Unit 4 Religion in the U.S.

Unit 4Religion in the U.S.

Contents: • 1. Introduction • 2. Religious Liberty • 3. Protestant Main Stream and Religious Pluralism • 4. American Character of Religion

1. Introduction ▶mainstream culture---“WASP” culture ▶Religion is a very important part of life in America ▶Religion is national. ▶The American Constitution stipulate that everyone enjoys freedom of religious belief.

(1) over 90% of Americans say that they believe in God. • (2) over 40% go to a church (for public Christian worship), or Synagogue( for Jewish worship) at least once a week. • (3) Half of the American protestants are active church members. • (4) Even American money reminds them of religion. The words “ In God We Trust” are stamped on the coins.

(5) there are churches , synagogues, and temples in every part of the country. • (6) There are many religious institutions. e.g. The Southern Baptist College • (7) Every citizen of the country may have or may not have religious faith or religious practices. • ⇛In some types of social groups, if a person is known not to be religious, he may receive a certain social disapproval.

2. Religious Liberty • (1) the Reformation Movement in Europe • (2) Great Awakening • (3) Enlightenment Movement • (4) First Amendment to the Constitution • (5) Government and Religion

(1) the Reformation Movement in Europe ◈Martin Luther, Germany ◈ John Calvin, France ◈ Henry Ⅷ, Britain

(2) Great Awakening • The Great Awakening was an event that occurred in the early 18th century characterized by fervent and enthusiastic worship in a series of revivals that spread throughout the American colonies. • This “revival” movement -- sought to breathe new feeling and strength into religion -- cut across the lines of Protestant religious groups, or denominations.

This event was noted for the growth of the Christian church and the promotion of traditional Puritan views on the issues of election and salvation. • The success of the Great Awakening rests in the pluralistic, ecumenical, and sociological efforts of men from various theological backgrounds, yet espousing a unified message of repentance, forgiveness, and hope for the masses

(3) Enlightenment Movement • The 18th-century Enlightenment was the single most important intellectual development in human history; it made possible the comfortable, prosperous, stable, and relatively free Western civilization that we enjoy today. • This is the period in which the humans became overconfident in the human Reason and Rationality.

Enlightenment thinkers believed individuals have the faculty of reason, which enables them to accurately understand the absolute reality. Using reason, individuals can understand not only the factual data of reality but a rational moral system which can instruct them on how they ought to behave. • The Enlightenment rebelled against religious intolerance; the State should not control religion or morality; both should be left to the private domain.

The Two Fundamental Characteristics of the Philosophy of Enlightenment are: 1) faith in the Reason and human rationality to reject the tradition and the pre-established institutions and thoughts; 2) Search for the practical, useful knowledge as the power to control nature. • The Enlightenment led to an era of shrinking government, expanding liberty, increased toleration, and immensely amplified commercial freedom.

(4) First Amendment to the Constitution ＊Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. ＊Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression

(5) Government and Religion • The federal government gives no special favors to any religion; no state-supported religion. • American government will not meddle in religious affairs or require any religious beliefs of its citizens. • In some ways, the government supports all religions; religious groups do not pay taxes in America. • In fact, for some purposes government ignores religion and for other purposes it treats all religions alike.

3. Protestant Main Stream & Religious Pluralism (1) Protestant Main Stream (2) The other 2 branches of Christianity (3) Religions beyond Christianity

(1) Protestant Main Stream ▶Protestant Church: • It was separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the Reformation Movement of the 16th century over the doctrinal difference and refusal to accept the supremacy of the Roman Bishop. • The Protestants are more liberal. They ignore the authority of the Popes and have bishops and priests in their own countries. They have free services as they like.

◈over 60% of Americans are said to be Protestant believers. ◈ 90% of all the churches in the U.S. ◈ about 2/3 of the Protestants had their origins wholly or mainly in Britain. ◈ one of the 3 main divisions of Christianity Catholic Eastern Orthodox Protestant Church

◈there are 4 large Protestant groups in the United States: Baptists Methodists Presbyterians Episcopalians

Baptists • ① the largest Protestant group in the U.S. with 25 million members and more than 20 branches. • ② they are concentrated particularly in the Southern Bible Belt. • ③ They have a liberal attitude toward the blacks and courageously defend their beliefs in the equality of all human beings before God, whatever their color.

④ But the great majority seems to have no difficulty in reconciling their Christian belief and practice with their racial prejudice. • ⑤ Most of the blacks are Baptists, but they go to different churches. • ⇛The first group of Baptists was founded in Amsterdam by exile John Smyth, and then the Baptists Church was established in London in 1612 by some of Smyth’s followers.

Methodists • ① one of the most numerous Protestants, next to Baptists. • ② 13 million members in the world, about 2/3 being in the U.S. • ③ Methodists are united in the Methodist Church. Its theology is American, its church service like that of the Church of England.

④ Its governing body is the Conference (the annual meeting), which is composed of ministers. • ⑤ Historically, it sprung up from the revival within the Church of England led by Charles Wesley in 1729, rapidly spread after 1739 in England and North America and formally separated from the Church of England.

Presbyterians • ① Currently the largest group is the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA). • ⇛As of 2005, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) had approximately 2.4 million members, 11,100 congregations, and 14,000 ordained and active ministers. • ② The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second largest Presbyterian church body in the United States.

The Protestant Episcopal Church • ① It directly derived from the Church of England, and has the same form of services and organization or share the same apostolic succession (the passing on through bishops and priests of powers) • ② The Episcopal Church of the U.S. refuses to accept the supreme authority of the Bishop of Rome(the Pope), but accepts the supreme authority of bishops of its own Church.

(2) The other 2 branches of Christianity ◈The Christian Church has three main divisions or branches: • The Roman Catholic Church • The Eastern Orthodox • The Protestant

Catholics ( Roman Catholic Church) • The Roman Catholic Church considers the Pope (Bishop of Rome) to be the supremacy (the highest authority) , and claims that popes are successors of Jesus Christ. • The Roman Catholic Church strictly adhere to traditional church services.

①Although the largest church is of the Protestant faith, the largest single religious group is that of Roman Catholics. • ② More than ¼ of all Americans are now of Roman Catholics faith. They represent 26.2% of the U.S. population (the 4 large Protestant groups, the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians , Episcopalians represent 31.9% of the population).

③ The majority of the Catholics are descendants of immigrants from Ireland, Italy and Poland. • ④ Anti-Catholic prejudice was strong. More often prejudice took the form of discrimination. John F. Kennedy’s presidential election victory put to rest the catholic religion as an issue in national politics.

The Eastern Orthodox Church • ① Its members are found chiefly in eastern and southeastern Europe and the neighboring regions of Asia and Africa. There are about 140 million of its members in the world. In America it has about 5 million members. • ② Historically, it was one part of the Christian church, and became separated from western Christendom in 1054 when it refused to accept the supremacy of the Pope.

(3) Religions beyond Christianity ◈other religions like Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Bahai, and Islam. • ① 13 million Jewish population in the world, half of them live in U.S. and hold 3% of all the American population. • ⇛Judaism is the Jewish religion. It rejects polytheism and worships one God, the Creator. This monotheism, inherited by both Christianity and Islam, is the heart of the Jewish experience.

② over 2 million members of the Islamic religion live in America. Some are immigrants or the children of immigrants. Others are Americans, including some black Americans who have converted to Islam. • ③ Buddhism is a growing faith in America. Recent immigration from Asia has raised the number of Buddhists in America to several hundred thousand – no one seems quite sure how many.

④ several hundred thousand Hindus have also come to America. In recent years, young native-born Americans have shown great interest in these and other eastern religions and philosophies.

4. American Character of Religion • (1)Americans with different religions live together under the same law. • (2)the religious beliefs of Americans continue to be strong with social progress. • (3)every church is a completely independent organization, and concerned with its own finance and its own building.

Unit 4 Religion in the U.S.