American Studies 430.02
American Visions of Utopia
Roger Williams University
Tuesday and Friday
2:00-3:20  GHH 206
Michael R. H. Swanson, Ph. D
Office:  GHH 215
Hours: 
Phone:  (254) 3230
Mail:  mswanson@rwu.edu
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Internet Exercise.

There are very many Theosophical sources online, including a number of journals or magazines.    I'd like each of you to rummage around in one of the journals, find an interesting article, read it, and tell the class about it.  To avoid duplicates,  Here's a list for you to work with.
For Tuesday, November 12
We didn't quite finish our exploration of online Theosophical Sources.  We'll begin by completing the two remaining reports on interesting things found.
Following that,  I'm going to show a video introducing our first  Utopian community organized and operated by  African-Americans--The Peace Mission Movement, the brainchild of Father Divine, a.k.a. George Baker. 
Father Divine visits Hope Farm, 1938, Parts 1 & 2
For Friday, November 22
Read in America's Communal Upopias.
Father Divine and the Peace Mission,  pp.  432-447
Can one create "Utopia" in a Ghetto?  Father Divine believed so.  A radical in his youth, he turned more conservative as he aged--but his vision of an integrated, poverty-free society endured to his death and beyond.  The Peace Mission endures, though pretty much out of the public eye.
Internet Exercise.

There is a wealth of material about Father Divine and his Peace Mission on the Internet--much of it at the Peace Mission website. These include everything from written sermons, audio recordings,  videos, songs, and a section on Mother Divine, who succeeded Father Devine on his death.  I want each of you to choose something to present and discuss with the class.  Rather than me doing the assignment this time, I'm going to let you do your own picking, first come first served.  Using the mailtool, Send us your choice as soon as you've made it and I'll post it here at the website.

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