same topic, what is
meant by the Muslim concept of tawhid? What theological
interpretation or understanding of a transcendent God do these
three terms address? Briefly explain.
(see tawhid pp286-287 textbook; p.247-248 e-text; see trinity
and Unitarianism p288 textbook; p248 e-text)
In The Greatest Story Never Read, what shocking thing did Os
Guinness say about evangelicals? (p45 textbook; p42 e-text) His
alarmingremark leads to the following reflective question.
THINK PIECE
Why might some religious people be “anti-intellectual,” or be
threatened by education? If applicable, explain any interplay of
psychological and/or religious defense mechanism. Identify any
consequences resulting from this attitude. (Respond with a
paragraph; support your view.)
Worksheet for Chapter 2 “Religion Matters”
Idea summation:
Religionists may argue for a “Christian America” based on the
supposed faith of the founding Fathers, and transform the
Constitution—though deliberately / intentionally bereft of any
mention of God—into a sacred document. The Christian
America theory posits a providential divine plan for the nation.
A secular version of the Christian America theory is the
founding era and its thinkers, shapers, movers-and-shakers of
the young nation were Enlightenment rationalists who were at
best neutral regarding religion as a private matter of conscience.
Both theories have blind spots. According to what Prothero
calls the “secular myth,” secularists see American civilization
on a trajectory or upward progression from _________ to

___________ and from _____________ to ______________
Also on p56 textbook; p52 e-text Prothero thinks school
textbook authors of US history trend toward two less than
complimentary approaches regarding the treatment of religion.
What are these?
On p58 textbook; p54 e-text Prothero writes, “Those who
drafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights were influenced far
more by Deism than by anti-clericalism.”
Explain what is meant by Deism (See Prothero p216 textbook;
p188 e-text; Lippy pp42, 250; other resources may be
consulted).
SUMMATION: Theism is the position or contention that God
remained actively interested in and operative in the world which
he had made [that is, God is both transcendent and immanent—
immanent meaning God can intervene in history and remains
involved in human affairs. Deists do not hold to this.]
Christians tend to be theists, but what tends to complicate the
picture is a number of key figures in the founding era were
steeped in and knowledgeable of orthodox Christianity, but in
actuality were more in sympathy with the rational response of
Deism.
Deism is the position that a transcendent God designed the
world, “got it started,” if you will, and endowed the world at
creation with self-sustaining and self-acting powers [e.g.,
natural laws]. But unlike the transcendent Being [First Cause]
of the theists, God is not deemed to be immanent. This means
God is no longer active in the world God created. Thus in the
Deist view the designer First Cause God commissioned the
operation of the world to be a human enterprise that along with

natural laws and powers act as second causes. Jefferson, for
example in the Declaration of Independence referred to Nature’s
God.
FYI:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1272214/The-
Founding-Fathers-Deism-and-Christianity
http://history.hanover.edu/hhr/hhr93_1.html
Question: Offer a few implications of these two similar but yet
significantly different views of God as creator/initiator in terms
of God’s relationship with the created universe.
In the spirit of democracy and the emerging spiritual
marketplace brought on by the First Amendment, Protestantism
in America became more egalitarian. What does egalitarian
mean? What part did emotions play in diverse expressions of
Christianity? (p59 textbook; pp54-55 e-text) [hint: especially in
relation to the Second Great Awakening and populist preachers
at the camping / tent revival meetings]What did firebrandElias
Smith say Americans should be wholly free to examine for
themselves? (p59 textbook; p55 e-text) Religion seemed to have
played an integral part in a number of social reforms. In
particular the religious activist William Lloyd Garrison pushed
for two reforms that would usher in “the Kingdom of God.”
What were these religiously-inspired reform initiatives? (pp58-
59 textbook; p55 e-text)
On the eve of the Civil War, what did Frederick Douglass write
in disgust about the “two irreconcilable factions” of Christianity
as this division related in particular to Christendom’s
complicity in the sin of slavery? (pp59-60 textbook; pp55-56 e-
text)
God and money. The English authorized King James Bible
presents us with the word “mammon.” Mammon is not merely a
synonym for money/hard cash, but also includes investment,
real estate, and personal property or possessions. Most notably
these “acquired things” become the objects of focus and desire.
Jesus had warned, “You can’t serve God and mammon.” The

question remains as to the object of one’s trust: God, or the
currency on which the motto “In God We Trust” is imprinted or
embossed. See p60 textbook; p56 e-text.
Who was Andrew Carnegie, and what “gospel” did he
promulgate? Explain.How were Carnegie’s ideas advanced by
Russell Conwell in his widely circulated sermon, “Acres of
Diamonds”? The phrase is often attributed to Benjamin
Franklin, but its origins may be much earlier, serving as a moral
to several Aesop’s Fables. In any event, how would you explain
the verse not found in the Bible: “God helps those who help
themselves”?
God and land.Explain the doctrine of manifest destiny (p60
textbook; p56 e-text)Identify several dangers (potential and
actual) using this kind of religious language “It’s God will that
we….” Or “God showed me that…”
During World War II, how did the US treat Japanese Americans
(primarily Buddhists)? (p61 textbook; bottom of p56 and
continuing to p57 e-text)Not long after World War II, America
found itself in a Cold War that would last four decades (1947-
1991) (3-minute clip Why did the Cold War Begin?
http://youtu.be/tLJKVVtiR3g If you have 45 minutes view:
http://youtu.be/SI-FS7jDUxMWho were the “reds” of the Cold
War era? If Americans were largely thought to be religious,
then what aspect of the “red” political ideology posed a threat
to America/Americans? (Think in terms of two oppositional
views. p61 textbook; p57 e-text)
During the LBJ administration the Immigration and
Naturalization Act of 1965 was passed thatabolished an earlier
quota system based on national origin and established a new
immigration policy based on reuniting immigrant families and
attracting skilled labor to the United States. Over the next four
decades, the policies put into effect in 1965 would greatly
change the demographic makeup of the American population, as

immigrants entering the United States under the new legislation
came increasingly from countries in Asia, Africa and Latin
America, as opposed to
Europe.http://www.history.com/topics/us-immigration-since-
1965 (FYI: Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and subsequent
quota-settings restricting immigration in 1924
http://immigrationinamerica.org/590-immigration-act-of-
1924.html )
What were some reactions, ramifications, and outcomes of this
landmark legislation? See the bottom of pp61-62 textbook;
pp57-58 e-text; An excellent FYI resource
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwraZQb2Ofk ) Explain
what is meant by nativism. (For this term and movement, refer
to Lippy pp113-17, 253; etc. as Prothero does not go into
sufficient detail.)
Worksheet for Chapter 3 “Eden” (What We Once Knew)
What did Thomas Jefferson initially propose as an image to be
used in the design for the new nation’s seal? (p73 textbook; p67
e-text)
The Most Literate Place on EarthChildren not only needed to
read to be good Protestants, but they also needed to fulfill
another role. What was that? (p75 textbook; p68 e-text)
According to Prothero there were two concurrent impulses—one
religious and the other secular. The country might trust in God,
but by vesting sovereignty in the people rather than a monarchy
meant that for its survival, an informed citizenry was needed.
According to the statement made by James Madison, what is the
source of the power with which we can “arm” ourselves? (p75
textbook; pp68-69 e-text)
In the 17th-18th centuries, where was the most literate place on

earth? [hint: especially in what area or colony?] and what piece
of hyperbole [exaggeration] did John Adams write in 1769?
(pp75-76 textbook; p68 e-text)
To what specific realm / discipline was early American
religious literacy limited? (p80 textbook; p73 e-text)
Under the “Household” section we read that the province of
education extends to homes and religious congregations,
newspapers and almanacs, publishers and booksellers, libraries
and theatres, theological tracts and political pamphlets, and so
on. But according to Prothero, what were the six venues in early
America by/through which religious information was
disseminated? (p81 textbook; p74 e-text)
As part of household religious instruction,
What core text was used to teach children how to read? Why
and how were children already familiar with its stories before
they had begun reading this text? (p81 textbook; p74 e-text)
What was the four-part scheme or arrangement of the Puritan
sermon, and what did this organizational format emphasize for
the listeners? (p83 textbook; pp75-76 e-text)
Briefly describe a 1631 law in Virginia that set out a minister’s
required sacred duty, and what was entailed in this religious
education initiative? (p84 textbook; p76 e-text)
John Eliot labored to convert and catechize Native Americans
and African-American slaves, and was called “perhaps the
quintessential minister-educator of the 17th-century colonies.”
The family of Thomas Mayhew likewise did similar work among
first nation peoples, in particular the Wampanoags, but the
Mayhew’s took a different cultural /acculturation approach.
What did the Mayhews do in terms of strategy that significantly
diverged from Eliot’s methods? (p85 textbook; pp77-78 e-text)
By what means if not through basic literacy did most African-
American slave converts to Christian receive or “get” their
Protestantism? (p86 textbook; p78 e-text) Second, how would
you define or describe the African-American musical genre
known as “the spiritual”?
According to Jennifer Monaghan, in essence what did early

literacy education amount to? Second, what did philosopher
Warren Nord consider to have been the overriding purpose(s) of
American Colonial education initiative or thrust? (p87 textbook;
p79 e-text)
Briefly describe the New England Primer. What was its purpose
or primary function? -(pp88-91 textbook; pp80-84 e-text)
Along with the New England Primer name three texts or
teaching tools that dominated 18th-century American education.
(pp88-92; 92-95; 95-98 textbook; pp80-84; pp84-86; pp86-89 e-
text) Here’s a picture of one of the earlier learning tools or
primers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornbook#mediaviewer/File:Campi
on-Hornbook.jpg
Who do Conservative Christians laud as “the Father of
American Christian Education”? What was his conviction
regarding the fate of the nation? (p94 textbook; p86 e-text)
What classic children’s prayer is contained in one of the texts or
teaching tools listed in response to #14? Provide the text.
What was the “folksy version” of the Ten Commandments
located in another of the answers to #14? Provide the text. (p97
textbook; p88 e-text)
According to G. Marsden, what were the 5 or 6 main Christian
theological doctrines taught in these books? (p96 textbook; p88
e-text)
What two passions consumed William Holmes McGuffey?
Second, name a few criticisms of the McGuffy readers. (p96
textbook; pp87-88 e-text )
What was “a primary avenue for socializing the rising
generations into evangelical culture, and teaching ‘middle class
morality’”? [hint: along with the common school, it became part
of a movement in 1820’s/30’s America.] (p101 text; p92 e-text)
What is a missionary?
What does it mean to “propagate,” and what message was being
“propagated”?A word often associated with missionary is
proselytize. Explain what this means.What was a typical

missionary’s “lament” about the spiritual condition of the
frontier pioneer, and the consequences of their choices of
“books” or their overall reading habits? (p103 textbook; p93 e-
text)
Name 2-3 Ivy League colleges / universities with religious
roots, noted for their emphases on “discipline and piety.”Which
great Puritan preacher of the Great Awakening would later serve
as an Ivy League college’s President? Name the
preacher/president and the institution where he served. (pp104-
105 textbook; p95 e-text)
Prothero notes that by the nineteenth century the “acids” of
_______ began to erode education of its religious content. (For
the answers, see p107 textbook; p97 e-text)
Fill in the above blank/identify this one contributing or root
cause. In the attempt to “get along with other Protestants,” the
emphasis of discourse and behavior shifted or transitioned from
_______________ to _________________. [that is, identify
both what gave ground and to what new emphasis would they
defer] This new form of religion could thus be characterized by
this summation: God wants children to work hard, save their
money, tell the truth and avoid alcohol.Or, “Little children, you
must seek rather to be good than wise.” In short, this new form
of religion was less sectarian and less doctrinal and more
______________ and more ____________. [that is, identify
these two emerging approaches to religion.
IDEA SUMMATION:In his section on “Textbook Ignorance,”
Prothero noted that religion is minimized, trivialized, muzzled,
or even excised altogether from school textbooks, and he lists
several reasons why that is so. For starters, textbook publishers
and authors are more than likely simply trying to avert
controversy, though this treatment could be the result of a
secular bias; second is the misconception that teaching about all
religions in the public school classroom is unconstitutional in
light of varying interpretations handed down in Supreme Court
decisions. Third is the misconstrued notion that ignoring

religion demonstrates neutrality. It does not, claimed Prothero;
ignoring religion betrays bias and prejudice. Fourth is curricular
priority to prepare students for a battery of standardized testing
required by states, etc. Compared to the other 3 R’s (reading,
‘riting, ‘rithmetic) religion is treated as nonessential.
Taking into consideration the above possible reasons for the
downplaying of religion, Prothero then writes that
homeschooling may be driven in part by “a widespread
presumption that public schools have gone over to the secular
side, and as such operate from an anti-religious bias.” THINK
PIECE: Define homeschooling. Consider weaknesses, strengths,
challenges, potential harm as well as potential benefits of this
alternative form of educating children. Construct an argument
for [pro] for or against [con] homeschooling; To consider both
sides, you then need to construct a counter-argument.
Chapter 4 “The Fall” (How We Forgot)
Lippy covers denominationalism extensively, so in this chapter
we will skip ahead. Prothero notes that “after the Civil
War…many Americans grew tired of theological
controversies…and were desperate for union in church as well
as state….”How does Prothero describe what the American
people tended to gravitate toward in churches, schools, and
colleges? Use his exact wording. (p115 textbook; p103 e-
text)Related to above, if growth (numbers) was the objective,
then what would be the price tag for this lowering of standards?
IDEA SUMMATION
On p117 textbook, p104 e-text, our author makes this
assessment, “To evangelicalism, therefore, we owe both the
vitality of religion in contemporary America and our
impoverished understanding of it.”
In the same paragraph he points to a transition or shift:
“…American Protestants were moving away from Christianity’s
doctrinal dimension, and shifted to an emphasis on experience
and ethicsinstead.”(“…a religion of ethics rather than one of

theology” (p126 textbook; p112 e-text); “…religious populism”
(p134 textbook; p119 e-text); “from the head to the heart…a
spiritual anti-intellectualism (p135 textbook; p120 e-text);
“…American ministers became storytellers[that] produced
conversions. It filled churches” (p137 textbook; p122 e-text)
and resulted in a “Bible-less Jesus,” untethered from a biblical
and theological foundation producing a peculiar “Jesus-
onlyism” (p139; p124 e-text)
From these examples in chapter 4, a picture emerges of a
diluted Christianity whose content has watered down into
vagary and an emotional experience of “me and Jesus.”
Last, Prothero provides a disconcerting quote from Phillips
Brooks, the Rector of Trinity Church, “Beware of the tendency
to preach about Christianity, and try to preach Christ.” Cautions
Prothero, “The trouble with this approach, of course, is that it
makes church teachings about Jesus optional [emphasis mine],
and wherever church teachings are optional there is the
temptation to forget them altogether.” (p140 textbook; p124 e-
text)
Question: Considering the above summary observations made by
our author, students are to interact with the rise of the
evangelical movement in American history.
What is evangelicalism, and how did this movement profoundly
influence the shape and direction of Protestantism in America
(even to the present time)?Why is it important to know what
you believe and articulate it clearly, and engage in study of
religious texts? Or is it important? Explain.
See “evangelicalism” in Prothero’s dictionary (p220-21
textbook; pp192-193 e-text); see Lippy cf. pp38-40, 42, 65-66,
antebellum pp75-89)
Chapter 5 “Redemption” (What to Do)
What was the 1948 Supreme Court ruling in McCollum v Board
of Education ?(p159 textbook; p140 e-text)

What was the 1963 Supreme Court ruling in Abington v
Schempp? (p160 textbook; p141 e-text)
Prothero makes a clear distinction between studying religion [as
an academic enterprise] and doing religion. Most likely our
author was influenced by Justice Goldberg’s distinction of
“teaching about religion” (objectively) and the teaching of
religion (confessionally). However, according to Martin Marty
teachers avoid religion and instead teach ____________
religion. Fill in the blank. How might this “avoidance” of
teaching religion “promote a ‘culture of disbelief’”? (p161
Clinton had said in a 1995 speech that “the First Amendment
does not convert our schools into religion-free zones.” In April
1995 “Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of
Current Law” was signed that endorsed teaching about religion
in public schools. What was the essence of President Bill
Clinton’s 1999 memo sent to every public school principal in
the US? (pp162-63; p143 e-text)
In a 2005 Chicago Tribune editorial an analogy was made
related to Bible knowledge acquisition. What was the exact
wording? (p163 textbook; p144 e-text)
What is a balanced and cautious approach regarding how
religion is to be taught in public schools? (i.e., what two
extremes are given that should be avoided?) (bottom pp163-64
What does Prothero recommend that teachers of both the Bible
and world religions courses must “take pains” not to do? (pp170
How did Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson in McCollum
describe the challenging task facing teachers trying to inculcate
religious knowledge rather than belief; religious literacy rather
than faith? (p170 textbook; p150 e-text)
Who does Prothero “blame” for “popularizing the collapse of
religion into values”? (To answer these questions see p178

What was the position of this person in the Reagan
administration (cabinet)?What was the title of the book written
by this cabinet minister that reduced or collapsed religion into a
set of virtues and values? Prothero points to this popularized
book from the 1980’s as another example of the trend that turns
religions “into a water boy for morality.” How do you
understand or interpret this figurative language?
As Prothero sees it, what was another approach or way to
collapse or reduce religions adopted by Karen Armstrong,
author of The Great Transformation? [hint: Prothero calls Karen
Armstrong’s approach “to wish away differences…” the
________ ___________.
Fill in the above blank. Then elaborate on why Prothero finds
this approach not entirely accurate, or even misrepresentative of
world religions. (p178 textbook; p157 e-text)
THINK PIECE
We come back full circle to Prothero’s modest proposal to raise
religious literacy on a civic rather than religious platform to
enlighten American citizenship about the vitality and relevancy
of religion as a force in our nation and world. Here’s a paradox:
Nineteenth-century agnostic Robert G. Ingersoll contended that
“the reason everybody in the United States believes in the Bible
is that no one actually reads it.” So is “ignorance the mother of
devotion”? Is ignorance bliss in which the religious devotee can
be immersed?
In the Christian New Testament Book of James 2:26 is a rather
blunt claim, “Faith without works is dead.” The point is clear
that religion is vital and living. It is meant to be lived, walked,
expressed, and acted upon in deed and truth. “Faith” as used
here is not merely a set of abstractions; nor is it a word game.
Likewise Prothero warns that faith without religious knowledge
offers no bedrock upon which to stand, but only “exceedingly
sandy soil.” He continues, “Faith without knowledge may or
may not be dead, but our current mix of ferventreligious belief

and widespread religious ignorance is surely a dangerous
combination.”
Question:
How do you understand this potent mix of devotion and
ignorance? Analyze briefly and provide examples to support
your position. (p182 textbook; p160 e-text)
A POTPOURRI from
S Prothero’s Dictionary of Religious Literacy
QT #1
Founders, movers and shakers: According to Prothero’s entries
in his glossary/dictionary, briefly compare Jesus (pp239-40
textbook; pp207-208 e-text), Muhammad(pp257-258 textbook;
p223-224 e-text), and Confucius (pp211-212 textbook; p185 e-
text).
For instance consider such items as: any or the absence of
divine claims; teachings, emphases, goals, and ideals;
leadership styles; influences.
QT #2Authority:
What is a fatwa in Islam? (223-224 textbook; pp194-195 e-text)
What is an encyclical in Catholicism? (p219 textbook; p191 e-
text)
What is biblical inerrancy (p235 textbook; p204 e-text) to which
evangelical and earlier fundamentalist Protestants hold?
Describe the authority of the Pope, making sure that you
address the matter of papal infallibility and specify how this
dogma is applied. (p264 textbook; p204-205 e-text)
QT #3
Succession and sectarianism in Islam: Describe the major
difference(s) between Sunni Islam (Imam, p234 textbook; p204
e-text) pp284-285 textbook; p246 e-text) and
ShiiteIslam.(Imam, p234 textbook; p204 e-text) pp281-282
textbook; p243 e-text
QT #4
What are the reasons Prothero lists when he states, “the effects

of the Second Great Awakeningare hard to overestimate.”
Identify those effects. (pp277-278 textbook; pp240 e-text)
QT #5
What was the significance of the Scopes (“Monkey”) Trials? (pp
276-277 textbook; p239 e-text; See also Creationism pp213-214
QT #6 Religions, teachings, and concepts
Briefly discuss the wherewithal arrival of Buddhism on
American shores. How might we understand the growing
“popularity” of Buddhism among Westerners, in particular,
Americans? Do Buddhists see / worship the Buddha as god?
Explain. (pp205-207 textbook; pp179-181 e-text). FYI:
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~dbromley/undergraduate/spiritualC
ommunity/BuddhismInAmericaTimeline.html and
http://www.pluralism.org/religion/buddhism/timeline/america
QT #7
What is Zionism? When was the modern state of Israel created?
What is significant about the timing of the “resurrection” of the
Jewish homeland? (pp292 textbook; p252 e-text)
QT #8
What is ahimsa? (pp194-195 textbook; pp170-171 e-text)
QT #9
What is the “Golden Rule”? (pp227-228 textbook; pp198-199 e-
text)
Unlike the positive (prescribing) framing of the Golden Rule,
both Rabbi Hillel (early first-century CE) and even earlier
Confucius presented a negative (proscribing) framing coined
“the Silver Rule.” Rather than the Golden Rule, why might it be
easier for us to follow the Silver Rule—“That which is hateful
(or despicable) to you do not do to your neighbor”?
QT #10
What is considered the “mysteries of mysteries” for Orthodox
Christians? How are we to understand this ritual practiced also
by Catholics and Protestants, but in different ways and with
differing understandings? (See also the entry on p234 textbook;
p204 e-text)

Explain the Orthodox Christian view of marriage and celibacy
among clergy. (pp260-261 textbook; pp225-226 e-text)
QT #11
Briefly explain the Taoist principle of yin/yang. (pp290-91
Or refer to a brief instructor-created set of slides: (Why might
the taijitu symbol be a popular tattoo? Ha ha)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bf6rvocys14do9q/Yin%20Yang.pdf?
dl=0
QT #12
What is the Bhagavad Gita, and who are the main “characters”
if you will of this 18-chapter extended poem referred to
affectionately as “the Gita”? (pp200-201 textbook; p176 e-text)
RELIGION AND VIOLENCE QT #13
What were the Crusades, and how does this historical reality
affect Christian-Islam relations to this day? (pp214-215
FYI:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/exp
lanation/crusades.html
What is Islamism? (p237 textbook; p206 e-text)
Wahhabism(p290 textbook; pp250-251 e-text) is “the dominant
school of Islamic thought in Saudi Arabia” and definitely
influenced the forming of Al-Qaeda (Arabic for “the base.”)
Prothero wrote our textbook before the emergence of IS, but we
readily see how IS is an offshoot or outgrowth of al-Qaeda in
terms of its Sunni aspirations for a “transnational Islamic
empire that adheres to a strict interpretation of Islamic law.”
Name the Egyptian scholar dubbed “the father of Islamist
fundamentalism,” and list his “themes” or fundamentals.
(pp203-204 textbook; pp177-178 e-text) FYI a rarely told story
of an enduring historical presence of the Muslim tradition in the
United States:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/09/opinion/the-founding-
muslims.html?_r=0

The Final Curtain Issues
QT #14
“My karma ran over your dogma.” (This clever bumper sticker
might make us laugh, but there is a bit more to these concepts
than a play on words.) What is karma? (p244-245 textbook;
p212 e-text) What is reincarnationand what is resurrection?
How do these two life-after-death belief systems differ? (see
p272-273, 274 textbook; p236-237 e-text)
QT #15
What’s with all of this end-of-the-world “last days” stuff?
Briefly describe the apocalypse. (pp197 textbook; pp172-173 e-
text)
What do you think is the cause(s) or what drives this morbid
fixation with “end times”?
Identify potential dangers this mentality poses.
If you really want to know more:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/millenni.htm
“Competing theories of eschatology, end times, and
millennialism”
F I N I S
Running head: SAVANNAH ENGINEERING AND HUMAN
RESOURCE 1
SAVANNAH ENGINEERING AND HUMAN RESOURCE
6

Savannah Engineering and Human Resource
Student’s name
Institutional Affiliation
Savannah Engineering and Human Resource
The domestic business environment includes the climate,
business policies, the facilities as well s the regulation that
governs both the organizational leadership structure and the
available market share. Savannah Engineering, Inspection and
Insurance Company (SEIIC), America's oldest insurance,
corporate focuses on covering equipment manufacturers,
transport, and energy sectors. The company has a vision of
meeting the industry requirement of the continent and thus
require to focus on the emerging trends in the human resource.
Although the market in engineering insurance for infection and
manufacturing organizations, SEIIC considers the trends in
economic, legal, technology, and the diverse cultures within the
market share.
The Economic and Financial Market Trends
The economic and financial environment that business
organizations operate influence the buying and selling habits of
the customers in the insurance sectors. The main factors in the
environment include the availability of the market, employment,
the demand for the company's products as well as the
competition of the company with other companies. The trends in
the economic and financial environment are economic
downturns and the exchange rate. During the economic
downturns in 2008/2009 great recession, insurance companies

cut down operation costs to enable it to make sufficient
profits.On the other hand, the fluctuation of the exchange rate
has a significant impact on returns of the business organization
as well as influencing compensation and benefits of the
employee (Ochetan & Ochetan, 2012). In this case, the lowering
of the dollar value affects the cost of the insurance products
when sold outside the United States. In particular, the volatility
of the dollar affects the company's imports outside the United
States, and thus increasing the operation cost.
Legal and political trends
Legal and political forces lead to the increasing demand for the
transparent in recruitment and accountability among the
organization operating in the United States. The political factors
represent the governmental entities that influence the domestic
environment of the company's operation. As a result, the
political trends that influence the internal environment originate
from the government policies and the political stability of the
American community(Hatcher, 2010). Another political bias in
the engineering, inspection, and insurance sector is the increase
of powers of the non-state actors such as the World bank. Also,
the legal trends affecting the human resource of the company in
the employment contracts include the setting of the minimum
ages for employees. Therefore, the company faces the challenge
of attracting and retaining talents.
Social and Cultural
Social and cultural; force influencing the SEIIC human resource
management are the customs, practices belief systems and
traditions f the employees working in the organization. The
socio-cultural perspective affects the decision of the marketing
managers in the engineering, inspection, and insurance
company. Also, the behaviors of the people residing in the host
company determine the strategic goals of the company when
entering a new market. The major trends in the social and
cultural environment include the change in preferences, change
in demographics, as well as the moral values of the employees
in the business organization. The workforce demographic is

getting younger as the millennials make the most significant
percentage of the Amerian workforce(Nascimento, 2017).
Additionally, human resource managers are part of the
executive making decisions for the company. As a result, the
company has created a new “social contract” with the
employees to offer a flexible working environment.
Global and Technology
The expansion of business organizations such as SEIIC
depends on the global state of the market share. Globalization
has made the company to expand its operation abroad to
increase the customer base. The increase in the handling of
massive data within the business organization has led to the
emergence of technology. Companies are paving the way for
virtual reality to facilitate intensive operation and higher
productivity. As a result, human resource management of the
most business organization has opted for the internet of things.
In this case, employee devices are interconnected in a network
to assist the company in monitoring the performance of each
employee through the e-HR portal (Kavanagh, Thite, &
Johnson, 2011; Fuhl,2017). The Internet of Things(IoT)
generates a massive amount of data to show the employee’s
operation daily.
Trends affect SEIIC Human Resource Management
The two major trends that are likely to affect SEIIC are likely to
change the SEIIC Human Resource Management are
globalization and the compensation benefits. Globalization
Shall lead to the company's diversity training and cross-cultural
employment. As compared to the traditional recruitment model,
the company shall opt or the global recruitment model. On the
other hand, different countries have a different level of
compensation and benefits. For instance, United States federal
laws state the minimum vacation period for employees. In the
United Kingdom, employees can go for a holiday as per the
requirements of their job nature.
Various trends influence the operations of companies like
SEIIC. The trends may either impact positively and create

opportunities for the company or affect the services in the
human resource department. Some of the trends in business
resource management include globalization, change in
technologies, the fluctuation of dollar currency, and the tax
rates, social behaviors as well as the shift in demographics.
However, globalization and the difference in compensation and
benefit may influence the operation at SEIIC Human Resource
Management
References
Fuhl, J.(2017 Dec. 21). 5 HR tech trends to watch in 2018: What
the sector says. Sage People. Retrieved from
https://www.sagepeople.com/about-us/news-hub/top-hr-trends-
watch-2018/#
Hatcher, T. (2010). Political issues in human resource
development. Global Security and International Political
Economy, 1, 369.
Kavanagh, M., Thite, M., & Johnson, R.D. (Eds.) (2011).
Human resource information systems: Basics, applications, and
future directions (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Nascimento, L. (2017).Political and Social Challenges Affect
Human Resource Management in Latin America, World Link.
vol,27,no. 1. Retrieved from
https://www.wfpma.com/sites/default/files//publications/WorldL
inkAugt2017-.pdf
Ochetan, C. M. T., & Ochetan, D. A. (2012). The influence of
economic and financial crisis on human resources management.
Procedia Economics and Finance, 3, 769-774.
We might find ourselves thinking or asking, what’s the point of
knowing this stuff? Why should religious content matter? Why
should a “basic American” know the 10 Commandments of
Judaism and Christianity, the 4 Noble Truths of Buddhism, the
5 Pillars of Faith of Islam, the 5 K’s of Sikhism, the 7 Deadly
Sins of Catholicism, or the 5 key relationships of
Confucianism? So what? Prothero’s response is simple and it is
profound: “Content is the necessary means to understanding.” It
is necessary for our self-growth and development; moreover,
knowledge and understanding are indispensable in the fight
against ignorance, intolerance, and discrimination.
Worksheet #1 Introduction and Chapter 1 “A Nation of
Religious Illiterates”
Page references are furnished for the blue-cover 2007 textbook
edition, followed by the later version e-text pagination.
1. 1. Ballar Singh Sadhi was killed by a vigilante at an Arizona
gas station because he thought the man wearing a turban was a
Muslim and a terrorist. (p3 textbook; p6 e-text)
a. a. What religion was the victim?
b. b. Look up Ballar Singh Sadhi’s religious tradition in the

dictionary section of Prothero (pp185-292 textbook; pp163-252
e-text) and explain two things about it.
a. 2. In the textbook version on page 5 (p9 e-text) Prothero
notes, “religion has always been a major factor in US politics,
and international affairs.”
Prothero quotes Diane Eck, who laments, “Christians in the US
are…abysmally ignorant about the religious traditions of the
rest of the world.” List what Eck calls “the Big Five” major
religious traditions of the world (pp8 textbook; p11 e-text).
*Note: Daoism and Confucianism of China, and Jainism and
Sikhism of India were not included by the author, though I
definitely include these in my religions of the world courses.
a. 3. Name a number of issues, reforms, and debates in our
culture that “are not comprehensible in a religious vacuum”—
meaning that apart from a religious framework we cannot
adequately analyze issues. (p6 textbook; p9 e-text)
a. 4. French sociologist Daniele Hervieu-Leger lamented about
the European loss of [religious] faith. Note the metaphor for
religion she uses, and argue that Europeans have broken it.
Explain her metaphor. (p8 textbook; p11 e-text)
a. 5. In 1955 American sociologist Will Herberg wrote a
ground-breaking study on Religion in America (p9 textbook;
p12 e-text)
b. a. What was the title of the book?
c. b. What was its major premise/concern? [hint: Herberg is
dismayed about allegiance to “religion that makes religion its
own object,” and laments over the loss of specificity and
content. Herberg’s premise possibly inspired Prothero to tackle
this issue some fifty years later.]
a. 6. According to Prothero, how is religious illiteracy a “civic

problem,” and why is having an “educated citizenry” important?
(pp10-13 textbook; pp13-15 e-text)
b. 7. How does Prothero define religious literacy? (pp15, 17
textbook; pp17, 19 e-text)
a. a. Once we understand the problem, what proactive steps can
we take to improve and put into practice religious literacy?
b. b. Or, do you think that beyond acquiring knowledge, there’s
little or no practical or take-away value to cultivating religious
literacy? Explain.
a. 8. I think Prothero makes a compelling observation when he
writes, “the war on terrorism is to a great extent…a war of
________.” What is it? Simply fill in the blank. (p17 textbook;
p19 e-text)
Chapter 1 “A Nation of Religious Illiterates”
a. 1. Thanks to the Establishment clause, the US government is
secular by law; thanks to the free exercise clause, American
society is religious by choice. How does Prothero respond to
arguments that America is secular, or that America is
‘Christian’? (pp28-29 textbook; pp27-28 e-text)
a. 2. Prothero summarized the possible dilemma or our
simultaneous American identity as staunchly secular and/or
resolutely religious. What dramatic historical event involving
the first presidential inauguration—though seemingly mere
“protocol”—does Prothero use to illustrate his response to the
above dilemma of secularism or religion? (p29 textbook; p27 e-
text)
a. 3. To where did political philosopher John Rawls insist that
religion restrict itself? (pp29 textbook; pp27 e-text)
a. 4. Should religion be in the private realm only? Why? If not,
how should “religion” be handled in the public square? *Note:

remember in Week 1 we saw civil or public religion played out
in an overlap of church and state.
a. 5. Which city in the US does Prothero call the “most
religiously heterogeneous”? (p 32 textbook; p 30 e-text) By the
way, how would you define heterogeneous?
a. a. Prothero mentions another US albeit smaller city that
exemplifies religious pluralism. Name it.
b. b. Give a few religious options offered “on the menu” in this
same US city.
a. 6. Prothero describes how in 1854 David Thoreau complained
about the religious illiteracy of his neighbors in Concord, MA.
A contemporary of Thoreau’s was Ralph Waldo Emerson—a
Christian turned Unitarian turned Transcendentalist (for more
about Emerson pp34 textbook; p32 e-text; and pp134-135
b. a. To understand part of Emerson’s journey, look up trinity
and Unitarianism and explain the difference between the two.
c. b. Next, on this same topic, what is meant by the Muslim
concept of tawhid? What theological interpretation or
understanding of a transcendent God do these three terms
address? Briefly explain.
(see tawhid pp286-287 textbook; p.247-248 e-text; see trinity
and Unitarianism p288 textbook; p248 e-text)
a. 7. In The Greatest Story Never Read, what shocking thing did
Os Guinness say about evangelicals? (p45 textbook; p42 e-text)
His alarmingremark leads to the following reflective question.
THINK PIECE
Why might some religious people be “anti-intellectual,” or be
threatened by education? If applicable, explain any interplay of
psychological and/or religious defense mechanism. Identify any

consequences resulting from this attitude. (Respond with a
paragraph; support your view.)
Worksheet for Chapter 2 “Religion Matters”
Idea summation:
a. 1. Religionists may argue for a “Christian America” based on
the supposed faith of the founding Fathers, and transform the
Constitution—though deliberately / intentionally bereft of any
mention of God—into a sacred document. The Christian
America theory posits a providential divine plan for the nation.
A secular version of the Christian America theory is the
founding era and its thinkers, shapers, movers-and-shakers of
the young nation were Enlightenment rationalists who were at
best neutral regarding religion as a private matter of conscience.
Both theories have blind spots. According to what Prothero
calls the “secular myth,” secularists see American civilization
on a trajectory or upward progression from _________ to
___________ and from _____________ to ______________
a. 2. Also on p56 textbook; p52 e-text Prothero thinks school
textbook authors of US history trend toward two less than
complimentary approaches regarding the treatment of religion.
What are these?
a. 3. On p58 textbook; p54 e-text Prothero writes, “Those who
drafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights were influenced far
more by Deism than by anti-clericalism.”
a. a. Explain what is meant by Deism (See Prothero p216
textbook; p188 e-text; Lippy pp42, 250; other resources may be
consulted).
a. b. SUMMATION: Theism is the position or contention that

God remained actively interested in and operative in the world
which he had made [that is, God is both transcendent and
immanent—immanent meaning God can intervene in history and
remains involved in human affairs. Deists do not hold to this.]
Christians tend to be theists, but what tends to complicate the
picture is a number of key figures in the founding era were
steeped in and knowledgeable of orthodox Christianity, but in
actuality were more in sympathy with the rational response of
Deism.
Deism is the position that a transcendent God designed the
world, “got it started,” if you will, and endowed the world at
creation with self-sustaining and self-acting powers [e.g.,
natural laws]. But unlike the transcendent Being [First Cause]
of the theists, God is not deemed to be immanent. This means
God is no longer active in the world God created. Thus in the
Deist view the designer First Cause God commissioned the
operation of the world to be a human enterprise that along with
natural laws and powers act as second causes. Jefferson, for
example in the Declaration of Independence referred to Nature’s
God.
FYI:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1272214/The-
Founding-Fathers-Deism-and-Christianity
http://history.hanover.edu/hhr/hhr93_1.html
Question: Offer a few implications of these two similar but yet
significantly different views of God as creator/initiator in terms
of God’s relationship with the created universe.
a. 4. In the spirit of democracy and the emerging spiritual
marketplace brought on by the First Amendment, Protestantism
in America became more egalitarian.
b. a. What does egalitarian mean?
c. b. What part did emotions play in diverse expressions of
Christianity? (p59 textbook; pp54-55 e-text) [hint: especially in
relation to the Second Great Awakening and populist preachers

at the camping / tent revival meetings]
d. c. What did firebrandElias Smith say Americans should be
wholly free to examine for themselves? (p59 textbook; p55 e-
text)
e. d. Religion seemed to have played an integral part in a
number of social reforms. In particular the religious activist
William Lloyd Garrison pushed for two reforms that would
usher in “the Kingdom of God.” What were these religiously-
inspired reform initiatives? (pp58-59 textbook; p55 e-text)
a. 5. On the eve of the Civil War, what did Frederick Douglass
write in disgust about the “two irreconcilable factions” of
Christianity as this division related in particular to
Christendom’s complicity in the sin of slavery? (pp59-60
a. 6. God and money. The English authorized King James Bible
presents us with the word “mammon.” Mammon is not merely a
synonym for money/hard cash, but also includes investment,
real estate, and personal property or possessions. Most notably
these “acquired things” become the objects of focus and desire.
Jesus had warned, “You can’t serve God and mammon.” The
question remains as to the object of one’s trust: God, or the
currency on which the motto “In God We Trust” is imprinted or
embossed. See p60 textbook; p56 e-text.
a. a. Who was Andrew Carnegie, and what “gospel” did he
promulgate? Explain.
b. b. How were Carnegie’s ideas advanced by Russell Conwell
in his widely circulated sermon, “Acres of Diamonds”?
c. c. The phrase is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, but its
origins may be much earlier, serving as a moral to several
Aesop’s Fables. In any event, how would you explain the verse
not found in the Bible: “God helps those who help themselves”?
a. 7. God and land.

b. a. Explain the doctrine of manifest destiny (p60 textbook;
p56 e-text)
c. b. Identify several dangers (potential and actual) using this
kind of religious language “It’s God will that we….” Or “God
showed me that…”
a. 8. During World War II, how did the US treat Japanese
Americans (primarily Buddhists)? (p61 textbook; bottom of p56
and continuing to p57 e-text)
b. 9. Not long after World War II, America found itself in a
Cold War that would last four decades (1947-1991) (3-minute
clip Why did the Cold War Begin? http://youtu.be/tLJKVVtiR3g
If you have 45 minutes view: http://youtu.be/SI-FS7jDUxM
c. a. Who were the “reds” of the Cold War era?
d. b. If Americans were largely thought to be religious, then
what aspect of the “red” political ideology posed a threat to
America/Americans? (Think in terms of two oppositional views.
p61 textbook; p57 e-text)
a. 10. During the LBJ administration the Immigration and
Naturalization Act of 1965 was passed thatabolished an earlier
quota system based on national origin and established a new
immigration policy based on reuniting immigrant families and
attracting skilled labor to the United States. Over the next four
decades, the policies put into effect in 1965 would greatly
change the demographic makeup of the American population, as
immigrants entering the United States under the new legislation
came increasingly from countries in Asia, Africa and Latin
America, as opposed to
Europe.http://www.history.com/topics/us-immigration-since-
1965 (FYI: Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and subsequent
quota-settings restricting immigration in 1924
http://immigrationinamerica.org/590-immigration-act-of-
1924.html )
a. a. What were some reactions, ramifications, and outcomes of

this landmark legislation? See the bottom of pp61-62 textbook;
pp57-58 e-text; An excellent FYI resource
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwraZQb2Ofk )
b. b. Explain what is meant by nativism. (For this term and
movement, refer to Lippy pp113-17, 253; etc. as Prothero does
not go into sufficient detail.)
Worksheet for Chapter 3 “Eden” (What We Once Knew)
a. 1. What did Thomas Jefferson initially propose as an image
to be used in the design for the new nation’s seal? (p73
a. 2. The Most Literate Place on EarthChildren not only needed
to read to be good Protestants, but they also needed to fulfill
another role. What was that? (p75 textbook; p68 e-text)
a. 3. According to Prothero there were two concurrent
impulses—one religious and the other secular. The country
might trust in God, but by vesting sovereignty in the people
rather than a monarchy meant that for its survival, an informed
citizenry was needed. According to the statement made by
James Madison, what is the source of the power with which we
can “arm” ourselves? (p75 textbook; pp68-69 e-text)
a. 4. In the 17th-18th centuries, where was the most literate
place on earth? [hint: especially in what area or colony?] and
what piece of hyperbole [exaggeration] did John Adams write in
1769? (pp75-76 textbook; p68 e-text)
a. 5. To what specific realm / discipline was early American
religious literacy limited? (p80 textbook; p73 e-text)
a. 6. Under the “Household” section we read that the province

of education extends to homes and religious congregations,
newspapers and almanacs, publishers and booksellers, libraries
and theatres, theological tracts and political pamphlets, and so
on. But according to Prothero, what were the six venues in early
America by/through which religious information was
disseminated? (p81 textbook; p74 e-text)
a. 7. As part of household religious instruction,
a. a. What core text was used to teach children how to read?
b. b. Why and how were children already familiar with its
stories before they had begun reading this text? (p81 textbook;
p74 e-text)
a. 8. What was the four-part scheme or arrangement of the
Puritan sermon, and what did this organizational format
emphasize for the listeners? (p83 textbook; pp75-76 e-text)
a. 9. Briefly describe a 1631 law in Virginia that set out a
minister’s required sacred duty, and what was entailed in this
religious education initiative? (p84 textbook; p76 e-text)
a. 10. John Eliot labored to convert and catechize Native
Americans and African-American slaves, and was called
“perhaps the quintessential minister-educator of the 17th-
century colonies.” The family of Thomas Mayhew likewise did
similar work among first nation peoples, in particular the
Wampanoags, but the Mayhew’s took a different cultural
/acculturation approach. What did the Mayhews do in terms of
strategy that significantly diverged from Eliot’s methods? (p85
a. 11. By what means if not through basic literacy did most
African-American slave converts to Christian receive or “get”
their Protestantism? (p86 textbook; p78 e-text) Second, how
would you define or describe the African-American musical

genre known as “the spiritual”?
a. 12. According to Jennifer Monaghan, in essence what did
early literacy education amount to? Second, what did
philosopher Warren Nord consider to have been the overriding
purpose(s) of American Colonial education initiative or thrust?
a. 13. Briefly describe the New England Primer. What was
its purpose or primary function? -(pp88-91 textbook; pp80-84 e-
text)
a. 14. Along with the New England Primer name three texts
or teaching tools that dominated 18th-century American
education. (pp88-92; 92-95; 95-98 textbook; pp80-84; pp84-86;
pp86-89 e-text) Here’s a picture of one of the earlier learning
tools or primers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornbook#mediaviewer/File:Campi
on-Hornbook.jpg
a. 15. Who do Conservative Christians laud as “the Father
of American Christian Education”? What was his conviction
regarding the fate of the nation? (p94 textbook; p86 e-text)
a. 16. What classic children’s prayer is contained in one of
the texts or teaching tools listed in response to #14? Provide the
text. (pp91-92 textbook; p83 e-text)
a. 17. What was the “folksy version” of the Ten
Commandments located in another of the answers to #14?
Provide the text. (p97 textbook; p88 e-text)
a. 18. According to G. Marsden, what were the 5 or 6 main
Christian theological doctrines taught in these books? (p96

a. 19. What two passions consumed William Holmes
McGuffey? Second, name a few criticisms of the McGuffy
readers. (p96 textbook; pp87-88 e-text )
a. 20. What was “a primary avenue for socializing the rising
generations into evangelical culture, and teaching ‘middle class
morality’”? [hint: along with the common school, it became part
of a movement in 1820’s/30’s America.] (p101 text; p92 e-text)
a. 21. What is a missionary?
a. a. What does it mean to “propagate,” and what message was
being “propagated”?
b. b. A word often associated with missionary is proselytize.
Explain what this means.
c. c. What was a typical missionary’s “lament” about the
spiritual condition of the frontier pioneer, and the consequences
of their choices of “books” or their overall reading habits?
a. 22. Name 2-3 Ivy League colleges / universities with
religious roots, noted for their emphases on “discipline and
piety.”
b. a. Which great Puritan preacher of the Great Awakening
would later serve as an Ivy League college’s President? Name
the preacher/president and the institution where he served.
a. 23. Prothero notes that by the nineteenth century the
“acids” of _______ began to erode education of its religious
content. (For the answers, see p107 textbook; p97 e-text)
a. a. Fill in the above blank/identify this one contributing or
root cause.
b. b. In the attempt to “get along with other Protestants,” the
emphasis of discourse and behavior shifted or transitioned from

_______________ to _________________. [that is, identify
both what gave ground and to what new emphasis would they
defer]
c. c. This new form of religion could thus be characterized by
this summation: God wants children to work hard, save their
money, tell the truth and avoid alcohol. Or, “Little children, you
must seek rather to be good than wise.” In short, this new form
of religion was less sectarian and less doctrinal and more
______________ and more ____________. [that is, identify
these two emerging approaches to religion.
IDEA SUMMATION: In his section on “Textbook Ignorance,”
Prothero noted that religion is minimized, trivialized, muzzled,
or even excised altogether from school textbooks, and he lists
several reasons why that is so. For starters, textbook publishers
and authors are more than likely simply trying to avert
controversy, though this treatment could be the result of a
secular bias; second is the misconception that teaching about all
religions in the public school classroom is unconstitutional in
light of varying interpretations handed down in Supreme Court
decisions. Third is the misconstrued notion that ignoring
religion demonstrates neutrality. It does not, claimed Prothero;
ignoring religion betrays bias and prejudice. Fourth is curricular
priority to prepare students for a battery of standardized testing
required by states, etc. Compared to the other 3 R’s (reading,
‘riting, ‘rithmetic) religion is treated as nonessential.
Taking into consideration the above possible reasons for the
downplaying of religion, Prothero then writes that
homeschooling may be driven in part by “a widespread
presumption that public schools have gone over to the secular
side, and as such operate from an anti-religious bias.” THINK
PIECE: Define homeschooling. Consider weaknesses, strengths,
challenges, potential harm as well as potential benefits of this
alternative form of educating children.
a. a. Construct an argument for [pro] for or against [con]
homeschooling;

b. b. To consider both sides, you then need to construct a
counter-argument.
Chapter 4 “The Fall” (How We Forgot)
Lippy covers denominationalism extensively, so in this chapter
we will skip ahead.
a. 1. Prothero notes that “after the Civil War…many Americans
grew tired of theological controversies…and were desperate for
union in church as well as state….”
a. a. How does Prothero describe what the American people
tended to gravitate toward in churches, schools, and colleges?
Use his exact wording. (p115 textbook; p103 e-text)
b. b. Related to above, if growth (numbers) was the objective,
then what would be the price tag for this lowering of standards?
a. 2. IDEA SUMMATION
On p117 textbook, p104 e-text, our author makes this
assessment, “To evangelicalism, therefore, we owe both the
vitality of religion in contemporary America and our
impoverished understanding of it.”
In the same paragraph he points to a transition or shift:
“…American Protestants were moving away from Christianity’s
doctrinal dimension, and shifted to an emphasis on experience
and ethicsinstead.”(“…a religion of ethics rather than one of
theology” (p126 textbook; p112 e-text); “…religious populism”
(p134 textbook; p119 e-text); “from the head to the heart…a
spiritual anti-intellectualism (p135 textbook; p120 e-text);
“…American ministers became storytellers [that] produced
conversions. It filled churches” (p137 textbook; p122 e-text)
and resulted in a “Bible-less Jesus,” untethered from a biblical
and theological foundation producing a peculiar “Jesus-
onlyism” (p139; p124 e-text)
From these examples in chapter 4, a picture emerges of a
diluted Christianity whose content has watered down into
vagary and an emotional experience of “me and Jesus.”

Last, Prothero provides a disconcerting quote from Phillips
Brooks, the Rector of Trinity Church, “Beware of the tendency
to preach about Christianity, and try to preach Christ.” Cautions
Prothero, “The trouble with this approach, of course, is that it
makes church teachings about Jesus optional [emphasis mine],
and wherever church teachings are optional there is the
temptation to forget them altogether.” (p140 textbook; p124 e-
text)
Question: Considering the above summary observations made by
our author, students are to interact with the rise of the
evangelical movement in American history.
a. a. What is evangelicalism, and how did this movement
profoundly influence the shape and direction of Protestantism in
America (even to the present time)?
b. b. Why is it important to know what you believe and
articulate it clearly, and engage in study of religious texts? Or
is it important? Explain.
See “evangelicalism” in Prothero’s dictionary (p220-21
textbook; pp192-193 e-text); see Lippy cf. pp38-40, 42, 65-66,
antebellum pp75-89)
Chapter 5 “Redemption” (What to Do)
a. 1. What was the 1948 Supreme Court ruling in McCollum v
Board of Education ?(p159 textbook; p140 e-text)
a. 2. What was the 1963 Supreme Court ruling in Abington v
Schempp? (p160 textbook; p141 e-text)
a. 3. Prothero makes a clear distinction between studying
religion [as an academic enterprise] and doing religion. Most
likely our author was influenced by Justice Goldberg’s
distinction of “teaching about religion” (objectively) and the
teaching of religion (confessionally). However, according to

Martin Marty teachers avoid religion and instead teach
____________ religion. Fill in the blank. How might this
“avoidance” of teaching religion “promote a ‘culture of
disbelief’”? (p161 textbook; p142 e-text)
a. 4. Clinton had said in a 1995 speech that “the First
Amendment does not convert our schools into religion-free
zones.” In April 1995 “Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint
Statement of Current Law” was signed that endorsed teaching
about religion in public schools. What was the essence of
President Bill Clinton’s 1999 memo sent to every public school
principal in the US? (pp162-63; p143 e-text)
a. 5. In a 2005 Chicago Tribune editorial an analogy was made
related to Bible knowledge acquisition. What was the exact
wording? (p163 textbook; p144 e-text)
a. 6. What is a balanced and cautious approach regarding how
religion is to be taught in public schools? (i.e., what two
extremes are given that should be avoided?) (bottom pp163-64
a. 7. What does Prothero recommend that teachers of both the
Bible and world religions courses must “take pains” not to do?
(pp170 textbook; p150 e-text)
a. 8. How did Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson in
McCollum describe the challenging task facing teachers trying
to inculcate religious knowledge rather than belief; religious
literacy rather than faith? (p170 textbook; p150 e-text)
a. 9. Who does Prothero “blame” for “popularizing the collapse
of religion into values”? (To answer these questions see p178
a. a. What was the position of this person in the Reagan

administration (cabinet)?
b. b. What was the title of the book written by this cabinet
minister that reduced or collapsed religion into a set of virtues
and values?
c. c. Prothero points to this popularized book from the 1980’s
as another example of the trend that turns religions “into a
water boy for morality.” How do you understand or interpret
this figurative language?
d. 10. As Prothero sees it, what was another approach or
way to collapse or reduce religions adopted by Karen
Armstrong, author of The Great Transformation? [hint: Prothero
calls Karen Armstrong’s approach “to wish away differences…”
the ________ ___________.
a. a. Fill in the above blank.
b. b. Then elaborate on why Prothero finds this approach not
entirely accurate, or even misrepresentative of world religions.
THINK PIECE
We come back full circle to Prothero’s modest proposal to raise
religious literacy on a civic rather than religious platform to
enlighten American citizenship about the vitality and relevancy
of religion as a force in our nation and world. Here’s a paradox:
Nineteenth-century agnostic Robert G. Ingersoll contended that
“the reason everybody in the United States believes in the Bible
is that no one actually reads it.” So is “ignorance the mother of
devotion”? Is ignorance bliss in which the religious devotee can
be immersed?
In the Christian New Testament Book of James 2:26 is a rather
blunt claim, “Faith without works is dead.” The point is clear
that religion is vital and living. It is meant to be lived, walked,
expressed, and acted upon in deed and truth. “Faith” as used
here is not merely a set of abstractions; nor is it a word game.
Likewise Prothero warns that faith without religious knowledge

offers no bedrock upon which to stand, but only “exceedingly
sandy soil.” He continues, “Faith without knowledge may or
may not be dead, but our current mix of ferventreligious belief
and widespread religious ignorance is surely a dangerous
combination.”
Question:
How do you understand this potent mix of devotion and
ignorance? Analyze briefly and provide examples to support
your position. (p182 textbook; p160 e-text)
A POTPOURRI from
S Prothero’s Dictionary of Religious Literacy
QT #1
Founders, movers and shakers: According to Prothero’s entries
in his glossary/dictionary, briefly compare Jesus (pp239-40
textbook; pp207-208 e-text), Muhammad (pp257-258 textbook;
p223-224 e-text), and Confucius (pp211-212 textbook; p185 e-
text).
For instance consider such items as: any or the absence of
divine claims; teachings, emphases, goals, and ideals;
leadership styles; influences.
QT #2 Authority:
What is a fatwa in Islam? (223-224 textbook; pp194-195 e-text)
What is an encyclical in Catholicism? (p219 textbook; p191 e-
text)
What is biblical inerrancy (p235 textbook; p204 e-text) to which
evangelical and earlier fundamentalist Protestants hold?
Describe the authority of the Pope, making sure that you
address the matter of papal infallibility and specify how this
dogma is applied. (p264 textbook; p204-205 e-text)
QT #3
Succession and sectarianism in Islam: Describe the major
difference(s) between Sunni Islam (Imam, p234 textbook; p204
e-text) pp284-285 textbook; p246 e-text) and
ShiiteIslam.(Imam, p234 textbook; p204 e-text) pp281-282

textbook; p243 e-text
QT #4
What are the reasons Prothero lists when he states, “the effects
of the Second Great Awakening are hard to overestimate.”
Identify those effects. (pp277-278 textbook; pp240 e-text)
QT #5
What was the significance of the Scopes (“Monkey”) Trials? (pp
276-277 textbook; p239 e-text; See also Creationism pp213-214
QT #6 Religions, teachings, and concepts
Briefly discuss the wherewithal arrival of Buddhism on
American shores. How might we understand the growing
“popularity” of Buddhism among Westerners, in particular,
Americans? Do Buddhists see / worship the Buddha as god?
Explain. (pp205-207 textbook; pp179-181 e-text). FYI:
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~dbromley/undergraduate/spiritualC
ommunity/BuddhismInAmericaTimeline.html and
http://www.pluralism.org/religion/buddhism/timeline/america
QT #7
What is Zionism? When was the modern state of Israel created?
What is significant about the timing of the “resurrection” of the
Jewish homeland? (pp292 textbook; p252 e-text)
QT #8
What is ahimsa? (pp194-195 textbook; pp170-171 e-text)
QT #9
What is the “Golden Rule”? (pp227-228 textbook; pp198-199 e-
text)
Unlike the positive (prescribing) framing of the Golden Rule,
both Rabbi Hillel (early first-century CE) and even earlier
Confucius presented a negative (proscribing) framing coined
“the Silver Rule.” Rather than the Golden Rule, why might it be
easier for us to follow the Silver Rule—“That which is hateful
(or despicable) to you do not do to your neighbor”?
QT #10
What is considered the “mysteries of mysteries” for Orthodox
Christians? How are we to understand this ritual practiced also

by Catholics and Protestants, but in different ways and with
differing understandings? (See also the entry on p234 textbook;
p204 e-text)
Explain the Orthodox Christian view of marriage and celibacy
among clergy. (pp260-261 textbook; pp225-226 e-text)
QT #11
Briefly explain the Taoist principle of yin/yang. (pp290-91
Or refer to a brief instructor-created set of slides: (Why might
the taijitu symbol be a popular tattoo? Ha ha)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bf6rvocys14do9q/Yin%20Yang.pdf?
dl=0
QT #12
What is the Bhagavad Gita, and who are the main “characters”
if you will of this 18-chapter extended poem referred to
affectionately as “the Gita”? (pp200-201 textbook; p176 e-text)
RELIGION AND VIOLENCE QT #13
What were the Crusades, and how does this historical reality
affect Christian-Islam relations to this day? (pp214-215
FYI:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/exp
lanation/crusades.html
What is Islamism? (p237 textbook; p206 e-text)
Wahhabism (p290 textbook; pp250-251 e-text) is “the dominant
school of Islamic thought in Saudi Arabia” and definitely
influenced the forming of Al-Qaeda (Arabic for “the base.”)
Prothero wrote our textbook before the emergence of IS, but we
readily see how IS is an offshoot or outgrowth of al-Qaeda in
terms of its Sunni aspirations for a “transnational Islamic
empire that adheres to a strict interpretation of Islamic law.”
Name the Egyptian scholar dubbed “the father of Islamist
fundamentalism,” and list his “themes” or fundamentals.
(pp203-204 textbook; pp177-178 e-text) FYI a rarely told story
of an enduring historical presence of the Muslim tradition in the

United States:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/09/opinion/the-founding-
muslims.html?_r=0
The Final Curtain Issues
QT #14
“My karma ran over your dogma.” (This clever bumper sticker
might make us laugh, but there is a bit more to these concepts
than a play on words.)
a. a. What is karma? (p244-245 textbook; p212 e-text)
b. b. What is reincarnationand what is resurrection? How do
these two life-after-death belief systems differ? (see p272-273,
274 textbook; p236-237 e-text)
QT #15
What’s with all of this end-of-the-world “last days” stuff?
Briefly describe the apocalypse. (pp197 textbook; pp172-173 e-
text)
What do you think is the cause(s) or what drives this morbid
fixation with “end times”?
Identify potential dangers this mentality poses.
If you really want to know more:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/millenni.htm
“Competing theories of eschatology, end times, and
millennialism”
F I N I S

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