The American Religious Experience
Midterm ExaminationTake-home due Wednesday, October 5, at 11:59 pmChoose any two of the following questions to write on.You are expected to make use of Gaustad and Schmidts The Religious History of America, of
on-line lectures, and all of the appropriate primary sources that we have read for class. Use in-
line citations for any direct or indirect quotations. In-line citations should simply include the
author and the page number, i.e.: (Gaustad, 34). For Beecher, because we have two readings
from him, use: (Beecher, dueling, p. #) or (Beecher, disestablishment, p. #). Cite lectures as
Lecture 6A Maryland, and so forth.The essays will be worth 75 points each (total of 150 points). I am always a fan of writing until
you finish answering the questions, and then stopping. However, a very general rule of thumb
would be to plan on three to five pages per essay, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman,
1 margins. Include both your essays in a single document. You do not need a cover page just
put your name at the top.1. Discuss the various ways in which the religious language of the Promised Land is used in
John Winthrops A Model of Christian Charity and in Brigham Youngs letters to the
Latter Day Saints. In what ways do the authors use the Jewish story of the exodus and
arrival in the promised land to describe their own positions and their relationship to God?
In what ways do they use this religious language refer to the New World or the United
States?2. Identify the various motives (not just religious) behind the settlement of the colonies that
would become the thirteen original United States. What general conclusions can we come
to regarding the religious traditions and goals of individual colonies? Were some colonies
established for primarily religious reasons and others not? If they were settled for
religious reasons, briefly identify some of those reasons.3. What effects did the Second Great Awakening (early 1800s) have on traditional
Christianity in America? What challenges did this Awakening pose to the churches that
were already well-entrenched? What concerns did the awakeners, if we may call them
that, seek to address in the churches?