God Is Red: A Native View of Religion

Compare Deloria’s critique of linear Christian history with his account of cyclical, place-rooted time. What are the strengths and limitations of each conception?

Analyze Deloria equation of colonialism and Christianity. In what ways has Christianity helped to uphold or justify colonialist practices against Indigenous societies?

Deloria examines Wounded Knee (1890 and 1973) as both sacred memory and political theology. How do ritual authority and protest mutually legitimate each other in his narrative?

Examine Deloria’s critique of American civil religion through figures like Billy Graham and events like Explo ‘72. In what ways could his analysis still apply today?

Evaluate Deloria’s claim that education and modern infrastructure make certain elements of Indigenous spirituality, such as vision quests, nearly impossible. How could such problems be addressed?

Deloria argues that tribal religions offer a different conception of personhood and community compared to Christianity. What are the nature and wider implications of these differences?

Deloria presents ecology as a religious, not merely scientific, problem. In what ways, if any, could Indigenous conceptions of nature assist scientific measures against climate change?

Compare and contrast God is Red with another one of Deloria’s works, such as Custer Died for Your Sins. How are the two texts different or similar in terms of key themes, ideas, and/or concerns?