PA Story Resources
Explore educator and student-facing resources, organized by topic. If you don’t see something you’re looking for, send us an email at info@dialogueinstitute.org
PA Story Topics
Dialogue
Learn about the dialogue principles, the importance of reflective listening, and staying curious.
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Interreligious and Intrareligious Dialogue
Between and among persons who identify themselves as members of a collective religious tradition, two important dialogues exist. Within the same tradition, there are waves of change through lineage and interpretation that oscillate around a core experience of beliefs, belongings, and behavior. These dialogues can keep the internal understandings fresh and shared among religious leaders and followers. That internal dialogue is both challenged and enhanced by then striving to create friendships and promote understandings across difficult differences without causing fear and strife.
The DI principles provide guidelines for how to think and to behave in order to grow and change in the inter- and intra-religious dialogues. You can read the Dialogue Institute’s Ten Principles of Dialogue HERE and also find links to translations in multiple languages.
These principles live within the context and content of a particular community. When approaching religious communities or civic groupings, dialogue practitioners will establish with the facilitators first, some common understandings about the context and content for each participating group as a foundation for seeing how the principles can work to help create the community trust and accompanying bonds. To learn more, you can read Len Swidler’s
Introduction to Critical Thinking
Critical thinking: Processing, analyzing, and evaluating information that is received and asking questions about it, with the goal of learning.
To begin a dialogue requires the development of critical thinking skills.
We’ve identified these principles for effective critical thinking:
Identify your own biases and assumptions
Divide complex issues into smaller, more manageable parts
Understand and define all terms
Question the methods by which the facts are derived
Consider alternative interpretations of research evidence
Critical thinking is a skill that allows you to make logical and informed decisions. It can be used to analyze situations, information, and ideas. Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information, and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve problems or make decisions.
An effective critical thinker:
Raises questions and problems clearly and precisely
Gathers, analyzes, and synthesizes relevant information, using it to draw conclusions
Provides well-reasoned conclusions and solutions that are consistent with relevant criteria, standards, or best practices
Thoughtfully assesses the implications of different systems of thought
Takes an active role in developing solutions to complex problems by communicating with others
While there’s no universal standard for what skills are included in the critical thinking process, we’ve identified three important steps to follow to promote critical thinking in any situation:
Observe and Gather Information
Analyze and Synthesize
Reflect and Decide
Observe and Gather Information
Observe and Gather:
Identify what’s being said
Distinguish relevant and credible information
Dialogue is just one way to gather information. Critical thinkers gather information from different sources, exploring issues from multiple perspectives. They vet all possible sources of information with an eye on inconsistencies, differences, divergences and contradictions.
When a statement or claim is made, critical thinkers do their best to clarify and identify what is being said. A frequent source of disagreement in dialogue is that although the dialogue partners are using the same central term or statement, they understand it differently. This is likely due to a difference in perception.
Perception is the process of taking information from the world around us and forming mental representations of that information, which we then use to guide our actions. It's how we see, understand, and interpret situations. Our perceptions are determined by many factors, including our family, religion and belief systems, culture and ethnicity, age, gender, education, and life experience.
In dialogue, the best way to clarify a term or statement is to repeat back to your partner in dialogue what you believe they are saying, and ask them to either confirm or amend your understanding. By doing so, we explore our dialogue partner’s perception of a situation and can better understand their viewpoint.
Analyze and Synthesize:
Understand the significance or meaning of the information
Synthesize the information collected with what you already know
Analysis is the process of re-examining data, searching for significance or meaning, and identifying structural discrepancies. To understand the significance of a statement, a critical thinker must be able to isolate the main claim made and trace it back to the supporting reasons for that claim. Critical thinkers are then able to analyze the data they encounter further by identifying its flaws or inconsistencies and making informed decisions regarding their own beliefs.
When analyzing data, it can be helpful to divide larger arguments or ideas into smaller parts. Almost nothing is truly simple; practically everything is made up of parts, including our thoughts and experiences. Consequently, if we are to understand something, whether an object or an idea, we will need to know what the parts are that make it up and how they are related to each other. When we take time to pause our thinking and challenge the information we observed to get us to this conclusion and what assumptions or experiences have helped us develop this opinion, we are thinking analytically about the situation.
When analyzing source material it's important to research the author of the pieces you're reading. Ask yourself:
Who is their research/ writing sponsored by?
Who is their target audience?
What is their goal of publishing this piece?
Looking at the dates resources are published are also an important indicator of the piece. While older data is not immediately irrelevant, it may be a clue that there is more updated information that is worth taking a look at. Asking questions is an essential part of the critical thinking process!
Synthesis is a process that combines multiple sources to form theories, patterns, and develop a fuller understanding of a topic. It's a mindful approach that asks you to look for and identify links between sources. Synthesizing data starts by evaluating your initial analysis and reinterpreting it based on what you already know. Using synthesis, one develops a more complete understanding of the topic or argument.
Reflect and Decide:
Reconsider your interpretation in view of new analyses, facts, or errors discovered
Make inferences based on data and information presented
Reflection is the process of re-assessing analytical and argumentative logic in search for possible influences, biases, and prejudices that might have impacted your reasoning.
After gathering information, analyzing it, and reflecting on it, the critical thinker is now in a position to identify problematic areas and isolate inconsistencies. The key is to narrow the broad scope of a statement and deconstruct its structure in such a way that it becomes easier to understand one piece at a time.
We always want to consider alternative interpretations outside of our initial scope of thinking. We can ask questions such as:Who is being represented in this instance and who is not? Where is this information coming from and who may benefit from such statements?
The purpose of critical thinking skills are to assist us in making informed decisions based on solid facts and arguments. All of the elements of the critical thinking process work together to help one decide what course of action to take, which arguments to advance, what kind of behavior to change or adopt, and so on.
These next Three Tools are for building skills of dialogue, leadership, and acquisition of knowledge in order to develop creative compassion and critical thinking. Tools that help adaptation to “culture shock of other and self” happen with conscious practice and thus less harm of the inevitable experience of “cognitive dissonance” when engaging in developing empathy and critical thinking.
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Dialogue and Political Polarization: Braver Angels Approach - a workshop bringing together Republicans and Democrats for dialogue
Dialogue and Difference Project - Patricia Maulden’s program at George Mason University
Professional Applications of Interfaith Skill Sets and Competencies
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Bias, Stereotypes, and Prejudice
Prejudicial beliefs about certain identities and identity groups can lead to discrimination. Discrimination is harmful and can cause many negative outcomes including violence and division within communities. Examples of different types of discrimination include racial and ethnic discrimination, xenophobia, discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) people, gender discrimination and discrimination based on disability.
When meeting new people we often form an initial idea about them based on our first interaction. We need to remember to let others define themselves rather than us defining them based on our understanding of them. It's also essential to remember that one person does not speak for, nor represent, an entire community. Each person is an individual and dialogue encourages us to see them as such.
Stereotypes
Stereotype: A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
Examples: Common Religious Stereotypes
People who practice X religion are intolerant.
People who practice X religion are wise.
People who practice X religion are naive.
People who practice X religion are peaceful.
People who follow the X belief system are foolish.
Challenging stereotypes can be done by being aware of how your own attitudes, beliefs and assumptions might impact others and how you treat them. Meeting new people who are different from you is another great way to have your stereotypes challenged.
Bias
Bias: Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
Biases are subconscious, mental shortcuts that our minds use to make decisions, judgments, and inferences about others. They often have negative connotations, but can sometimes be positive and helpful. Additionally, biases can be conscious or unconscious. Both forms of bias can have harmful consequences. Simple awareness is a critical step toward addressing how your biases might be influencing your dialogue with others.
Prejudice
Prejudice: Noun; An irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics. A preconceived opinion that is not based on just grounds or insufficient knowledge.
What roles do we take in instances of prejudice?
Target: Refers to the individual whom the hostility is directed toward and who is a member of the group(s) stereotyped in question
Aggressor: The person who says or does something that the target interprets as prejudiced
Bystander: A person who witnesses the situation but is not the direct target or the aggressor
Upstander: An ally, A person of one social identity group who stands up in support of members of another group; typically a member of a dominant group standing beside member(s) of a group being discriminated against or treated unjustly regardless of our identity, benefit when any of us take steps toward eliminating prejudice and discrimination in our society
So, how do we begin to address discrimination within our own communities and beyond?
One example of a concrete way to work on ending discrimination is to introduce laws and policies that promote inclusion and diversity. Inclusive laws, policies and practices ensure that everyone has access to necessary resources, opportunities and benefits.
In the workplace, this can mean hiring a diverse staff and creating a culture where employees are empowered to speak up and work together to create an environment that supports and benefits all members.
On a personal level, we can evaluate how our biases and beliefs about certain stereotypes affect how we interact with others. Using this awareness, we can avoid engaging in acts of prejudice.
Identity
Psychology Today - “Identity encompasses the memories, experiences, relationships, and values that create one’s sense of self. This amalgamation creates a steady sense of who one is over time, even as new facets are developed and incorporated into one's identity.”
Identity Includes…
Family
Race
Ethnicity
Religion
Education
Relationships
Social status
Memory
Morals
Opinions
Politics
Values
Citizenship
Geography
Time
Language
Our identities are influenced by those around us including our families and friends, school peers, community member, etc.
Identity is formed through:
Discovering and developing a person’s potential
Choosing a purpose in life
Finding opportunities to utilize that potential and purpose
Identity is a person’s sense of self, established by their unique characteristics, affiliations, and social roles.
Comprehension Questions:
What happens when identity is defined for you?
What happens when identity is disrupted?
What is identity politics?
Identity Politics: Politics in which groups of people having a particular racial, religious, ethnic, social, or cultural identity tend to promote their own specific interests or concerns without regard to the interests or concerns of any larger political group. (Merriam-Webster)
Identity Politics - Heyes, Cressida, "Identity Politics", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)
First published Tue Jul 16, 2002; substantive revision Sat Jul 11, 2020
“The laden phrase “identity politics” has come to signify a wide range of political activity and theorizing founded in the shared experiences of injustice of members of certain social groups. Rather than organizing solely around belief systems, programmatic manifestos, or party affiliation, identity political formations typically aim to secure the political freedom of a specific constituency marginalized within its larger context. Members of that constituency assert or reclaim ways of understanding their distinctiveness that challenge dominant characterizations, with the goal of greater self-determination.”
Culture
Explore resources describing how culture shows up in communities, schools, and Pennsylvania and how to talk about it in your classroom
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The Cambridge English Dictionary states that culture is "the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time."
Improving Intercultural Competency Handbook
History
Explore the history of Pennsylvania, how it connects culture and community, and how to contextualize these aspects in your classroom.
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The U.S. Founders
Who were the founders of the United States?
What were their personal religious views?
What did they view as the role of religion in society?
First of all, who counts as "the founders" of the United States?
The 56 individuals who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. A full list and links to bios can be found HERE.
A total of 55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and 39 signed it. Notable founders absent from the convention were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Patrick Henry.
Founders were deeply influenced by natural rights theory - influences of philosophers such as Hobbes, Hume, Locke, Rousseau. Many were very influenced by Deism. This is a religious philosophy that claims there is a God, but he's not involved in human affairs. The founders believed that God endowed humanity with certain “inalienable rights,” ideas that were influenced by social contract and natural rights theorists: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” as well as freedom of speech, religion, and the press, as ensconced in The Bill of Rights.
Bios on Select Founders
George Washington: (Virginia) Throughout his life, he was a fairly regular attender of Anglican/Episcopal services. However, he was never confirmed, he avoided the sacrament of Holy Communion, and his writings used Deistic rather than orthodox language to describe God. Although several pious biographies published after Washington's death have claimed that Washington was a pious Evangelical, these claims do not hold up to critical scrutiny, including the famous image of Washington is him kneeling in prayer in the woods near the army encampment at Valley Forge.
Benjamin Franklin: (Pennsylvania) although he grew up in Puritan Boston, he later identified as a Deist. His religion was to do good in the community.
Thomas Jefferson: (Virginia) Jefferson was a Deist. He compiled his own version of the Bible that removed references to miracles and the divinity of Jesus and emphasized the ethics and teachings of Jesus. Read Jefferson's Bible HERE
James Madison: (Virginia) Raised Presbyterian, but was an avowed Deist. Yet, he defended religious liberty.
John Hancock: (Massachusetts) Hancock’s father and grandfather were both Harvard-trained Congregationalist ministers, and he was a lifelong member of the Brattle Street Congregationalist Church in Boston – a deeply religious man.
John Adams: (Massachusetts) Raised a Congregationalist, Adams was a believer in miracles and in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; he became a Unitarian later in life, a lifelong Christian who criticized Thomas Paine’s Deism and lauded Christianity as “the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity, and humanity.”
Alexander Hamilton: raised Presbyterian, but held Deist views.
Robert Morris: (Pennsylvania) - Episcopalian. Not only was Morris a devout Episcopalian, he was married to the daughter of Bishop William White. Both he and White are entombed at Philadelphia's Christ Church, at 2nd and Market, though Morris also worshiped at St. Peter’s at 3rd and Pine.
Richard Stockton: (New Jersey) devout Presbyterian.
Button Gwinnett: (Georgia) English-born merchant, Episcopalian who later converted to Congregationalism.
Joseph Hewes: (North Carolina) Raised as a strict Quaker. A native of New Jersey. Left the faith in favor of his patriotism, becoming an Episcopalian.
George Clymer: (Pennsylvania) he was raised a Quaker, not clear if he practiced as an adult.
Charles Carroll: (Maryland) the only Catholic signer, son of Irish immigrants.
Independence Day
Independence Day is a federal holiday on July 4th commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which asserted freedom from the British monarchy in 1776. The document was drafted, debated, and approved in what is now known as Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The day is often celebrated with backyard barbecues, patriotic concerts, and fireworks displays throughout the country.
Commemorating the Nation’s Birth
The signing of the declaration set in motion the American Revolution. The full-text document can be readHERE.
However, it is clear that this Declaration of Independence primarily served the interests of white males. The document does not bring an end to the institution of slavery. African American leaders like Frederick Douglass wrote about this exclusion in his 1852 speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” (1852). A full text of his speech can be readHERE. Another problem in the nation’s founding document is the disparaging portrayal of North America’s first residents:
“He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions.
The nation’s founding document has inspired ongoing dialogue and debate about the meaning of the American project. Even those who have sought radical social change have had to reckon with the centrality of this document in the American consciousness. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. argued in the 1960s that the U.S. had still not lived up to the basic ideals of equality articulated in this document.
This app allows users to read read the constitution in full, view various draft versions of the constitution, read essays from multiple perspectives, analyze specific amendments in detail,
A weekly show of constitutional debate hosted by National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen where listeners can hear the best arguments on all sides of the constitutional issues at the center of American life.
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Religion and the U.S. Department of Justice
A History of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division:
The Civil Rights Division was established in 1957 in the midst of the growing civil rights movement. After the Civil War, segregation became law. Following the World Wars, there grew to be a growing racial consciousness. African American troops served in combat, FDR required that that military contractors did not discriminate. Troops coming home. Topeka v. Brown Board of Education SC view that segregation violated equal protection.
Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s: Barred discrimination by governments, individuals, businesses, labor unions, housing, public education. Applied to religion.
For the first 20 years, the Civil Rights Division focused on racial discrimination. Starting in 1980s, 1990s, and particularly after 9/11, the division's work has expanded to religion.
2000: Congress passed law to protect right to build houses of worship. You can’t discriminate against particular groups. If other assembly groups can meet in a zone, than a place of worship can be allowed. Employers must make a reasonable accommodation to employees’ religious needs.
Treene: U.S. law prohibits the establishment of religion. However, we do not take a laïcité approach as does France. The U.S. approach is pluralism i.e. public school students can gather before school for prayer, student-initiated. It’s a balance between free exercise and disestablishment.
Not having government funding has helped religion in the U.S. It has forced them to be creative and innovated. Treene mentioned a study of Philadelphia congregations demonstrating that churches with big endowments tend to go into decline because leadership becomes complacent.
A question was raised about how the U.S. govt defines a religion. Treene said that the government will not judge what is religious or not. The criteria is evaluated on "sincerity of belief." How do you establish sincerity? Religion must include a comprehensive belief system. For example, you can't gain conscientious objections status for opposing one war, you must have an overarching position against participation in war.
Civics
Civic engagement links Pennsylvania history, culture, democratic values, and communities.
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Governing Documents in Comparison
We have collected the constitutions of all of our SUSI/ YSEALI student participant home countries for you to compare and contrast with your own constitution. To access a folder of full-text versions, click on thisLink. Although our countries differ in many ways, there are some values upheld by all of the constitutions.
The Constitute ProjectLink
Take a look at constitutions from around the world to compare and contract with your own. This website allows you search other constitutions, look at common themes, and search for key concepts. You can even compare any constitutionhere!
Below are links to the full text of the key government documents of the United States.
Declaration of IndependenceLink
The Declaration of Independence was written to explain the colonists’ rights to revolution. This document was intended to unite the colonies in their formal succession from Great Britain. This link will allow you to explore the full document as well as learn about how it was constructed.
U.S. ConstitutionLink
Take a look at the United States constitution and compare and contrast it to your own constitution, or constitutions around the world. Think about what values you can find that are similar and in what concepts are different.
The National Constitution Center offers you an interactive way to read through the US constitution similar to the way you were able to explore constitutional themes when you visited the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Bill of RightsLink
The Bill of Rights contains the first ten amendments of the US Constitution. These ten amendments define the US citizens rights in relation to their government. Discover more about the document and the freedoms it protects by visiting the National Archives.
Amendments are changes that are made to the constitution. To prevent arbitrary changes to the constitution, the amendment process is strenuous and only 27 of such amendments have been approved since 1787. The process to add an amendment to the constitution requires the amendment be brought to congress and receive a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures. Amendments 11- 27 can be read here. You can read more about the amendment process by visiting here.
What documents are important to your nation and protecting your constitutional rights? You can submit those documents to the Dialogue Institute, by emailing info@dialogueinstitute.org, to be featured on this page as well.
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Civic engagement involves “working to make a difference in the civic life of one’s community and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.” It includes both paid and unpaid forms of political activism, environmentalism, and community and national service. Volunteering, national service, and service-learning are all forms of civic engagement.
Civic engagement is participation in activities that improve one’s community or address wider social issues.
Civic engagement can involve political and non-political activities.
Typical forms of civic engagement include participating in the electoral process, volunteering, and advocacy or activism.
Values associated with fostering civic engagement are:
Trusting and respecting how a community wants to take action for itself;
Creating agency and power in people, particularly those most affected by an issue;
Nurturing or fostering healthier, stronger, happier places to live;
Engaging community members in a processes that affect them and their communities;
Promoting transparency and participation
Types of Civic Engagement
Activism and Advocacy: Taking part in peaceful protest demonstrations, writing to or meeting with elected officials, Contacting print, broadcast, and online media, helping to gather signatures for petitions
Volunteerism: Collecting and donating food to food banks, Helping groups like Habitat for Humanity build houses, Joining a neighborhood watch group, Helping to grow food at community gardens, Helping with recycling and cleanup efforts
Electoral Participation: Helping with voter registration drives and other activities intended to increase voter turnout, showing support for candidates or causes by displaying buttons, signs, and stickers, and serving as poll workers
Leadership
Includes tools, resources, and activities to develop leadership skills.
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The leadership traits that one identifies are meant to help a person in behaving with certain clear values: self-respect, respect of others, patience, understanding, honesty, humility, listening, and cooperative compassion. The following four goals for the behavior of both leaders and followers include the exercise of all the values named.
A leader whether on a global or local level will likely be most successful when practicing the following four behaviors:
A capacity/skill to interpret a given situation with compassion and understanding of persons and differing perspectives
Nondefensive learning involving emotional intelligence and critical thinking
Nonviolence - an ability to know the practical alternatives to psychological, emotional, structural, or physical violence
An awareness of what leadership traits are most natural to one’s own personality and a willingness to create a team to provide balanced leadership
Here are three differing lists of those traits different leaders might say describe them. Though there is obvious overlap, the lists do demonstrate just how many styles are possible. Someone who wants to lead will develop self-awareness about those traits that are strengths for them and which ones are weaknesses and some that are even irrelevant to the task at hand. The key to growing in leadership is thus to grow in self-awareness and the capacity to use intercultural competence in building teams for specific action plans. It will be important to identify allies and how to engage them as well as to identify obstacles and how to overcome them. When a global or local leader meets the need in the society as a whole, even followers can feel they are important
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Transforming Conflicts in Diverse Societies
To address the local, national, and global challenges we face today, it is important to build bridges of cooperation between people of different worldviews. The way we interact with each other is the foundation for how we build trust and connect. When people take the time to consider each other's perspectives and treat each other with respect and kindness, it creates a safe space where people feel comfortable opening up and working together.
The diverse communities that make up our world have a lot to offer each other, from wisdom and experience to inspiration and support.
There are many causes of conflict in a diverse community including differences in group identity, a history of hostile interaction and discrimination, or misinformed stereotypes and perceptions caused by prejudiced attitudes. For conflicts to be transformed, it takes time, patience, humility, and commitment from everyone involved.
In this section, we’re going to explore some strategies for successful dialogue when participants have conflicting norms, values, or ethics.
We recommend using these four steps to guide your dialogue when addressing conflict, or adapting them to best meet your group’s personal needs and goals:
Recognition
All individuals involved in a dialogue surrounding conflict should be able to recognize that there is a problem and commit to working together to deal with the conflict.
Reflection
All individuals involved in a dialogue surrounding conflict should be able to reflect on the issue and its root causes.
Reconciliation
The conflict should be reconciled collectively, including all of the individuals involved. Reconciliation involves transforming relationships impacted by conflict. This is a collaborative process that requires compromise and creativity to synthesize a solution.
Raising and Reinforcing
Further comments and concerns should be continually raised to the conscious level through sustained dialogue. Sustained dialogue within a community can reinforce community goals, address new needs or conflicts, and build trust.
Recognition is the first step towards transforming conflict. It is a collaborative process that involves acknowledging that there is a problem, either between groups or individuals, that needs to be addressed.
Recognition helps us:
Acknowledge that injustice exists
Reveal the ways that everyone is affected by a particular issue in different ways and how reaching community goals requires us to work together
Reflection is a way to clarify the nature of the disagreement and understand the points of view involved in the process to generate a suitable solution.
To truly understand each other during the reflection stage, dialogue partners should try their best to engage in active listening. This means listening to what the other person is saying—not just waiting for your turn to talk again! Repeat what your counterpart has said back to them so that they know you've heard them correctly and can accurately represent what they said without adding any extra information or opinions of your own.
Reflection helps us:
Create space for dialogue by clarifying the root causes of a conflict
See each other as individuals, not just representatives of a collective group
Reconciliation is a process of transforming relationships based on mutual trust and respect between conflicting groups or individuals. During the conflict transformation process, it is important to think ahead and consider the future. Dialogue partners should look for ways to transform the conflict in a way that results in an infrastructure to promote harmony and support equity in the community. This is a collaborative process that requires compromise and creativity to synthesize a solution.
A helpful reminder when navigating reconciliation is to separate the person from the problem. When you are in conflict with someone, it's easy to get caught up in the emotion of the situation. We get personally invested in the issues, and we identify with our own personal norms, values, and ethics. It’s difficult not to take any perceived threat to those interests as a personal attack. Finding common ground requires a step back from your emotions and an objective look at what's going on. Within this mindset, one can recognize there are often many ways of understanding an issue.
Reconciliation helps us:
Make a personal commitment to social change and encourage others to do the same
Develop community commitments to justice, equity, and support for all
Envision a better future by working together, while respecting people's rights to maintain their cultural traditions and values
Raising and Reinforcing further comments and concerns to the conscious level can be done through sustained dialogue. By engaging in continuous, meaningful dialogue within our communities, we ensure that transformed conflicts can be sustained.
Some questions you may ask include:
Where are we now?
Where are we going?
Where do we want to be?
How do we get there?
What can we do individually and collectively?
Raising and Reinforcing can help us:
Revisit our community's vision and identify any necessary adjustments
Develop dynamic strategies to address inequality, injustices, and conflicts and engage all individuals within the community in the process
Collaboration makes everyone feel more invested in the process and valued and gives your project a wider scope and likelihood of success.
Justice
Justice is the act of making sure that people are treated fairly and equitably. When you live in a place where justice is respected and upheld, you know that the people around you are playing by the same rules. Justice creates a sense of unity and trust between members of a community, which improves the overall morale and stability of that community.
A greater sense of justice can also lead to higher levels of civic engagement, which is ultimately beneficial for the community as a whole.
Community
Find places of interest within your own local community that bolster the PA Story in your area.
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Global Ethic Presentation
Religion
Explore the basics of religion and how to teach about it in the classroom from an academic, not professional, standpoint.
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Importance of teaching religion in schools
DoS Guidance on religion in public schools
Opinion on teaching religion in schools
Pew Research: Religion in Public Schools
Article on teaching religion in classrooms
Religious Literacy
To view the lecture slides, click HERE.
The context of religion in the U.S.
The Public Religion Research Institute - America's Changing Religious Identity (2016) - for the first time, white Christians are less than 50% of the population. White mainline, Catholic, and Evangelicals are in decline. Non-Christian religions are growing. Also, a large rise in religiously-unaffiliated, but most unaffiliated still believe in God.
What it means to be religious in the U.S. has changed. There is been a massive shift in attitudes towards same-sex marriage.
Why is it important to promote religious literacy?
There is still a rise in hate crimes against religious minorities. Hate crimes tend to rise during election years because politicians tend to target groups to mobilize their base.
What impact does religious literacy have on students?ODIHR.
What is the law about education in the U.S.?
What is religious literacy? How to teach about religion?
Don't just focus on facts about other religions. Teach people to understand how people talk about their religion and understand themselves as participants in a tradition. Many people are more motivated by practices and community rather than doctrines. If we only emphasize doctrines and beliefs when we talk about a religious tradition, we will vastly misunderstand.
Evaluation (making normative statements about religion) vs. Analysis (religious studies)
Religious Identity: 3 B Framework
Belief
Behavior
Belonging
Other resources requested by SUSI scholars:
A link to the OSCE document for teaching about religion, the Toledo Guiding Principles
A link to the Modesto, CA study
Religious Literacy in American Education - Benjamin Marcus
Religious Studies Companion Document for the C3 Framework - Approved by the American Academy of Religion
A Teacher’s Guide to Religion in the Public Schools - published by the First Amendment Center
“What does religious literacy look like in your context?” A Religious Studies Project podcast episode featuring scholars at 2019 American Academy of Religion conference.
From Diversity to Pluralism - Diana Eck (2020 Version)
Summary: Pluralism is a response to diversity that consists of learning about meaningful differences between different cultures and identities; engaging with different cultures and identities in sites where open dialogue is possible; preserving distinct religious commitments, and looking to the First Amendment as the foundation of American pluralism. For Christians as members of the dominant American religion, pluralism requires intentional effort to look beyond their own experiences; for all citizens, pluralism is possible in schools, courts, hospitals, and neighborhoods.
All of America’s diversity, old and new, does not add up to pluralism. “Pluralism” and “diversity” are sometimes used as if they were synonymous, but diversity—splendid, colorful, and perhaps threatening—is not pluralism. Pluralism is the engagement that creates a common society from all that diversity. For example, on the same street in Silver Spring, Maryland are a Vietnamese Catholic church, a Cambodian Buddhist temple, a Ukrainian Orthodox church, a Muslim Community Center, a Hispanic First Church of God, and a Hindu temple. This is certainly diversity, but without any engagement or relationship among the different groups it may not be an instance of pluralism.
Pluralism is only one of the possible responses to this new diversity. Some people may feel threatened by diversity, or even hostile to it. Others may look forward to the day when all differences fade into the landscape of a predominantly Christian culture. For those who welcome the new diversity, creating a workable pluralism will mean engaging people of different faiths and cultures in the creation of a common society. Pluralism is not a foregone conclusion, but an achievement.
Introduction to Religious Traditions and Pluralism
More Resources
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Brief Intro to World Religions
Christianity
Catholicism in the United States
Judaism
God, Torah, and Israel - Harvard University’s Pluralism Project
“How to Say the Shabbat Blessings” - Reform Judaism
Interfaith Cooperation in Judaism - Interfaith Youth Core Podcast
Islam
Buddhism
The Path of Awakening - Harvard University Pluralism Project
“Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism” by Khan Academy
Hinduism
Baha’i
ReadWhat's the Right Response to a Hate Crime?One Baha'i perspective on how to respond if a hate crime happens in your community.
American Indigenous Religions
Wounded Knee, the site of a historic massacre
Why Native Hawaiians Protesting Giant Telescope on Mauna Kea Aren't Going Anywhere (10:24)
Watch: Mark Wallace on the History of the Lenni Lenape and the Crum Woods
Audio: A Seat At The Table For Native And Indigenous People
The Pluralism Project:First Encounters: Native Americans and Christians, Harvard University.
The Pluralism Project: Native American Church, Harvard University.
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Demographics of Religion in the U.S.
The U.S. Census does not record religious affiliation. However, the are several organizations that conduct research on religious life in the U.S. Here are some of the best:
Public Religion Research Institute - PRRI’s research explores and illuminates America’s changing cultural, religious, and political landscape. Click HERE to view a 48-page document called "America's Changing Religious Identity."
American Religious Identification Survey 2008: http://commons.trincoll.edu/aris/
Pew Forum U.S. Religious Landscape Survey: http://religions.pewforum.org/
Overview of Key Concepts
1) Religion
Religion is an explanation of the ultimate meaning of life, based on a notion and experience of the Transcendent, and how to live accordingly.
It includes the “three B’s”: Believing – the creeds, affirmations and faith claims that comprise the explanation of the ultimate meaning of life (theoretical); Belonging – the community structure or relationship among followers that shapes the collective experience of those beliefs (sociological), and Behaving – the ethical conduct and ritual activities by which the community expresses its beliefs in everyday life (practical). The Transcendent, means “that which goes beyond” the every-day, surface experience of reality. It can mean spirits, gods, a Personal God, Impersonal God, Emptiness, etc. In modern times there have been developed “explanations of the ultimate meaning of life, and how to live accordingly” not based on the Transcendent, e.g., secular humanism. Although these “explanations” function as religions do in human life, because the Transcendent is not included they are given a different name, which often is Ideology.
2) Religious Pluralism Vis À Vis Plurality
Let’s start with the easy term, religious plurality. It clearly refers to a demographic fact, namely, that in a particular area or country there are multiple religious bodies. For example, this is very much the case with the United States of America, among other countries—and it is becoming increasingly true of countries which formerly were largely mono-religious, for example many European countries.
Religious pluralism, building upon religious plurality, goes further by recognizing this religious plurality as potentially adding several positive values. For one, having multiple religions in a country helps its citizens to experience in their own country the pluralistic reality of the world, rather than live in a less reality-reflecting religious cocoon, which does not adequately mirror the rest of the world’s religious multiplicity.
Beyond that, religious pluralism tends to lead, first to toleration of the religious other, then to positive tolerance and mutual respect, and finally to dialogue and cooperation—in order to mutually make the world more peaceful and flourishing.
3) The Relationship between Religious Communities and the State
The First Amendment to the US Constitution states that the national government will not be involved in regulating religion and religious life in the country. This means that there is no official religion in the USA, or a religion whose members enjoy privileges over those of other religions. The government does not give money to religious communities for activities relating to religious worship. However, so-called faith-based initiatives (social and other services provided by religious communities or religious organizations in addition to or in the absence of government-sponsored services of the same) may receive limited financial support from the government.
4) Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Speech
When America fought for its independence from England in the late 18th century, citizens of this new country wanted certain freedoms as a foundation for the new government and society. Many of these freedoms were written into a set of Amendments to the US Constitution. The First Amendment (ratified in 1789) described the freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly that this new government would protect for each individual.
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the choice of an individual or community, in public or private, to express beliefs and teachings as well as practice worship and observances that identify a religious affiliation. The concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religious affiliation or not to identify with a religious community at all. This freedom of religious expression is considered by many people and nations to be a fundamental human right.
The modern American conception of freedom of speech derives from the principles of freedom of the press (mainly in the context of political criticism) and freedom of religion as they developed in England, starting in the seventeenth century. Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak without censorship. The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes used to indicate not only freedom of verbal speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used. In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations, such as libel (deliberately telling lies about someone) and the use of "hate speech.”
The right to freedom of speech is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and recognized in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR – 1976).
5) Separation of Powers – Checks and Balances
As prescribed by the US Constitution, the three branches of government (executive, judicial, and legislative) are separate from one another and have power to decide on issues only within their own realm of authority. The system of checks and balances tries to guard against absolute power, in other words, to make sure that no one branch or individual in the government can override and take over the authority delegated to the other branches. The following are the highest levels of each governmental branch in the US: the President of the United States (executive); the US Supreme Court (judicial); and the United States Congress (legislative, consisting of two chambers: the US House of Representatives and the US Senate). In addition to the federal government, the principle of the separation of powers and the system of checks and balances are also built into lower-level (e.g. state, city-wide etc.) governments. The separation of powers means that no one government branch may exercise absolute power and that they are independent of one another (for example, the same person cannot be a US Senator and a US Supreme Court judge at the same time). Checks and balances is the system in which the different branches of government balance each other out. Although their mandate and responsibilities are different, this system tries to ensure that no branch of government exercises power over the others. For example, decisions made by Congress can be vetoed by the President, which can in turn be overturned by a 2/3 majority vote of both houses of Congress.
6) One (Adult) Person One Vote
The principle of one person one vote seems to emanate from a definition of person deriving not from gender, ethnicity, race or religion – but rather from membership in the species of homo sapiens. Further, this definition is understood to imply consequent right to influence issues affecting that person. This right to influence seems positively related to both the relative influence that issue has over that person and to the expertise that person has regarding that issue. So children as theoretically non-experts do not vote and persons vote for representatives in their home districts. Further, a vote for a regional post carries more relative weight than the same vote for a state post. This principle also allows for each person to influence other persons and so to exercise even more influence in the process. This influence relies upon human cooperation and not compulsion, however. In the US, any person of or over the age of 18 has the right to vote in a public election.
7) Citizenship – What It Means to Be an American
The USA has often been referred to as the “melting pot” of many nations, cultures and peoples. This means that from its beginnings the country has had citizens who came from diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds and who all accepted a new, common identity – that of being Americans. In the United States people can become Americans (not only American citizens, but assuming a new way of primary identification) even if they were born elsewhere. In contrast to many countries where one’s citizenship is based on belonging to a specific ethnic, linguistic, cultural or other group/communal identity, being an American citizen is understood more as a civic concept. This is illustrated by the fact that one can be an Italian-American or an Irish-American, in which cases the first part designates their ethnic origins, while making it clear that they are American citizens, as opposed to being simply Italians or Irish who happen to be living in the US. These two different ways of identification by one person can continue to coexist peacefully without conflict. In order to become an American citizen, immigrants must take a naturalization test, an English and civics test and publicly express their loyalty to the United States and their pledge to abide by its laws by taking an Oath of Allegiance.
8) Rule of Law
The principle of rule of law is a corollary of one person one vote, in that law (presumably determined by direct vote or voter representation) and not personality has authority. Rule by established law (instead of by arbitrary personality) creates predictability in that subject persons know the law better than they can predict the whims of a person. This predictability facilitates social stability, prosperity, and cohesion/positive relations. In this way the law provides a framework where persons can exercise their freedoms to a greater extent.
Rule of Law includes several aspects. In his book The Morality of Law, American legal scholar Lon Fuller identified eight elements of law which have been recognized as necessary for a society aspiring to institute the rule of law. Fuller stated the following:
1. Laws must exist and those laws should be obeyed by all, including government officials.
2. Laws must be published.
3. Laws must be prospective in nature so that the effect of the law may only take place after the law has been passed. For example, the court cannot convict a person of a crime committed before a criminal statute prohibiting the conduct was passed.
4. Laws should be written with reasonable clarity to avoid unfair enforcement.
5. Law must avoid contradictions.
6. Law must not command the impossible.
7. Law must stay constant through time to allow the formalization of rules; however, law also must allow for timely revision when the underlying social and political circumstances have changed.
8. Official action should be consistent with the declared rule.”
9) Civil Society, Community Building, NGOs, Volunteerism
The American government provides many services and programs to assist citizens in securing basic necessities (job training, food assistance, subsidized housing, etc.), as well as addressing wider social issues (environmental preservation, immigrants’ rights, etc.) These programs are, by necessity, supplemented and extended by the efforts of countless not-for-profit or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Such organizations make up the “voluntary” or “third” sector of society---in addition to the “public” (governmental) and “private” (business/enterprise) sectors. Not-for-profit organizations that fulfill specific federal guidelines (such as not lobbying for political candidates, etc.) are granted tax-exempt status by the government. Volunteer participation in and financial support for such organizations is considered by vast numbers of American citizens both a right and a responsibility. In the United States, all religious organizations are considered part of this nonprofit sector of society.
10) Positive Valuing of Difference and Negotiation of Minority Rights
Diversity of any kind in society may be viewed in different ways. Some members of the majority (whether ethnic, religious, racial, linguistic or other) may perceive minorities as potentially threatening to their previously homogeneous identity. Although from its inception the US has been constituted by people from varied backgrounds, acceptance of “the newcomers” and of “the Other” was not always easy. For example, intra-Christian tensions in the early years (e.g. between pro- and anti-establishment Protestants; later between Protestants and Catholics) were followed by suspicion of Jewish immigrants, and later of newcomers of other religious traditions (e.g. Hinduism, Islam etc.)
Diversity can also be perceived as a source of strength and richness in a society. Positive valuing of difference (or, moving from acknowledging plurality to embracing pluralism) means that one sees the heterogeneity of the population as different reflections of the human experience which can all contribute to enriching the common good. In other words, we can all learn from those who are significantly different from us – and not regard them as potentially dangerous because of “taking away” our own identity.
Minority rights in the US today are negotiated within the context of great diversity, in light of the historical developments in the civil rights and women’s movements, and on the basis of the US Constitution.
11) Nonviolent Conflict Resolution
Nonviolence is a philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects the use of violence. As such, nonviolence is an alternative to passive acceptance of oppression and armed struggle against it. Practitioners of nonviolence may use diverse methods in their campaigns for social change, including critical forms of education and persuasion, civil disobedience, nonviolent direct action, and targeted communication via mass media. In personal relationships, the skills of “I” statements, reflective listening, agreeing to disagree, and mediation agreements are used.
Nonviolence has been a powerful tool for social protest. Well-known examples of nonviolent resistance and nonviolent revolution include: a) Mahatma Gandhi leading a decades-long nonviolent struggle to achieve independence in 1947 from British rule in India; b) Martin Luther King’s adoption of Gandhi's nonviolent methods in the struggle to win civil rights for African Americans; c) Cesar Chavez’ campaigns of nonviolence in the 1960s to protest the treatment of farm workers in California; and d) the 1989 "Velvet Revolution" in the then Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the Communist government is considered one of the most important of the largely nonviolent revolutions of 1989. Most recently the nonviolent campaigns of Leymah Gbowee and the women of Liberia were able to achieve peace after a 14-year civil war. This story is captured in a 2008 documentary film “Pray the Devil Back to Hell.” The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has said nonviolence is the only way progress can be made with China.
The term nonviolence is often linked with or even used as a synonym for pacifism; however, the two concepts are fundamentally different. Pacifism denotes the rejection of the use of violence as a personal decision on moral or spiritual grounds, but does not inherently imply any inclination toward change on a sociopolitical level. Nonviolence, on the other hand, presupposes the intent of (but does not limit it to) social or political change as a reason for the rejection of violence. Also, a person may advocate nonviolence in a specific context while advocating violence in other contexts. A pacifist will disavow violence in any and all contexts.
12) Interfaith Groups in the US
In 1893, the first World Parliament of Religions was held in Chicago, Illinois, USA. About one hundred religious leaders from around the globe met to discuss the need to respect differences in religious expression and to find other ways to settle conflicts than through religious violence. After two world wars in the beginning of the twentieth century, many leaders worked to create the United Nations that published the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 in the hope of helping all countries work to secure individual rights in their own societies and to help prevent further world war. The World Council of Churches was also formed in which people of differing Protestant faiths would agree to cooperate to do the same. By the 1960s the Catholic Church took up a major revision of its thinking toward faith traditions other than their own of Catholic Christianity; Vatican II reformations of doctrine opened that door to interfaith understanding and cooperation.
Today, interfaith groups are forming in every part of the country carrying a concern that we work as much as we can to increase interreligious dialogue as a form of religious diplomacy. Especially since 9/11, persons in the United States have awakened to a very pressing need to understand Islam in its many differing traditions around the globe, and by extension, to understand religious traditions different from their own but represented in US society.
13) The Rise of Religious Diversity in the US, Especially as Related to Immigration
Religious diversity has been a key element of American society from earliest times. Prior to the arrival of the first European settlers, a wide variety of Native American cultures and spiritual traditions were present throughout the continent. Although the English Puritan colonists in New England sought to establish a uniform religious society, most other settlements along the eastern seaboard – in the areas that became New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland – were comprised of immigrants of diverse ethnic backgrounds and a variety of Protestant Christian groups (an even Catholics in the case of Maryland). Official support for religious pluralism and the free exercise of diverse religions was set forth in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Yet, in practice, religious diversity originally referred primarily to acceptance of different types of Protestant Christians; going beyond that definition has not always been easy. Since the colonial period, religious diversity has been increased by successive waves of immigration from different parts of the world. Each new ethnic and religious group has forced an expansion of the nation’s understanding of such diversity – beginning with Irish, German and Italian Catholic, along with Jewish, immigrants in the late 18th and 19th centuries, through the influx of Japanese and Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century and continuing through the 1965 Hart-Cellar immigration act, that opened the doors to increased immigration especially from South and Southeast Asia. As recently as the 1950s and 60s, scholars of religion described the U.S. as predominantly “Protestant, Catholic and Jewish.” But in the last 50 years, immigration has resulted in a vast expansion of America’s religious diversity, to include significant communities of Muslims, Buddhist, Sikhs, Hindus, Baha’i and numerous other traditions.
14) The Civil War, Race Relations, and the Civil Rights Movement
The Civil War was a result of economic, political, and social issues (slavery) which divided the northern and southern states. The primary issue was whether or not states have the right to secede from the Union. The nature of states’ rights was being explored. Slavery was considered a blight on the nation by the majority in the more populated north where slavery was a very rare exception. The war was extremely bloody with a huge loss of life on both sides, with a higher price paid in the south. The Confederacy was defeated and the Union was preserved. Amendments to the Constitution after the war ended slavery in the US but did not achieve full equal rights for black Americans. The economy of the south as well as its political parties was shattered by the war. The issue of secession from the Union was ended but the issue of state versus federal rights is still a dynamic of American democracy.
Civil Rights Movement
Because of the extreme inequalities enjoyed by whites and black in the south after slavery was abolished, American citizens, both black and white, created organizations focused on assuring equal rights across America regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender. Key issues to be addressed were legal restrictions on who could vote. Literacy tests and poll taxes had to be eliminated to assure that blacks could vote and have representation in government. Jim Crow laws in the south which effectively controlled where blacks could sit, shop, eat, study etc. were challenged both legally and through political activism including boycotts, sit-ins, amassing of people, etc. Segregation of the races, which had been allowed if it could be argued that the facilities provided to the races were “equal”, was disallowed. “Separate” facilities were categorically defined as unfair and illegal. Desegregation of schools and other institutions was a complex process which brought state governments in conflict with the federal government and tradition in conflict with legality.
Dr. Martin Luther King and numerous other black leaders created a non-violent movement to achieve social equality. The 1964 Civil Rights Act signed by President Lyndon Johnson was one of their achievements. During subsequent years some black political groups emerged promoting black violence and the rejection of white participants in their efforts. To date, numerous civil rights organizations continue to lobby to enforce social equality between races, religions, ethnicities in America. They often monitor cases of discrimination and violations of the law. The issue of economic inequality between various American groups remains a major concern of many Americans. It is an issue which has been addressed by various pieces of social legislation but continues to be a significant issue in contemporary America.
15) Religious Environmentalism and Our Planet's Future
Increasing numbers of organizations, religious and secular, are taking up concern for how our planet will endure beyond the next few decades. Each religious tradition recognizes the human responsibility for sustaining the earth’s resources as part of religious practice. Concern for sustainability is one of the areas where religious pluralists can work to make a difference for themselves as well as the global population. Few people disagree about the need; the challenge then is how to understand the differences in each religion on behalf of the common need.
The word sustainability is derived from the Latin “sustinere” (tenere, to hold; sus, up). Dictionaries provide more than ten meanings for sustain, the main ones being to “maintain,” “support,” or “endure.” Since the 1980s, however, sustainability has been used more in the sense of human sustainability on planet Earth and this has resulted in the most widely quoted definition of sustainability, that of the Bruntland Commission of the United Nations from March 20, 1987: “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” At the 2005 World Summit it was noted that this requires the reconciliation of environmental, social and economic demands - the “three pillars” of sustainability. This view has been expressed as an illustration using three overlapping ellipses indicating that the three pillars of sustainability are not mutually exclusive and can be mutually reinforcing.
Module 2: Theories and Concepts in the Study of Religion
Religion and Modernity:includes lecture by Leonard Swidler and lecture notes by David Krueger on modernist controversies in American public life
Reflexive Scholarship: Positionality and Bias in the Study of Religion: featuring a 2019 Panel with Christopher Driscoll, Lia Howard, and Harold Dean Trulear.
Surveying the Religious Landscape of the U.S.
Lecture by David M. Krueger
Click HERE to access the Powerpoint slides of Dr. Krueger from the U.S. Religious Landscape: Past and Present.
Clarifying Terms: Diversity and Pluralism
Diana Eck makes a distinction between "diversity" and "pluralism." Diversity is simply the demographic reality of variety or difference. Pluralism requires engagement with other religious groups. Historically, Americans have responded to diversity in three ways: exclusion (religious difference is perceived as a threat and something to oppose), assimilation (imagines the U.S. as a melting pot, newer groups expected to give up things that distinguish themselves from dominant U.S. religion i.e. white Protestantism), and pluralism (keep your own traditions but agree to common civic demands of American citizenship). See "From Diversity to Pluralism"
Demographics of Religion in the U.S.
The U.S. Census does not record religious affiliation. However, the are several organizations that conduct research on religious life in the U.S. Here are some of the best:
Public Religion Research Institute - PRRI’s research explores and illuminates America’s changing cultural, religious, and political landscape. Click HERE to view a 48-page document called "America's Changing Religious Identity."
American Religious Identification Survey 2008: http://commons.trincoll.edu/aris/
Pew Forum U.S. Religious Landscape Survey: http://religions.pewforum.org/
CIA World Fact Book on Religion: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html
National Congregations Study: http://www.soc.duke.edu/natcong/explore.html
North American Jewish Data Bank: http://www.jewishdatabank.org/
For political and other polling data, visit FiveThirtyEight
Gallup Polling: Use the key world "religion" to search for current polling data.
For those of the scholars who want to have a look at how American history is taught to American college students here is the link to a free online text book: U.S. History http://www.ushistory.org/us/index.asp
Maps
Here's a map showing various proportional representations of the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in the U.S. Click HERE.
Books and Articles
Albanese, Catherine. America: Religions and Religion, 5th Edition. Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2013.
Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, Religious Pluralism in the United States, 2007.
Eck, Diana. “From Diversity to Pluralism,” in On Common Ground: World Religions in America, 2006.
Manseau, Peter. A New Nation, Under Gods: A New American History, 2015
Public Broadcasting Service’s God in America series https://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/view/