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ON COMMON GROUND Guide for Teachers and Students
4. A Fresh Look at American Religious History
Using the timelines, the In America section, and connecting links to other pages, look at the
istory of America's many religious traditions and at the historical essays of those traditions that do not have timelines (such as the Baha'i or Zoroastrian traditions). What can you find out about the history and range of America's Native peoples? What about the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities in the United States?
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When did people from these traditions of faith first come to this country? Why did they come? What were their expectations? When and where did they build their first religious institutions? What difficulties did they have in settling here? Did they face discrimination? If so, from whom and why? Does the CD-ROM contain photographs from the early days of this tradition in the United States? What are some of the most interesting or important landmark dates for each tradition?
As a group project, divide up the responsibility for surveying the history of various religious traditions in America. In your presentation, use the timeline or the historical essays to highlight important historical moments in each tradition, and show the others in your group some of the photos that bring the history to life.
5. New Experiences of Immigration
Many screens address immigration to the United States after 1965 and its role in shaping or reshaping American religious traditions. Most of the screens can be found in the sections under the In America menu. See, for example, "New Immigrant Christianity," "New Hindu Immigrants," "New Asian Immigration" (Buddhist section), and "New Immigration” (Islam).
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What changes have taken place in the United States as a result of immigration after 1965? How has the "new immigration" made people in each tradition more conscious of their own diversity? How do religious traditions define themselves anew as they find themselves on new soil and "On Common Ground" with people of other religions?
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Use the Index to look for discussions of Immigration, Old and New.
6. Chanting, Recitation, and Song
Use some of the following screens and sound files to hear a sample of the chanting, recitation, or song in ON COMMON GROUND.
The Heart Sutra (Buddhist Experience: "Chanting the Sutras") Psalm 23 (Christian Experience: “Songs and Psalms of Praise")
