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Jamaican Religion

Jamaican religious traditions in the United States include Obeah, Jamaican Revivalism or Pukumina, and Rastafarianism. Obeah is a system of herbal and spiritual technology to cure diseases, offer protection, and even to harm one’s enemies. The Pukumina tradition is more structured than the Obeah tradition, and its rituals share some characteristics with Haitian Vodou. Rastafarianism, known within the U.S. through its reggae music and its characteristic hairstyle of dreadlocks, interprets Africans and African Americans as successors to Biblical prophets.... Read more about Jamaican Religion

The Christian Experience

Christianity in America

The Cross and the Icon

The shape of the cross informs the architecture of many churches, and the symbol’s frequent appearance in the decoration of Christian spaces stands for the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus. For Orthodox Christians, other important images include icons, figurative representations of Christ, the Virgin Mary or saints, which adorn worship spaces, are placed in homes, and are carried throughout everyday life.... Read more about The Cross and the Icon

Latter Day Saints Movement

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known for many years as the Mormon Church, is the largest movement descended from the prophetic claims of Joseph Smith. In the mid-19th century, the Church moved from upstate New York, Smith’s home, to the West, eventually reaching Utah where Mormons founded Salt Lake City. Through the present day, members of the church continue to negotiate their place within Christianity and American society.... Read more about Latter Day Saints Movement

The Modern Era

Since the 17th century, Christians have disagreed about how to interpret the Bible, relate religious faith to scientific discovery, and incorporate broader social changes into church structure. The Second Vatican Council in the 1960s led to Roman Catholic ecclesiastical change, while Protestant churches have offered diverse, sometime ecumenical, and sometimes conflicting answers to these questions. In more recent years, the world has seen a resurgence of evangelical Christianity as well as an increase in pentecostalism, particularly in Latin America, Africa, and the U.S. ... Read more about The Modern Era

Credo: “I Believe. . .”

Statements of belief unite Christians in their articulation of shared commitments. While the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed are the oldest and most universal creeds of the church, the process of articulating what it means to give one’s heart to Christ has continued to the present. ... Read more about Credo: “I Believe. . .”

Issues for Christians in America

Women’s Ministry in the Church

Protestant women across many denominations fought for, and slowly gained, a share of ministerial authority over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries; in Eastern Orthodox and, especially, in Roman Catholic churches, proponents of women’s ordination still fight official opposition.... Read more about Women’s Ministry in the Church

“Confucius and Sons” in America

Confucian teaching and interpretation largely became based on four key texts called The Four Books: Analects, Book of Mencius, Great Learning, and Doctrine of the Mean. East Asian immigrant communities in the United States differ in the way they view Confucian teachings: Some deem the teachings irrelevant for scientific society and democratic governance, while others uphold the teachings as an integral component of their cultural traditions.... Read more about “Confucius and Sons” in America

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