Compare and contrast approaches to race within two of the new religious movements featured in the course textbook, Race and New Religious Movements in the USA.

Present your findings in either a paper or podcast form. Additional instructions for the paper and podcast formats are listed lower on this page.

The project must draw upon at least two separate chapters from Race and New Religious Movements, along with at least one other source from this class. The third source could be a reading, lecture, or film clip from any module, including any portion of the Neusner textbook. Outside sources are NOT accepted as a part of your final project. While you may consult such sources if you choose to gain a fuller perspective on the new religious movements you are comparing, your written or podcast project should be entirely based on class materials.

How do members of these religious movements appear to define race? Do practitioners of these religions seem to approach race as biological reality, as cultural construction, as a combination the two, or as something else entirely?

–>What degree of tension to you see between these religious movements and the surrounding society, particularly on matters of race? Are practitioners calling for a change in race relations? If so, what sorts of changes are they calling for, and how do they expect that change will occur?

–>How do approaches toward race within these religious movements intersect with the movements’ approaches toward other social issues such as gender, politics, and economic relations?

–>What sources of religious authority do practitioners of these religious movements look to in making the claims that they do about race? Do they draw upon religious texts, visions, prophecies, the actions of leaders, etc.?

–>How is this religious movement perceived by those on the outside? What language do government officials or other outside observers use to describe members of this new religious movement?

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