Burke Rochford
Professor of Religion
Email: rochford@middlebury.edu
Phone: work802.443.5303
Office Hours: Spring Term: Mondays 1:45-3:45 and Thursdays 1:15-2:15
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Professor Rochford teaches courses in contemporary American religious movements and communities. His research over the past 25 years has focused on the Hare Krishna movement. He is author of Hare Krishna in America and numerous articles addressing the development of the Krishna movement. Professor Rochford has been at Middlebury College since 1986.
Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
FYSE 1391 - Cults and Violence
Cults and Violence
It is often assumed that religious cults are prone to violence since many seek to transform society into an idealized state based on their theology. Yet history suggests that cultic groups are more often the targets of violence or that they peacefully await the millennial kingdom. In this seminar we will consider a range of factors that produce cultic violence. We will examine such cases as violence and anti-Mormonism in 19th-century America; the collective suicide of 900 Peoples Temple members in Jonestown, Guyana in 1978; the 1993 assault by the American government on the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas; and apocalyptic violence by the Japanese group Aum Shinrikyo. 3 hrs. sem.
Spring 2013
RELI 0170 / HIST 0228 / AMST 0170 - Religion in America ▲
Religion in America AR
America often has been defined paradoxically as both the "most religious" and "least religious" of nations. This course, a historical survey of American religious life, will trace the unique story of American religion from colonial times to the present. Guiding our exploration will be the ideas of "contact," "conflict," and "combination." Along the way, we will examine the varieties of religious experiences and traditions that have shaped and been shaped by American culture such as, Native American traditions, Puritan life and thought, evangelicalism, immigration, African-American religious experience, women's movements, and the on-going challenges of religious diversity. Readings include sermons, essays, diaries and fiction, as well as secondary source material. 2 hrs. lect., 1 hr. disc.
Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
RELI 0208 / SOAN 0208 - Sociology of American Religion
The Sociology of American Religion AR
The course focuses on classical and contemporary issues in the sociology of religion. We begin with definitional debates about what religion is and the strengths and limitations of a social science of religion. We then consider issues of religious commitment and conversion; the changing role and influence of religion in contemporary society (i.e., secularization theory); change in religious communities; American religious history; women, family, and religious life; and the emergence of new religious movements. Throughout the course we read ethnographic and historical studies of various religious organizations and communities (e.g., American Protestantism, the Amish, Catholicism, Hare Krishna, Shakers, Oneida, Mormons). 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Fall 2009, Spring 2012, Spring 2013
RELI 0303 / SOAN 0303 - Cults and New Religions ▲
Cults and New Religions AR, AT
Religious outsiders have been persistent yet controversial. Mystics and messiahs preaching a variety of radical beliefs and ways of life have provoked strong responses from mainline traditions as well as from publics concerned about the "cult" menace. Yet new religions have also been a source of religious experimentation and revival. In this course we will explore the unique characteristics of new religions, the historical circumstances that give rise to them, who join and why, the societal reaction they generate, questions of authority and leadership, violence, and the factors that influence their success, decline and failure. A variety of new religions from North America and the West, as well as from Japan and China, will be considered. These may include the Shakers, the People's Temple, Hare Krishna, Soka Gakkai, the Children of God/Family, Solar Temple, Aum Shinrikyo, Falun Gong, the Branch Davidians, and the Raelians. 3 hrs sem.
Spring 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
RELI 0374 / SOAN 0374 - Immigrant Religions in America
Immigrant Religions in America AR
In this seminar we will consider religions of Asians, Latin Americans, and others, who immigrated to United States after 1965 changes to the Immigration and Nationality Act. Immigrants from Asia brought Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions, while those from Latin America, as well as from some Asian countries, imported distinctive styles of Catholicism and Protestantism. Transplantation thus brought transformation and "a new religious America." Major topics include: religion and ethnicity, assimilation and resistance, transnationalism, pan-ethnic formation, new forms of worship and ritual, gender, and the second-generation. We will read a variety of case studies with an eye toward comparative analysis and understanding.
Fall 2009, Spring 2012
RELI 0500 - Independent Research ▲ ▹
Independent Research
(Approval Required)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
RELI 0601 - Senior Project in Religion
Senior Project
(Approval Required)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2011, Spring 2012
RELI 0700 - Senior Project in Religion ▲ ▹
Senior Project
(Approval Required)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
RELI 0701 - Senior Thesis in Religion ▲ ▹
Senior Research for Honors Candidates
Approval required
Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
RELI 1031 / SOAN 1031 - The 1960s
The 1960s
In this course we will study the major social movements of the 1960s: the Civil Rights movement and Black Power, the New Left and New Right, the Anti-Vietnam War movement, and new religious movements. Beyond tracing the history and development of these movements, we also consider how activists of the period shaped the emergent Sixties counterculture. Finally, we follow activists into adulthood and consider how the Sixties experience influenced the course of their lives. This course counts as elective credit towards the Sociology/Anthropology major.
Winter 2010, Winter 2012
SOAN 0252 - Social Psychology in Sociology
Social Psychology in Sociology
The purpose of this course is to examine the relationship between self and society from a sociological perspective. Our initial focus will on the nature of symbols, language, and the social self as theorized by G. H. Mead and early "symbolic interactionists." We will then address the presentation of self through the works of Erving Goffman, and subsequently consider more contemporary concerns, such as emotions, emotional labor, and inequality in social interaction. The second half of the course will address questions of identity and debates surrounding the emergence of "postmodern" selves. Limited places available for students to satisfy the college writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Sociology)
Spring 2009
SOAN 0301 - Soc Research Methods
The Logic of Sociological Inquiry
In this course students will be introduced to the basic tools of sociological research including problem formulation, strategies of design and data collection, and analysis and presentation of results. This class will help students formulate a research question and develop a research strategy to best explore that question. Those strategies may include interviews, structured observation, participant observation, content analysis, and surveys. This class, strongly recommended for juniors, will culminate in the submission of a senior project proposal. (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105) 3 hrs. lect./disc., 3 hrs. research lab. (Sociology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2010
SOAN 0500 - Advanced Individual Study
Prior to registering for SOAN 0500, a student must enlist the support of a faculty advisor from the Department of Sociology/Anthropology. (Open to Majors only) (Approval Required) (Sociology or Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010
SOAN 0700 - One-Semester Senior Project
One-Semester Senior Project
Under the guidance of a faculty member, a student will carry out an independent, one-semester research project, often based on original data. The student must also participate in a senior seminar that begins the first week of fall semester and meets as necessary during the rest of the year. The final product must be presented in a written report of 25-40 pages, due the last day of classes. (Sociology or Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010
SOAN 0710 - Multi-Semester Senior Project
Multi-Semester Senior Project
Under the guidance of a faculty member, a senior will carry out an independent multi-semester research project, often based on original data. The student must also participate in a senior seminar that begins the first week of fall semester and meets as necessary during the rest of the year. The final product must be presented in a written report of 60-100 pages, due either at the end of the Winter Term or the Friday after spring break. (Sociology or Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010