university level

Course Description:

“Frontiers of Global Catholicism in St. Louis” explores the religious history of the city of St. Louis in terms of its global network of connections. The course is designed around the question “How do we learn about the past?” and introduces students to the discipline of history and the fundamentals of archival research. Over the course of the semester, we visit local archives and museums and students collaborate on their own digital exhibits featuring analyses of archival materials they discovered during our field trips.

We delve into the stories of missionaries who came to St. Louis, using their archives to learn about the entanglement of Catholicism with global cultures and imperialism. By examining local history, students gain a wider understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of Catholicism worldwide. Riding on the waves of European imperial expansion, Catholicism became a global religion in the 1500s and 1600s. New waves of imperialism and missionary activity pushed Catholicism farther and deeper into the nooks and crannies of a globalized world in the twentieth century. The story of the spread of Catholicism from Rome and Europe, however, is only half the story—if that. Though often under an imperial yoke, peoples in the Americas, Africa, and Asia made Catholicism their own, absorbing, appropriating, accommodating, and assimilating elements of Catholic faith, myth, and practice within their own mental outlooks and cultural spaces. Connecting the local to the global through readings, discussions, field trips, and assignments, the course showcases the global dimensions of Catholicism by investing students in their microcosmic manifestations right here in St. Louis.

But this course offers more than just a window into global expressions of Catholicism through the local lens of St. Louis. We engage in a workshop-style learning experience that challenges students’ assumptions about history. By exploring questions like How do we learn about the past? Is there such a thing as historical “truth”? Is it possible that there isn’t just one capital “H” version of history? Can multiple histor(ies) exist simultaneously? students cultivate the critical thinking skills essential for navigating the complexities of the past and their ongoing influence on the present.