Modern Evangelicalism
Taught by Lizy Yagoda
Lizy Yagoda teaches history at Rutgers Preparatory School in Somerset, NJ. She graduated from Vassar College in 2010 with a degree in History (her thesis examined dissent in Czechoslovakia from 1968 to 1989) and a minor in Religion. She completed a Masters Degree in Social Studies Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, in 2012 and has taught ever since. She lives in Jersey City with her boyfriend and books, and wishes desperately for a dog.
At least once a month, while walking down the street, I'll see a familiar brand logo on a T-shirt. Only upon closer inspection, however, will I notice that instead of "Reese's Peanut Butter Cups," the shirt reads "Jesus, King of Kings." Returning home, I can see my stash of Forever 21 bags under my sink, all emblazoned with the same biblical citation. I can turn on the TV and watch Pat Robertson blame the latest natural disaster not on climate change or poor infrastructure, but on feminists, homosexuals, and the ACLU. Every January since 1954, our national leaders have gathered for a prayer breakfast sponsored by the Fellowship Foundation, a group that interprets Jesus's words as an imperative to monetary success.
Over the last 10 years, it has become increasingly difficult to ignore the influence of Evangelical Christianity in American popular culture. But, for as much of it we see, there is very little that we understand. Using primary sources and investigative journalism, this class will probe the beliefs of Evangelical Christianity and trace their influences everywhere from the halls of power in Washington to classrooms and movie theaters across the country. And finally, we will try to understand the connection between the Evangelicals of 2006 and the Tea Partiers of 2013.
