Proceedings: First Biennial Conference on Religion and American Culture June 4-7, 2009 Omni Severin Hotel Indianapolis, Indiana hosted by The Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture in the IU School of Liberal Arts Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and Religion & American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation Editors Philip Goff Rebecca Vasko This project was supported by Lilly Endowment and Indiana University’s New Frontiers in the Arts & Humanities Program, funded by the Office of the President and administered by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research. The Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis 2009 Proceedings: First Biennial Religion and American Culture Conference, June 2009 3 Table of Contents Introduction Philip Goff, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.......................................................................4 Part I: How did we get here?........................................................................................................................................ 5 Jon Butler, Yale University................................................................................................................................ 6 Jay Demerath, University of Massachusetts, Amherst...................................................................................... 7 Paula Kane, University of Pittsburgh.................................................................................................................9 Part II: Competing and complementary approaches in American religious history............................................. 11 John Corrigan, Florida State University ......................................................................................................... 12 Dennis Dickerson, Vanderbilt University ....................................................................................................... 14 Robert Orsi, Northwestern University ............................................................................................................ 16 Part III: Competing and complementary approaches in social scientific studies of religion in America............ 18 Penny Edgell, University of Minnesota .......................................................................................................... 19 Rhys Williams, Loyola University Chicago ................................................................................................... 22 Jerry Park, Baylor University ......................................................................................................................... 24 Part IV: Explaining religion in America: What can we learn from each other?................................................... 26 Courtney Bender, Columbia University ......................................................................................................... 27 Carol B. Duncan, Wilfrid Laurier University ................................................................................................. 29 David Hall, Harvard Divinity School ............................................................................................................. 31 Part V: Politics, Secularization, and the Public Square .......................................................................................... 33 Daniel Walker Howe, University of California Los Angeles, Oxford University .......................................... 34 Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, University of Buffalo Law School ..................................................................... 36 Mark Silk, Trinity College .............................................................................................................................. 38 Part VI: Race, Ethnicity, and Religious Pluralism .................................................................................................. 40 Rudy V. Busto, University of California Santa Barbara ................................................................................. 41 Helen Rose Ebaugh, University of Houston ................................................................................................... 43 David Wills, Amherst College ........................................................................................................................ 46 Part VII: Where do we go from here?........................................................................................................................ 49 James Lewis, Louisville Institute, Louisville Theological Seminary ............................................................. 50 Amanda Porterfield, Florida State University ................................................................................................. 51 Proceedings: First Biennial Religion and American Culture Conference, June 2009 4 Introduction Philip Goff Director, Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture Despite the growth of the study of religion in North America over the disciplinary divides and what they mean for us. Historians then discussed past two decades, the need to understand religion’s role in American so- such issues as the rise of American religious history and its relation to ciety is greater now than ever before. Part of that is due to religion’s denomination studies, ethnography, and the slow demise of monographs, increasing role in public life. But a contributing factor to this dearth of as well as the future of grand narratives. In the day’s final session, social understanding is the restraint placed on scholars by their disciplines and scientists conferred on the various divides within their disciplines, how teaching environments. Divided into camps of humanities, social scienc- these differences have influenced the study of religion in North America, es, seminaries, and professional schools, scholars working in American as well as the potential and questionable efficacy of “interdisciplinarity.” religious studies speak different languages, publish in different journals, Sessions on day two tightened the focus of the conference. The open- and ask different—although often overlapping—questions. ing session considered how the various disciplines rely on each other’s This is an unfortunate situation because scholars are talking past, work, as well as what we consider the strengths and weaknesses of the around, and over one another when there is much they can learn from various disciplines. The afternoon sessions concentrated on two nexus each other. Many historians are surprised to find sociologists applying points where considerable time is being spent by scholars from various their theories to the American religious past, with varying levels of suc- disciplines: politics, secularization, and the public square; and race, eth- cess. Similarly, many cultural anthropologists are shocked to discover nicity, and religious pluralism. The final hour was spent considering how scholars trained in history publishing ethnographic studies of religious the larger field should move forward as well as discussing ideas for the traditions, also with various degrees of success. The result of this talking second Conference on Religion and American Culture in 2011. past one another is that scholars who could truly learn from each other These Proceedings include all of the papers that were read at the con- are often unaware of those outside their discipline working on aspects ference. What is missing, however, are the lively and spirited conversa- of their topics or employing methods that could prove helpful. At a time tions that marked each session. Indeed, the discussions continued over when more understanding of the subject is paramount, and more work coffee breaks, lunches, and dinners. New friends were made and fresh than ever is being done on religion in North America, we are left without ideas were discovered. While there is room for growth and improvement, the mechanisms to put these people in the same room at the same time. the conference began a new conversation that will only gain strength as The purpose of the first Conference on Religion and American Culture more disciplines and backgrounds are brought to the table. We look for- was to bring together scholars in the humanities, social sciences, seminar- ward to that in 2011. ies, and professional schools who study religion in America in order to A word of thanks is due to several people and institutions. First, I am begin bridging this gap. Of course, various attempts to do this have been grateful to the panelists who wrote such thoughtful pieces. I asked them made at professional societies. But while the Society for the Scientific to be direct and provocative, and they responded beautifully. I am also Study of Religion has welcomed humanities scholars, they stand out as indebted to seven of the Center’s Research Fellows. Stephen Stein, Pe- foils because there are so few of them and their work is strikingly differ- ter Thuesen, Arthur Farnsley, Brian Steensland, Sheila Kennedy, Edward ent. Similarly, while such humanities-dominated groups as the American Curtis, and Sylvester Johnson moderated the sessions and engendered Academy of Religion, the American Society of Church History, and the thoughtful discussions and debate. Becky Vasko, the Center’s Program American Studies Association have at times reached out to social sci- Coordinator, provided liberal support in the planning and execution of the entists for particular