Religious Minorities (Non-Christians) in American History

ARDA LEARNING RESOURCES Religious Minorities (Non-Christians) in American History

Although Christianity has been dominant in the religious history of America, the right to freedom of religious expression has allowed non-Christian faiths, including Judaism, Buddhism and Islam, to develop and thrive in the United States. In this learning module, you will learn the important events, movements and people who increased the diversity of the American religious landscape.

Open your web browser and go to the homepage for the Association of Religion Data Archives (www.theARDA.com).

Click on the “Interactive Timelines” tab on the homepage. Now that you are on the landing page for the Interactive Historical Timelines, scroll down to the section entitled “Religious Minorities (Non-Christians)” and click on “Interactive Timeline” button below that title. Now that you are on the “Religious Minorities” interactive timeline, click “Continue” on the pop- up menu to begin. For assistance navigating the interactive historical timelines on the ARDA, click here.

1. Scroll across the timeline to both “Mikveh Israel” (1740) event and “Touro Synagogue” (1763) event. Click on the “More” tab and read each description. How are these two synagogues important to: 1) the history of American Judaism; and 2) the founding period of the United States in the late 18th century? For the second question, go back to the interactive timeline and scroll to “George Washington’s Letter to Touro Synagogue” (1790) as well.

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2. Non-traditional religious thought has led to the rise of several unique spiritual movements in United States history, including Transcendentalism, Spiritualism, New Thought and the Theosophical Society in the 1800s. Using historical timelines entries between the 1830s and the 1870s, describe one of these movements, its early advocates/leaders and one unique religious or spiritual belief that sets that movement apart. Do you think that unique belief is still prevalent in society today? Why or why not?

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3. Sometimes, the growth of a small religious group may be due to immigrants coming to the United States for job opportunities and bringing their religion with them. This was prevalent in the mid-19th century through early 20th century with the growth of Daoism, Buddhism, Islam and Sikhism in America. Fill in the boxes below for these religious faiths, describing the year and location of their first temple/religious organization, the specific immigrant groups who brought them to the United States and the economic reasons for their immigration.

Religious faith Year(s) and location of Immigrant Economic reason for first temple/earliest group/groups immigration organization

Daoism

Buddhism

Islam

Sikhism

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4. Scroll to 1893. The World Parliament of Religions gathered in Chicago this year, helping to increase the visibility of a variety of non-Christian faiths, including Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Jainism, Shinto and Taoism. Which popular Hindu priest/missionary spoke at this event? A) John Henry Barrows B) Anagarika Dharmapala C) Hazrat Inayat Khan D) Swami Vivekananda

5. Scroll to the entry “Buddhist Churches of America” (1944). Also known as the BCA, why did some Buddhist leaders criticize the organization at the time? A) The BCA were Japanese and most Buddhists were Chinese B) The BCA promoted Zen Buddhism instead of the more popular Shin Buddhism C) Its usage of “churches” mimicked Christian terminology D) The BCA performed Christian rituals

Religious minority groups and organizations often have unique beliefs and practices that are viewed as “controversial” by dominant religious groups. Read the following entries: “Nation of Islam Founded” (1930), “Neo-Paganism” (1950), and “Church of Scientology” (1954). Which of these groups…

6. …connects humans and nature, and often is associated with contemporary witchcraft?

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7. …appealed to the black community and their unfair treatment in society?

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8. …seeks to control “engrams,” a painful memory that occurred during a less conscious or previous state of mind?

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9. Based on the entry for “Neo-Paganism” (1950), what are some popular misconceptions about this group?

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Many religious minority leaders also are social and political activists. Match the following historical figure to their famous display of activism.

10. Abraham Joshua Heschel a. Promoted Native American rights and autonomy

11. Madalyn O’Hair b. Jailed with Martin Luther King, Jr., and opposed the Vietnam War

12. Vine Deloria, Jr. c. Helped to ban Bible readings in school

13. From the 1960s to present day, there have been a number of important events that have led to the growth of religious minority groups, their rights and their visibility. In your opinion, which event on the timeline during this period (1960-present) was the most important and why? Support your position.

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14. Finally, what was something you learned from this activity that you did not previously know? Why did you find it interesting?

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