Each student should select a topic or issue within contemporary Evangelical life. This topic must be agreed upon by the instructor. You might want to consult the course outline, the textbooks or your own interests to find a topic. It could relate to your own religious tradition or to your major field of study. Consult with the instructor as early as possible in the semester to choose a topic.

A paper of approximately fifteen pages (double spaced) on your topic will be presented to the instructor by class time on Wednesday, April 24 and Tuesday, April 30..

A preliminary progress report will be sent to the instructor via e-mail by 12:00 am (midnight) on Tuesday, April 2 or Wednesday, April 3. This progress report should report on

1. What research the student has done to date (books consulted, interviews, web sites
    reviewed, and so forth).

2. What problems or issues have come up which the instructor might be able to help the
   student to address. This is an opportunity to use the instructor as a resource.

3. What do you plan to do next? What areas do you need to cover, books to consult, or
   questions to address?

A grade will be assigned for the progress report and the instructor will comment on the
issues which the student raises.

The project should include some discussion of the following areas:

1. A description of your topic, movement or issues as it stands in contemporary
   Evangelical experience.

2. A history of the important background(s) of your project. Where did the issue or
   movement come from? What were the circumstances of its arising? To what, if
   anything was it a response? How did it develop and change over time? Why did it
   take its present form?

3. How does your theme represent the American Evangelical experience? How does it
   fit within the broader Evangelical movement? Does it represent a particular form of
   Evangelical religion?

4. Any other dimensions of the project of interest to you or the instructor.

If time and space permit, the instructor would appreciate the student's views on the topic being discussed.

The paper will assist the student in preparing the final examination since the topic will be a subject of discussion on this exam.

Students should feel free to consult with the instructor on bibliography, methods, or points of difficulty.

Students are encouraged to make use of the Writing Center at the beginning of the process of thinking through the paper topic.