Approved by UCC 10-11-07 with revisions contained in this document. From: web-form@Oswego.EDU Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 9:52 AM To: ucc@oswego.edu; loem@oswego.edu Subject: Web Form: Course Submission IP Address: 74.74.70.125 Department Chair: Margaret Ryniker Department Chair Email: ryniker@oswego.edu Additional Contact: Karel Kurst-Swanger Additional Contact Email: kurstswa@oswego.edu Course Number: PBJ 454 Course Type: New Course Course Title: Religion, Crime and Justice Catalog Description: The course will examine the nexus of religion and crime in several different domains, including the influence of religion in the evolution of law and public policy, the role of religion in correctional environments and the development of correctional alternatives, and the influence of religion as a mechanism of social control and law conformity. A primary focus of the course will be on exploring the phenomena of religion-related crime in the U.S. Prerequisites: PBJ 101 and at least 12 hours of social sciences credit. Fl - irregular basis: Yes Semester Hours: 3 justificationforcourse: At present no courses within the public justice curriculum address the multidimensional issues related to religion and its’ influence or relationship to crime and criminal justice. In fact, there are few courses campus wide that involve the topic of religion, despite the large role that religion plays in the personal and political lives of American citizens. This course provides a unique opportunity for students to critically analyze the political, social, and psychological aspects of the role of religion in crime and the administration of justice. It is proposed that this course be accepted as an Intellectual Issues, Self and Society, course. This course will investigate the issue of religion, crime and justice from multi-disciplinary perspectives and will aid students in appreciating the relationship of the individual in society. courseObjectives: Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: • Define and distinguish between different types of religion-related crime. • Comprehend the theoretical explanations for religion-related crime. • Recognize the role that religion plays in the lives of others. • Gain respect for a wide range of religious beliefs, while noting the core contradictions of some beliefs. • Interpret landmark court cases defining the parameters of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment. • Analyze and debate the social issues presented by the course material. • Identify the dilemmas faced by religious and secular practitioners, i.e. religious leaders, law enforcement, court personnel, social workers, etc. in regards to crime prevention and intervention. • Define different types of religious organizations and institutions. • Interpret and integrate the currently disparate research on various aspects of religion-related crime in numerous scholarly disciplines including: religious studies, sociology, criminology, criminal justice, law, psychology, medicine, and social work. • Critically analyze the role of the media in defining and presenting religion-related crime stories. • Comprehend the role of religion as a mechanism of social control and its growing application in faith based criminal justice initiatives. • Examine a wide range of theologies, doctrines, and religious principles which ground many different religious traditions. • Understand the role religion plays in politics, social relationships, and public policy making. • Reflect upon personal beliefs. Course Description: This course addresses a current and controversial issue in the field of criminal justice, the role of religion in crime and criminal justice. The course will examine the nexus of religion and crime in several different domains, including the influence of religion in the evolution of law and public policy, the role of religion in correctional environments and the development of correctional alternatives, and the influence of religion as a mechanism of social control and law conformity. A primary focus of the course will be on exploring the phenomena of religion-related crime. Since crime and religion intersect in a number of different ways, this course provides an opportunity to explore the issues from a variety of different theoretical and practical perspectives. The course will be divided into three parts. Part I: Overview of Theoretical concepts: The course will begin with an overview of the following topics: • Role of religion in society • Historical perspectives of religion and crime • Theoretical explanations of religion-related crime • First Amendment and the Free Exercise clause • Relevant court cases Part II: Religion-related Crime: Crime typology: Part II will involve an examination of religion-related crime in the U.S. The following topics will include: • Theologically Based Religion Related Crimes: These crimes involve acts committed as part of a religious ceremony or practice, which are deemed illegal by secular law. Examples to be explored include: crimes against the family, with special attention to crimes committed against women and children, and the use of illicit substances. • Reactive/Defensive Religion-Related Crime: Reactive crimes are those in which a religious leader or group commits crime to facilitate a change in the social order on the basis of religious ideology or to maintain the existing religious or political order. Examples to be explored include: violence against abortion clinics, destructive religious groups, and hate crime. • Abuses of religious authority This type of religion-related crime involves situations in which a religious leader or institution abuses charismatic or legitimate religious authority for the benefit of the individual or the institution. Examples to be explored might include: clergy malfeasance, fraud, the physical, sexual or emotional abuse of church staff or parishioners. Part III: Religion and the Justice System: This part will focus on the role of religion in the criminal justice system. Specific topics would include: • Role of religion in criminal justice policy/decision making • Religion and correctional environments • Faith-based correctional alternatives • Religion and the courts • Policy considerations for religion-related crime • The role of the criminal justice practitioner METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: Lecture, small group and large group discussion, and videos. MEANS OF EVALUATION: The course will involve a major paper project which requires students to critically analyze course readings, classroom discussion, and their own personal views and beliefs. Also, two exams will be given. Resources: The department has the faculty resources and the expertise to offer this course. Current library resources are adequate to enable us to offer this course. Bibliography: Altman, I. & Ginat, J.(1996). Polygamous families in contemporary society. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Angrosino, M. (2002). Civil Religion Redux. Anthropological Quarterly, 75(2), 239-268. Asser, S.M. & Swan, R. (1998). Child fatalities from religion-motivated medical neglect. Pediatrics, 101, 625-629. Baird-Windle, P. & Bader, E.J. (2001). Targets of Hatred: Anti-abortion terrorism. New York, New York: Palgrave . Bartkowski, J. (1996). Beyond biblical literalism and inerrancy: Conservative Protestants and the hermeneutic interpretation of scripture. Sociology of Religion, 57(3), 259-273. Blanchard, D.A. & Prewitt, T.J. (1993). Religious violence and abortion: The Gideon project. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. Bohm, J. & Alison, L. (2001). An exploratory study in methods of distinguishing destructive cults. Psychology, Crime & Law, 7, 133-165. Bozeman, J.M. & Palmer, S.J. (1997). The Northeast Kingdom Community Church of Island Pond, Vermont: Raising up a people for Yahshua’s return. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 12(2), 181-190. Brent, J.C. (1999). An agent and two principles: U.S. Court of Appeals responses to Employment Division, Department of Human Resources v. Smith and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. American Politics Quarterly, 27(2), April, 236-266. Butler, J., Wacker, G., Balmer, R. (2003). Religion in American life: A short history. New York, New York: Oxford University Press. Deloria, V. & Lytle, C.M. (1983). American Indians, American Justice. Austin: University of Texas Press. Ellison, C.G., Bartkowski, J., & Segal, M.L. (1996). Do conservative Protestants spank more often? Further evidence from the National Survey of Families and Households. Social Science Quarterly, 77, 663-673. Ellison, C.G., Bartkowski, J.P., and Anderson, K.L. (1999). Are there religious variations in domestic violence? Journal of Family Issues, 20(1), 87-113. Feikin, D.R., Lezotte, D.C., Hamman, R.F., Salmon, D.A., Chen, R.T. and Hoffman, R.E. (2000). Individual and community risks of measles and pertussis associated with personal exemptions to immunization. JAMA, 284, 3145-50. Fuller, R.C. (2000). Stairways to heaven: Drugs in American Religious History. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press Greven, P. (1991). Spare the child: The religious roots of punishment and the psychological impact of physical abuse. New York: Knopf. Gordon, S.B. (2002). The Mormon question: Polygamy and constitutional conflict in nineteen century America. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. Hassouneh-Phillips, D. (2001). Polygamy and wife abuse: A qualitative study of Muslim women in America. Health Care for Women International, 22, 735-748. Ignagni, J.A. (1993). U.S. Supreme Court decision-making and the free exercise clause. Review of Politics, 55, 511-29. Jenkins, P. (2000). Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and new religions in American History. New York, New York: Oxford University Press. Kimball, C. (2003). When religion becomes evil: Five warning signs. New York, New York: HarperSanFranciso Kondos, E.M. (1992). The law and Christian Science healing for children: A Pathfinder. Legal Reference Services Quarterly, 12(1), 5-71. Krakauer, J. (2004). Under the banner of heaven: A story of violent faith. New York, NY: Anchor books, a division of Random House, Inc. Kurst-Swanger, K & Petcosky, J. (2003). Violence in the home: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. New York, New York: Oxford University Press. Kurst-Swanger, K. & Ryniker, M. (2003). Religion-related crime: Documentation of murder, fraud, and sexual abuse. In Critical issues in crime and justice, by Albert R. Roberts (Eds), Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications Kurst-Swanger, K. (2008). Worship and Sin: An exploration of religion-related crime in the U.S. New York, NY: Lang Publishers. (Forthcoming) Leary, T. (1964). The religious experience: Its production and interpretation. The Psychedelic Review, 1, 324-346. Levin, J. & McDevitt, J. (2002). Hate crimes revisited: America’s war on those who are different. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. Lewis, I.M. (2003). Trance, possession, shamanism and sex. Anthropology of Consciousness, 14,1, 20-39. Monopoli, P.A. (1991). Striking a new balance between sincere religious belief and a child’s right to medical treatment. Pepperdine Law Review, 18(2), 319-352. Nason-Clark, N. (2004). When terror strikes at home: The interface between religion and domestic violence. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 43(3), 303-310. Rambo, L.R. (1993). Understanding religious conversion. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Shanon, B. (2002). Entheogens: Reflections on ‘Psychoactive Sacramentals’. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 9(4), 85-94. Shupe, A. Stacey, W.A. and Darnell, S.E.(Eds.) (2000). Bad Pastors: Clergy misconduct in modern America.New York, NY: New York University Press. Witte, J. (2000). Religion and the American constitutional experiment: Essential rights and liberties. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. Other Comments: We would like this course to be considered for general education...Intellectual Issues, Self-in-Society.