Religion in the American Experience

The country is celebrating America’s 250th – the semiquincentennial – and we are uncovering whatever of its religious roots we can find. As many know, English philosopher and physician John Locke, one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thinkers, had a significant influence on the American founding through his many books including A Letter Concerning Toleration, Two Treatises of Government, and An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. What was his religion and how did it influence his thinking and writing? It is our hope that by understanding this better, each of us will be more effective stewards of religion’s role in the American experiment in self-government. Season 4, Episode 14 – John Locke’s Religion Guest Bio Graedon Zorzi is an Assistant Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Patrick Henry College. Dr. Zorzi holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Religious Studies from Yale University, where he worked primarily in the fields of political theory and religious ethics. His recent writing on the Christian origins of classical liberalism has been published in The Historical Journal, The Review of Politics, The Wall Street Journal, and The Hill. He is an ordained pastor, resident in the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic of the Anglican Church in North America. Podcast Support Scholarly support provided by Dr. Lauren Turek, Associate Professor of History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Technical audio and video assistance provided by Dr. Randall Stephens, a Professor of American and British Studies at the University of Oslo. Religion in the American Experience is a podcast of the private, digital-first National Museum of American Religion, which tells the story of how religion has shaped America and how America has shaped religion. This includes the establishment of religious freedom in the United States Constitution’s Article VI and Bill of Rights religion clauses.

Join us during America’s 250th as we uncover the long and fascinating history of religious freedom in the United States, considered by many to be one of its greatest innovations, which will equip us to be more effective at perpetuating the American experiment in self-government. Season 4, Episode 2 – History of Religious Freedom in the U.S. with Chris Beneke Guest Bio Chris Beneke is Professor and Associate Dean of First Year Experience and the Bentley Core at Bentley University. His research interests include American religious history, history of religious toleration, baseball and American history and American intellectual history. Dr. Beneke is the author of many books, including Free Exercise: Religion, the First Amendment, and the Making of America and The Lively Experiment: Religious Toleration in America from Roger Williams to the Present. Podcast Support Scholarly support provided by Dr. Lauren Turek, Associate Professor of History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Technical audio and video assistance provided by Dr. Randall Stephens, a Professor of American and British Studies at the University of Oslo. Religion in the American Experience is a podcast of the private, digital-first National Museum of American Religion, which tells the story of how religion has influenced America and how America has influenced religion. This includes the establishment of religious freedom in the United States Constitution’s Article VI and Bill of Rights religion clauses.

Reza Aslan’s No god but God, a finalist for the Guardian First Book Award, just celebrated its 20th anniversary. With the book, Dr. Aslan attempted to explain Islam, in all its beauty and complexity, just 4 years after 9/11. On this episode we will explore the American religious landscape at that time and now, the how and why of the book then, and what it means today. Season 3, Episode 37 – No god but God Twentieth Anniversary Guest Bio Reza Aslan is a renowned writer, commentator, professor, Emmy- and Peabody-nominated producer, and scholar of religions. He is the author of numerous internationally bestselling books, including No god but God and the #1 New York Times Bestseller Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, currently in development at Fremantle Media with Pablo Larrain attached to direct. A former Truman Capote Fellow in Fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and recipient of the prestigious James Joyce Award, Aslan has helped craft the mythologies for Hollywood’s most acclaimed franchises, including Dune, Game of Thrones, and The Leftovers. In addition to his writing and production work, he has served as host and executive producer of CNN’s Believer and Rough Draft with Reza Aslan, and co-hosts the podcast Metaphysical Milkshake alongside Rainn Wilson. His latest book, An American Martyr in Persia, was nominated for the PEN/Jacqueline Beograd Weld Award. Podcast Support Scholarly support provided by Dr. Lauren Turek, Associate Professor of History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Technical audio and video assistance provided by Dr. Randall Stephens, a Professor of American and British Studies at the University of Oslo. Religion in the American Experience is a podcast of the private, digital-first National Museum of American Religion, which tells the story of what religion has done to America and what America has done to religion. This includes the establishment of religious freedom in the United States Constitution’s Article VI and Bill of Rights religion clauses.

Today we are going to pull on this thread of the American religious tapestry: The Nation of Islam, a 20th century American religious movement brought to national consciousness by 1960s Black Power, Muhammad Ali and Malcom X, and which also has a deep and significant history with implications for 21st century work in the public square. To do this, Joseph Stuart, an assistant professor of history at Brigham Young University and a well-known expert on Nation of Islam, has agreed to help. Additional resources: Judith Weisenfeld, New World A-Coming: Black Religion and Racial Identity during the Great Migration Ula Y. Taylor, The Promise of Patriarchy: Women and the Nation of Islam Edward Curtis IV, Black Muslim Religion in the Nation of Islam, 1960-1975 Erdmann Doane Beynon, "The Voodoo Cult Among Negro Migrants in Detroit" James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time Season 3, Episode 35 – American Religion: The Nation of Islam Guest Bio Dr. Joseph Stuart is a scholar of African American history, particularly of the relationship between race, masculinity, civil rights, and religion in twentieth-century Black Freedom Movements. He has a B.A. in American Studies from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in U.S. History from the University of Utah. His forthcoming book manuscript examines the Nation of Islam’s racial and masculine ideologies to understand how and why some Black American groups opposed integration in the mid-twentieth century United States. The project traces the Nation of Islam’s founding from its origins in Great Depression Detroit to its schism following the Elijah Muhammad's death in 1975 and its “restoration” under Louis Farrakhan. Joseph's research has been published in academic journals and edited collections, including Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture, American Quarterly, the Journal of Mormon History, and Religion & Politics. He is also a contributing research associate to the Century of Black Mormons Project. He has hosted and produced podcasts for the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship and the New Books Network. Podcast Support Scholarly support provided by Dr. Lauren Turek, Associate Professor of History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Technical audio and video assistance provided by Dr. Randall Stephens, a Professor of American and British Studies at the University of Oslo. Religion in the American Experience is a podcast of the private, digital-first National Museum of American Religion, which tells the story of what religion has done to America and what America has done to religion. This includes the establishment of religious freedom in the United States Constitution’s Article VI and Bill of Rights religion clauses.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., dedicated in November 1982, is located in Constitution Gardens just off the north-east corner of the Lincoln Memorial. The memorial is composed of two adjoining walls, which have inscribed on them the names of over 58,000 servicemen and women who gave their lives in service in the Vietnam conflict. The walls taper from 8 inches tall at their extremities to over 10 feet tall at the apex where they meet, their bottom edges descending below the level of the surrounding earth while their top edges stay level. The memorial now includes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, the Three Servicemen statue, the Vietnam Women's Memorial and the In Memory plaque. It is one of the most visited war memorials in the United States and attracts more than 5 million visitors annually. We are interested in understanding the religious threads, if there be any, that are part of the fabric of this stunning and meaningful memorial. Season 3, Episode 33 – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Guest Bio Arnold E. Resnicoff was born in Washington, DC and attended Dartmouth College where he studied drama. Arnie then served a tour in Vietnam, including as part of "Operation Game Warden," the campaign to keep the rivers free of Viet Cong infiltrators. After the war he became a rabbi then a chaplain in the U.S. Navy, serving in that position for twenty-five years. Chaplain Resnicoff was part of the small group of veterans who worked to create the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, delivering the closing prayer at its 1982 dedication. He was in Beirut on that fateful day when the Marine barracks were bombed on October 23rd, 1983. His eyewitness report, written at the request of the White House, was read in full by President Ronald Reagan as a keynote speech to the 20,000 attendees of Jerry Falwell's "Baptist Fundamentalism '84" convention. Arnie was the first Jewish chaplain to attend the Naval War College, and the first chaplain of any faith to teach a course there (or at any military war college), "Faith and Force: Religion, War, and Peace." He served as Command Chaplain for the US European Command, the "top chaplain" for US chaplains of all faiths in all branches of the armed forces in all of Europe and most of Africa. Arnie has offered more prayers to open sessions of the House and Senate as guest chaplain than any other rabbi in history. After retirement from the Navy, he served as National Director for Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee, and Special Assistant for Values and Vision to the Secretary and Chief-of-Staff of the U.S. Air Force, a position that carried with it the military equivalent rank of brigadier general. Arnie gave a prayer at the November 13, 1982 Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which you can watch here: https://www.c-span.org/clip/public-affairs-event/user-clip-1982-vietnam-veterans-memorial-dedication-closing-prayer/3724411 Jim Knotts is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), the nonprofit organization that built The Wall in 1982. He is an Air Force veteran of the Persian Gulf War and a graduate of the Air Force Academy. For the past 10 years, he has led the efforts at VVMF to honor the service and sacrifices of Vietnam veterans. Jim previously worked in industry at Lockheed Martin headquarters, where he was Director of Corporate Citizenship, including philanthropy and community outreach, and Director of Web Communications. During his almost ten years in the Air Force, his career spanned service in the Persian Gulf War, at the headquarters of U.S. Southern Command, and in the Pentagon on the Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff. Podcast Support Scholarly support provided by Dr. Lauren Turek, Associate Professor of History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Technical audio and video assistance provided by Dr. Randall Stephens, a Professor of American and British Studies at the Universit

Chaplains– clergy attached to a secular institution including hospitals, prisons, embassies, schools, labor unions, police departments, fire departments, universities, intelligence agencies, airports, and military services - play a unique and meaningful role in the American landscape. These are ordained clergy who minister to members of the chaplain’s particular faith, to facilitate ministry to those of other faiths, and to care for all – including those who claim no religious faith. The first episode of this multi-episode series about chaplaincy in America beings with Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff discussing his career as a chaplain in the United States Navy, which intersected with important and meaningful events in the nation’s history. Season 3, Episode 31: American Chaplaincy – Part 1 Guest Bio Arnold E. Resnicoff was born in Washington, DC and attended Dartmouth College where he studied drama. Arnie then served a tour in Vietnam, including as part of "Operation Game Warden," the campaign to keep the rivers free of Viet Cong infiltrators. After the war he became a rabbi then a chaplain in the U.S. Navy, serving in that position for twenty-five years. Chaplain Resnicoff was part of the small group of veterans who worked to create the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, delivering the closing prayer at its 1982 dedication. He was in Beirut on that fateful day when the Marine barracks were bombed on October 23rd 1983. His eyewitness report, written at the request of the White House, was read in full by President Ronald Reagan as a keynote speech to the 20,000 attendees of Jerry Falwell's "Baptist Fundamentalism '84" convention. Arnie was the first Jewish chaplain to attend the Naval War College, and the first chaplain of any faith to teach a course there (or at any military war college), "Faith and Force: Religion, War, and Peace." He served as Command Chaplain for the US European Command, the "top chaplain" for US chaplains of all faiths in all branches of the armed forces in all of Europe and most of Africa. Arnie has offered more prayers to open sessions of the House and Senate as guest chaplain than any other rabbi in history. After retirement from the Navy, he served as National Director for Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee, and Special Assistant for Values and Vision to the Secretary and Chief-of-Staff of the U.S. Air Force, a position that carried with it the military equivalent rank of brigadier general. http://www.resnicoff.net/ Rabbi Resnicoff’s 1982 prayer at the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Rabbi Resnicoff’s report (and speech) to the White House about the Marine barracks bombing in 1983. Podcast Support Scholarly support provided by Dr. Lauren Turek, Associate Professor of History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Technical audio and video assistance provided by Dr. Randall Stephens, a Professor of American and British Studies at the University of Oslo. Religion in the American Experience is a podcast of the National Museum of American Religion, which tells the story of what religion has done to America and what America has done to religion.

The country’s 250th anniversary is almost here, and the National Museum of American Religion is working overtime to shed light on religion’s role in the founding of the American republic. One Christian denomination that looms large in the American founding is the Congregationalists of New England. The Congregational Library and Archives in Boston has put together an exhibit entitled “Sacred Rebellion: Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts” that tells their roles in the American Revolution. Sacred Rebellion: https://www.congregationallibrary.org/sacred-rebellion The Congregational Library & Archives presents a new in-person exhibition, Sacred Rebellion: Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts. The exhibition highlights the stories of Massachusetts Congregationalists drawn from the CLA’s important collections. By the time the war began, many Congregationalists had embraced a theological justification for war and revolution. They believed that God favored them and that their cause was a morally justified, sacred rebellion. Through sermons, books, poems, songs, and letters, Congregationalists shared their stories, reflected on their moral obligations to each other, and debated questions of liberty and loyalty. But consensus was elusive, and implementation proved difficult and unsatisfactory to many, especially those on the margins. These discussions shaped the legacy of Congregationalism and the way the Revolutionary War is remembered today, 250 years later. Last year's digital exhibit, Religion of Revolution: https://congregationallibrary.quartexcollections.com/online-exhibits/revolution Call For Papers for an upcoming symposium on religion at the Library that might be of interest to your listeners (deadline extended to June 1): https://www.congregationallibrary.org/religions-revolution-symposium Season 3, Episode 29: Sacred Rebellion – Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts Guest Bio Kyle B. Roberts was appointed as the Executive Director of the Congregational Library & Archives in 2022. He received his BA in American Studies from Williams College and his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a scholar of Atlantic World religion, print, and library history, and is the author of Evangelical Gotham: Religion and the Making of New York City, 1783-1860 and the co-editor, with Stephen Schloesser, of Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits, Women Religious, American Experience 1814-2014. Kyle is an accomplished public historian and digital humanist whose collaborative projects include the Jesuit Libraries Provenance Project. Tricia Peone is the Project Director of New England's Hidden Histories at the Congregational Library and Archives. She previously worked at Historic New England, where she was a research scholar for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials, early New England, and public history, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. Her scholarship focuses on early modern magic and witchcraft and her work on these subjects has appeared in journals, books, blogs, and on radio and television. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science. Podcast Support Scholarly support provided by Dr. Lauren Turek, Associate Professor of History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Technical audio and video assistance provided by Dr. Randall Stephens, a Professor of American and British Studies at the University of Oslo. Religion in the American Experience is a podcast of the National Museum of American Religion, which tells the story of what religion has done to America and what America has done to religion.