HX 8351, Women in 19th and 20th Century American Christianity

Purpose

The purpose of this course is to inquire into the social status and contributions of women in American Christian life in the 19^th and 20^th century, through analysis of social conditions, reform movements, and literary works (including hymnody). Because religion and wider cultural forces interact in many ways, this inquiry will often reach outside of the strictly religious sphere.

Class Format

There will be 13 class sessions. Sessions will sometimes begin with a paper presented by a member of the class; at other times they will begin with a lecture. Because of the seminar format, each student is responsible for helping guide and carry on the conversation.

Assignments

The syllabus continues with the usual admonitions to read the material and come to class prepared for discussion, and notes on the class procedure. Each student was required to lead one seminar session by presenting a paper, and to write a term paper. A preliminary sketch and bibliography were due at mid-term, and the last day of class included the presentation of a synopsis of each paper. There is also a statement about openness to minority concerns and the process of disability accommodations.

The session structure has been left intact, but as the dates are no longer of any great importance, they have been removed.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Session 1

Session 2

Lecture: Emergence of a new America - culture, technology, and the home

Required reading:
McDannel, Preface and chapter 1 "Church, Home, and Society"
Perspectives #2, Williams, "The Attraction of Methodism...."
Perspectives #8, Lobody, "That Language Might Be Given Me"

Recommended reading:
Cott, chapter 1, "Work"
Perspectives #1, Matthews, "Evangelical America...."

Session 3

Seminar: The Cult of True Womanhood

Required reading:
McDannell, chapters 2, 3 "Domestic Architecture...," "Catholic Domesticity"
Welter, chapter 2 "The cult of true womanhood"
Bailey, letter 33 "Female Education" (pages 203-209)
Eddy, chapters 7, 9 "Properties of Married Life," "Female Education"
Hale, Editor's Table "Genius has no sex" Godey's Lady's Book, February 1857
Harris, pages 31-35
Sunderland, Discourse to young ladies

Recommended reading:
Cott, chapters 2, 3, "Domesticity,""Education"

Session 4

Seminar: The Christian Home

Required reading:
McDannell, chapters 4, 5, 6 "Rituals of the Hearth," "Leaders ... Paternal Model," "Leaders... Maternal Model" and Conclusion
WNW1 #8, Nanez "Hispanic Clergy Wives"
Eddy, chapter 1, 4, 6 "Woman's Mission," "The Married State," "The Praying Mother"
Harris, pages 1-3, 3-11, 11-14, 14-21
Phillips, chapter 1 section 2 "Home in the sphere of the church" (pages 20-26)

Recommended reading:
Cott, chapter 4 "Religion"
McCrossen, chapter 8 "Daddy's Day with Baby"
Perspectives #12, Schneider "Social Religion, the Christian Home, and Republican Spirituality in Antebellum Methodism"
WNW1 #7, Jeffrey "Ministry through marriage"
WNW2 #2, Gillespie "The Sun in their Domestic System"

Session 5

Seminar: Public Mothers

Required reading:
Perspectives, #20, Gifford "For God and Home and Native Land"
Perspectives #22, Keller "Creating a Sphere for Women"
WNW1 #16, Lee "Evangelical Domesticity"
Hale, Editor's Table (Thanksgiving excerpts)
Harper, "Save the Boys"
Holt, 1878 Address
Lane, "Woman's Rights"
Sojourner Truth collection at PBS, American Experience

Recommended reading:
Perspectives #11, McKay "Nineteenth-century Black Women's Spiritual Autobiographies ..."
WNW1 #3, Brown "Women of the Word"
WNW2 #3, Leloudis "Subversion of The Feminine Ideal"

Session 6

Lecture: Cultural and political crisis

Required reading:
Lears, chapter 1 "Roots of antimodernism" (through page 47)
Mead, chapters 5, 8, 9 "Abraham Lincoln...." "American Protestantism" 1 and 2
Harris, "In these days" (added to original list)

Recommended reading:
Perspectives #14, Schmidt "Reexaming the Public/Private Split: Reforming the Continent and Spreading Scriptural Holiness"

Session 7

Seminar: Gaining a voice

Required reading:
Douglas, introduction to Uncle Tom's Cabin
Perspectives #15, Gillespie "The Emerging Voice of the Methodist Woman"

Recommended reading:
WNW1 #14, Shadron "The Laity Rights Movement"

Due: preliminary sketch and bibliography of term project.

Session 8

Seminar: Slavery and Mass Media

Required reading:
Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin

Session 9

Seminar: Regaining a sense of polemic

Required reading:
Harris, pages 47-63
Hobbs, chapters 1, 2, 3 "Words and Women in the Evangelical Community," "Hymns as the Cultural Property of Nineteenth-Century Women, " "His Religion and Hers"
Hymn and song selections (TBA)

Session 10

Seminar: Divine authorization for public proclamation

Required reading:
Harris, pages 21-23, 23-35
Hobbs, chapters 4, 5 "Women's Hymns as Narrative Models," "The Patriarchal Backlash"
Hymn selections (TBA)

Session 11

Seminar: New roles

Required reading:
Perspectives #19, Rowe "The Ordination of Women: Round One"
Perspectives #24, Dougherty, "The Social Gospel According to Phoebe"
WNW1 #4, Hardesty "Minister as Prophet?"
Booth, "Female Ministry"
Liberty Harbor Foursquare Church web site-be especially sure to read the McPherson sermon and biography at "About Foursquare"
Robertson's McPherson web site at University of Virginia

Due: your selection for Session 12

Session 12

Lecture: Entering the mainstream

Required reading:
WNW1 #19, Frederickson "Shaping a New Society"
WNW2 #20, Engelsman "The Legacy of Georgia Harkness"
A selection of your choice (subject to instructor's approval) by a woman writer, or about women. This selection should be the length of a typical journal article or book chapter and address an issue in American religious experience in the 20th century.

Recommended reading:
WNW1 #6, Scott "Georgia Harkness,"
WNW1 #20, Crist "Winifred L. Chappell"

Session 13

Presentation of paper findings
Other wrap up

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