The Global Dimensions of American Religion

Religion is one of the most global forces in American history.  The patterns of the nation’s denominational development were constantly shaped by international dimensions of migration, exchange, and tensions.  This presentation will draw from the numerous examples of American religion in a global context throughout the nineteenth century, including slave religion, the tensions within Catholicism over loyalty and identification with the Roman hierarchy, and the American missionary movement.  This presentation will discuss not only the historical dimensions of each topic but also provide strategies on how and where they can be integrated into the curriculum and how the case studies advance an understanding of the globalization trend to expand the context and understanding of United States history.