American Prophets: Religion and Politics in America

This course examines the development of the category of the “prophet” in American history and culture, especially the prophetic category that has arisen to address “sins” committed by the American state and/or people. We will examine “prophets” from multiple communities, including African Americans, Native Americans, social justice advocates, anti-poverty movements, as well as religious minority communities who have been the victims of persecution and suspicion. We focus mostly on examining the category of prophet in regards to the relationship between religion and the broader society-especially as these prophets have defined “sins” (e.g. slavery, racism, Indian removal, poverty, religious persecution, among others) as when: the experience of Americans have not matched up with the promises of the American democratic and pluralistic experiment to guarantee all people “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and “equality before the law.” We will also examine the primary rhetorical style by which prophets have called out-and called America to account for-these sins: the jeremiad tradition.