Syllabi

Here, I share many of my current and previous syllabi. With a teaching load of a 3-3, I’ve accumulated quite a few. Many of these syllabi are not the final, final versions. So if a current student is looking on here, check blackboard for the most up-to-date version of our course syllabus.

Spring 2023

Bad Religion, a Core Integration Seminar in the Gonzaga Core Curriculum that investigates how and why certain American religions are deemed “bad” by society.
And I’m only now teaching one (!) course a semester because I’m taking on the role of University Core Director.

Fall 2022

African American Religions, 2 sections of this 200-level Religious Studies course meeting the Christianity/Catholic Tradition core curriculum requirement, with a Social Justice core designation.
Paranormal, 2 sections of an interdisciplinary first-year seminar meeting a core curriculum requirement

Summer 2022

Religions of the African Diaspora, Religions of the African Diaspora Summer22, Religions of the African Diaspora Summer22, an online course meeting the World/Comparative Religion core requirement and Global Studies designation.

Spring 2022

American Christianities, 2 sections of this 200-level Religious Studies course meeting the Christianity/Catholic Tradition core curriculum requirement
Paranormal, an interdisciplinary first-year seminar meeting a core curriculum requirement

Fall 2021

African American Religions, 2 sections of this 200-level Religious Studies course meeting the Christianity/Catholic Tradition core curriculum requirement, with a Social Justice core designation
Paranormal, an interdisciplinary first-year seminar meeting a core curriculum requirement

Summer 2021

Religions of the African Diaspora, an online course meeting the World/Comparative Religion core requirement and Global Studies designation.

Fall 2020–Spring 2021

On research sabbatical 😎
(Thanks Louisville Institute!)

Summer 2020

Religions of the African Diaspora

Spring 2020

African American Religions, 2 sections of this 200-level Religious Studies course meeting the Christianity/Catholic Tradition core curriculum requirement, with a Social Justice core designation
American Monsters, an interdisciplinary first-year seminar meeting a core curriculum requirement

Fall 2019

Native American Religions, this 300-level Religious Studies course meets the World/Comparative Religion core requirement and Global Studies designation. Also cross-listed with Native American Studies.
Senior Seminar (for Religious Studies), a 400-level seminar for graduating majors. This fall it will be taught as a seminar in the methodologies of Religious Studies and Theology.

Spring 2019

African American Religions, 2 sections
Race and Religion in America, an interdisciplinary first-year seminar meeting a core requirement

Fall 2018

American Christianities, 2 sections of this 200-level Religious Studies course meeting the Christianity/Catholic Tradition core requirement
Senior Seminar (for Religious Studies), a 400-level seminar for graduating majors. This fall it will be taught as a seminar in the methodologies of Religious Studies and Theology.

Spring 2018

African American Religions, 2 sections
American Monsters, an interdisciplinary first-year seminar meeting a core requirement

Fall 2017

Native American Religions, 2 sections of this 300-level Religious Studies course meeting the World/Comparative Religion core requirement and Global Studies designation. Also cross-listed with Native American Studies.
Senior Seminar (for Religious Studies), a 400-level seminar for graduating majors. This fall it will be taught as a thesis course but will likely change for fall 2018. I created a Thesis Handbook for students and will share via email with those interested. (Also this fall I began a 3-year term as Director of Undergraduate Majors. If there’s a patron saint of college curricula, pray for me.)
Strategies for Success Fall 2017, a course for students on academic probation and working on scholastic improvement.

Summer 2017

American Christianities, a 200-level Religious Studies course meeting the Christianity/Catholic Tradition core requirement

Spring 2017

Race in America, an interdisciplinary first-year seminar meeting a core requirement
African American Religions, a 200-level Religious Studies course meeting the Christianity/Catholic Tradition core requirement
American Christianities, a 200-level Religious Studies course meeting the Christianity/Catholic Tradition core requirement
Strategies for Success, a course for students on academic probation and working on improvement

Fall 2016

American Christianities Syllabus This fall I’m teaching two sections of American Christianities for the Honors Program, so I’ve changed up the course some to reflect that.
Race in America Since Race in America is a new debut this fall, this is probably not the final final version of the syllabus, but near close.
19th-Century American Religions This is a directed readings course I’m teaching this fall. The extra fun part – it’s with a wonderful student. And I get to teach my book!

Summer 2016

American Christianities

Spring 2016

African American Religions
Native American Religions
The Native American Religions class has more TBAs on readings than I prefer at this point, but it’s still a bit of a work in progress.
Strategies for Success
Late last semester I was asked to teach a class for students on academic probation called “Strategies for Success.” I briefly blogged about it here and here’s the syllabus:

Fall 2015

African American Religions
American Christianities
I’ve changed the Religions in America class to American Christianities. It’s not that I think non-Christian traditions are unimportant to American history or culture; instead I’m transitioning the course due to the upcoming changes in Gonzaga’s core curriculum. Starting in Fall 2016, the core will look different and require two Religious Studies courses: one in Christianity and one in World or Comparative Religion.

Summer 2015

American Christianities

Spring 2015

Religions in America
African American Religions

Fall 2014

Religions in America
African American Religions

Additionally, you used to be able to find some of my thoughts on teaching religion and race on the now defunct companion website for Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey‘s The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in AmericaFor the syllabus I developed on Religion and Race in American History (using The Color of Christ as a main text), click here: Race and Religion