Religious Studies 301 Exam date: Tuesday, December 13

Religion in America 1:00pm start!

Prof. John Simmons

Fall 2005

STUDY GUIDE: Final Examination

Course segments covered: Second Awakening, Civil War, America Diversifies; Third Awakening, 20^th Century Changes, the “Fourth Awakening,” 9/11 (Segments 4 & 5 in the syllabus)

Instructions: Please bring your take-home essay, paper, and a #2 pencil to the exam.

Exam format: 25 computer-graded multiple-choice questions worth 1 point each; 10 matching questions worth 1 point each; 20 short answer identifications, you choose any 10, worth 2 points each (20 possible points); hand in the take home essay (20 possible points for an exam total of 75 points).

Information sources:

Religion in America: A Historical Perspective Course Guide (Simmons): Classes 15, 16; 18-20; 23-25

Religion in America (Corrigan & Hudson): see assignments at the beginning of each Course Guide class (this is primarily background reading to provide historical detail for key class themes)

http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfjks = PowerPoint notes; two files = “The Civil War, African American Religion, 3^rd Awakening” and “4^th Awakening/Porterfield’s 5 Causes of Spiritual Transformation” (be sure to know the key people listed in this section). Most of the questions will be drawn from the PP notes.

Key Class Themes and Concepts:

1. The Civil War/African American religion/America diversifies
2. The Third Awakening (Class 19 is very important here)
3. The Fourth Awakening (Class 25 is important)

Essay question:

Take home essay: on the day of the midterm exam, please bring your completed essay to class. There is no time limit on writing your essay, and you can use any of our class materials – PowerPoint notes, textbooks, outside sources, and so forth – in answering the question. It will probably take between 3 and 4 pages to answer the essay question, roughly 7 to 8 paragraphs, 400-500 words. You are always welcome to expand further should you be so moved! The essays may be typed or handwritten, though double-spaced typing is preferred. The essay is worth 20 points for an exam total of 75 possible points. Please answer the following question:

The tragic terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, forever called 9/11, generated a surge of patriotism and togetherness on the part of the American citizenry. If the United States was experiencing a 4^th Awakening, in an ironic way, tragedy brought unity and vision to the people of this nation. Unfortunately, unity no longer describes the cultural experience of American citizens.

Though he won 2004 presidential election by a slight margin, President Bush publicly called his victory a mandate, indicating that Americans were united behind the president’s vision for the nation. Today it seems that the “united states” is more divided than ever along religious and political lines; the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, religious extremism and the widening gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” cloud consensus on what it means to be an American.

In your informed open, how do you see the United States emerging from this period of cultural transformation, what we would call “a 4^th Awakening?” Please reflect on other Awakenings in American history. In what manner can the four key elements of the American culture core be redefined and revitalized so all Americans feel that they have a place and a purpose in these United States?

Criteria for Evaluating Exam Essays:

Students are rightfully concerned about the criteria an instructor uses to evaluate and grade exam essays. The following information will not only help you interpret your grade but should streamline the grading process in general. As you know, the exam essays are worth 20 possible points each. Here is the grading process I follow:

Open criterion: for handing in an essay at the exam, per syllabus and review sheet instructions, grading starts at a C level. You will receive: possible points = 12

Criterion #1: the paper meets the assignment parameters in terms of length and theme and is free from spelling and grammatical errors; the essay demonstrates college level writing skills on the part of the author (no awkward sentence structure, incomplete sentences, run-on sentences, wrong tense/word usage, etc.): possible points = 2

Criterion #2: the paper accurately and clearly answers the essay question; key points are well-supported by evidence drawn from our text, the video interviews and documentaries seen in class, or other materials and outside evidence documented in an appropriate fashion: possible points = 4

Criterion #3: CREATIVITY! – originality, style, sparkling insights, and exceptional writing will be rewarded: possible points = 2

20 points

Best ‘O luck!