ABOUT COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: Community Connections is a lesson collection designed for adult learners and community colleges, with the goal of inspiring student civic action. This might be respectful debate or conversation about a local issue, planning a community event, or a creative project that helps connect local, national and global issues.
To use this lesson: First, watch the video and answer the questions below as a warm up. Next, choose one or more of the activities under "Take Action" that best fits your classroom. Or, use the segment above to inspire your own original classroom activities — the spirit of these lessons is to connect current events to actions that make your community a better place for everyone!
SUMMARY
An evangelical church in Tennessee is seeing strong growth as it’s leaned into hardline politics. Judy Woodruff reports on religion in the U.S. and its connection to our political divide for her ongoing series, America at a Crossroads.
View the transcript of the story.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who have evangelicals historically voted for?
- Where was Pastor Greg Locke during the insurrection of January 6?
- What effects did COVID-19 have on the church?
- When does Pastor Greg Locke believe it's okay for a woman to have an abortion?
- Why did Pastor Greg Locke back off his hard-line politically conservative stance?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Based on their responses, do you think Pastor Ryan Burge agrees with Pastor Greg Locke's views on religion in politics? How do you think religion shapes contemporary politics?
Media literacy: Given its importance in politics, do you think national media should cover religion more? Why or why not?
TAKE ACTION
How are religion and politics intertwined? Use this activity and focus on finding news stories about the ways religion drives politics and the ways politics affects religious practice. Be sure to maintain respect for each participants' opinions.
You can use this guide including the Dignity Index to ensure respectful conversation.
For more, learn about how public schools in Oklahoma are being required to teach the bible, then discuss: Do you think the traditional separation of church and state in the United States is changing? In what ways?
This project was funded under the 2024 Leonore Annenberg Civic Mission of the Nation Initiative, sponsored by the Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics. LAIC is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
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