13) Thursday, March 1. The Crisis of Protestantism

Story Line:
The arrival of millions of Catholic and Jewish immigrants led to a reweaving of the social fabric and a transformation of Protestantism. The national religion's hegemony collapsed as Catholics and Jews made themselves heard and freed the idea of tolerance from its Protestant straitjacket.

Review Questions for Discussion VII

 

[Lecture 12] Outline [Lecture 14]

Readings for lecture 13

  • 1928 election: Document Number: DJ2104240085
  • fundamentalism: Document Number: DJ2306200081
  • The Social Creed of the Churches, 1908
  • The Knights of the KKK Towards the Jews and Towards the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, 1923
  • Al Smith, Address at Philadelphia, 1928
  • Exchange between Charles C. Marshall and Al Smith, "Catholic and Patriot," 1927

Images for lecture 13:


The Irrepressible Al Smith, Governor of New York

The Democratic Candidate of 1928 and His National Chairman, John J Raskob

"Cabinet Meeting-If Al Were President"

"Rome Never Changes"

Hoover, Campaigning, and Mass Communication

Al Smith with Governor Roosevelt in Albany, New York
Lecture Outline [return to top]

 

I-The Collapse of the National Religion

1) Protestantism

1893 religious census by Henry K.. Carroll

Protestants 49,630,000 150 denominations 111,036 ministers 165,297 reporting congregations
Catholics 7,360,000      
Jews and other non-Christians 5,630,000      
non religious 5 million      

2) The Social Gospel

II. Conservative reaction

1) The Second Klan

2) Anti-immigrant feelings

3) Prohibition

4) Creationism against Darwinism

5) Denouncing Relaxed Mores

III- The 1928 Election: The political expression of religious conflicts

1) An American way of believing in God

2) Herbert Hoover and Al Smith

3) Blacks and the church

Conclusion: secularization

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