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

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.

• Brown, Christina  High Country Newsletter, from April/December 1986 to June/August 1990
  

• Colburn, Danielle  Sunrise: Theosophic Perspectives, Volumes 20-56 (1970-2007),
  

• Dipietro, Jesse  The Quest Magazine, recent issues (since 1999),
  

• Esposito, Matthew  Lucifer7, from August 2003,
  

• Fitzhugh, AnthonyManas, 1949-1988 with table of contents and index,
  

• Frey, John   Sunrise: Theosophic Perspectives, Special Issues, 1975-2006,
  

• Morrill, Nicholas  Theosophical Enquirer 1998-2007,
  

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.

• Brown, Christina
  

• Colburn, Danielle  Those who are not Awakened into the Spirit....
  

• Dipietro, Jesse 
  

• Esposito, Matthew 
  

• Fitzhugh, AnthonyINTERVIEW GRANTED BY FATHER DIVINE TO PROF. ROBERT E. HUME OF UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
  

• Frey, John  
  

• Morrill, Nicholas 
  

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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