Classroom participation is expected of all students in order to satisfactorily complete the course. As an analysis of the role of religion in early American history, from the colonies through the Civil War, this reading and discussion course may help you determine if his point is valid. Together, we will strive to think responsibly about America's religious past and its uses in contemporary political and cultural debates. We will mainly read books, but we will consider many questions about how travel writing came about, the gendering of travel, why travel literature has always been such a popular and fascinating genre, what are the cultural functions of travel literature, and why people travel or like to think about travel. The inquiry of the course will be global and will include some consideration of culture-specific ideas and expectations about travel.
Travel is an art, a metaphor and a quest.
In fact, one of our objectives will be to examine the many things that travel can mean, and can provide for different people and societies. This seminar will focus on reading various contemporary works of fiction, the theological themes present in them, and the implications for discussing issues of faith and human life. The application of theological themes to works of fiction will allow students to reflect on their own faith perspective, the author's intentional or unintentional use of religious themes, and the experience of reading fiction theologically. The Red Tent . At Home in Mitford .