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C H A P T E R 7Religion in the Public
American Associat ion of School Administ rat ors
American Federat ion of Teachers
American Jew ish Congress
Americans Unit ed Research Foundat ion
Associat ion f or Supervision and Curriculum Development
Bapt ist Joint Commit t ee on Public Af f airs
Christ ian Legal Societ y
The Church of Jesus Christ of Lat t er-day Saint s
First Amendment Cent er
The Islamic Societ y of Nort h America
Nat ional Associat ion of Evangelicals
Nat ional Conf erence of Communit y and Just ice
Nat ional Council of Churches of Christ in t he USA
Nat ional Council f or t he Social St udies
Nat ional Educat ion Associat ion
Growing numbers of people in the United States think it is
important to teach
about
religion in the public schools.
1But what is the appropriate place of religion in the public- school curriculum? How does one approach such issues as textbook content, values education, creation science and religious holidays?
QU EST IO NS
and
ANSW ERS:
RELIGIO N IN T H E P U BLIC
SC H O O L C U RRIC U LU M
T he following questions and answers are designed to assist school boards as they make decisions about the curriculum and educators as they teach about religion in ways that are constitutionally permissible, educationally sound, and sensitive to the beliefs of students and parents.
Is it const it ut ional t o t each about religion in public schools?
Yes. In the 1960s school-prayer cases (that prompted rulings against state-sponsored school prayer and Bible reading), the U.S. Supreme Court indicated that public school education may include teaching about religion. In Abington v. Schempp, Associate Justice Tom Clark wrote for the Court:[I]t might well be said that one’s education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the
advancement of civilization. It certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities. Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment.
Religion in t he Public School Curriculum
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What is m eant by “ t eaching about
religion” in t he public schools?
T he following statements distinguish between teaching about religion in public schools and religious indoctrination:1. T he school’s approach to religion is academic, not devotional.
2. T he school may strive for student awarenessof religions, but should not press for student
acceptanceof any one religion.
3. T he school may sponsor studyabout religion, but may not sponsor the practice
of religion.
4. T he school may exposestudents to a diversity of religious views, but may not imposeany particular view.
5. T he school may educateabout all religions, but may not promoteor denigrateany religion.
6. T he school may informthe student about various beliefs, but should not seek to
conformhim or her to any particular belief.2
Why should st udy about religion be included in t he public
school curriculum ?
Because religion plays a significant role in history and society, study about religion is essential to understanding both the nation and the world. Omission of facts about religion can give students the false impression that the religious life of humankind is insignificant or unimportant. Failure to understand even the basic symbols, practices and concepts of the various religions makes much of history, literature, art and contemporary life unintelligible.
Study about religion is also important if students are to value religious liberty, the first freedom guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Moreover, knowledge of the roles of religion in the past and present promotes cross-cultural understanding essential to democracy and world peace.
Religion in t he Public School Curriculum
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Where does st udy about religion belong in t he curriculum ?
Wherever it naturally arises. On the secondary level, the social studies, literature and the arts offer many opportunities for the inclusion of information about religions — their ideas and themes. On the elementary level, natural opportunities arise in discussions of the family and community life and in instruction about festivals and different cultures. Many educators believe that integrating study about religion into existing courses is an educationally sound way to acquaint students with the role of religion in history and society.Religion also may be taught about in special courses or units. Some secondary schools, for example, offer such courses as world religions, the Bible as literature, and the religious literature of the West and of the East.
Do current t ext books t each about religion?
Rarely. Recent textbook studies conclude that most widely used textbooks largely ignore the role of religion in history and society. For example, readers of high school U.S. history texts learn little or nothing about the great colonial revivals, the struggles of minority faiths, the religious motivations of immigrants, the contributions of religious groups to many social movements, major episodes of religious intolerance, and many other significant events of history. Education without appropriate attention to major religious influences and themes is incomplete education.
How does t eaching about religion relat e t o t he t eaching
of values?
Teaching about religion is not the same as teaching values. T he former is objective, academic study; the latter involves the teaching of particular ethical viewpoints or standards of behavior.
T here are basic moral values that are recognized by the population at large (e.g., honesty, integrity, justice, compassion). T hese values can be taught in classes through discussion, by example and by carrying out school policies. However, teachers may not invoke religious authority.
Public schools may teach about the various religious and nonreligious perspectives
concerning the many complex moral issues confronting society, but such perspectives must be presented without adopting, sponsoring or denigrating one view against another.
Is it const it ut ional t o t each t he biblical account of creat ion in t he
public schools?
Some states have passed laws requiring that creationist theory based on the biblical account be taught in the science classroom. T he courts have found these laws to be unconstitutional on the ground that they promote a particular religious view. T he Supreme Court has
acknowledged, however, that a variety of scientific theories about origins can be appropriately taught in the science classroom. In Edwards v. Aguillard, the Court stated:
[T ]eaching a variety of scientific theories about the origins of humankind to schoolchildren might be validly done with the clear secular intent of enhancing the effectiveness of science instruction.
T hough science instruction may not endorse or promote religious doctrine, the account of creation found in various scriptures may be discussed in a religious studies class or in any course that considers religious explanations for the origin of life.
How should religious holidays be t reat ed in t he classroom ?
Carefully. Religious holidays offer excellent opportunities to teach about religion in the elementary and secondary schools. Recognition of and information about such holidays should focus on the origin, history and generally agreed-upon meaning of the observances. If the approach is objective, neither advancing nor inhibiting religion, it can foster among students understanding and mutual respect within and beyond the local community. Religion in t he PublicSchool Curriculum
Resources
The f ollow ing resources of f er excellent background mat erial f or underst anding not only how religion has inf luenced t he past , but also how it cont inues t o inf luence societ y t oday. Addit ional assist ance can of t en be f ound t hrough local colleges and universit ies, w hich may provide bot h w orkshops and speakers.
Taking religion seriously in t he curriculum w ill require a commit ment by schools of educat ion t o give t eachers more exposure t o t he st udy of religious inf luences and appropriat e resources f or t eaching about t hese inf luences in t he public school set t ing.
Religion in Am erican Lif e - Oxf ord Universit y Press
At long last , a series of scholarly w orks on religion w rit t en f or young readers is available. Edit ed by Yale Universit y prof essors Jon But ler and Harry St out and published by Oxf ord Universit y Press, Religion in American Lif e is a 17-volume series aut hored by some of t he nat ion’s leading scholars in t he f ield of religious st udies.
The series is an invaluable resource f or t eachers of junior and senior high school st udent s. Teachers of U.S. hist ory w ill f ind all of t he volumes most usef ul, but w orld hist ory, government and lit erat ure t eachers w ill also be able t o use many of t he volumes in a variet y of w ays. Three chronological volumes give t he religious hist ory of t he Unit ed St at es f rom t he colonial period t o t he present . Nine volumes cover signif icant religious groups in America, including
Prot est ant s, Cat holics, Jew s, M uslims, Nat ive Americans and East ern f ait hs. Four volumes address specif ic t opics — w omen, church-st at e issues, Af rican American religion, and immigrat ion — t hat are of special import ance in underst anding t he role of religion in American lif e.
Wit h t he addit ion of t hese books t o school and classroom libraries, st udent s and t eachers w ill have access t o scholarly w orks t hat f ill t he gaps lef t by inadequat e t ext book t reat ment of
religion. In f act , t he chronological volumes w ould t hemselves be excellent t ext books f or an elect ive course on religion in America or religion in U.S. hist ory. A t eacher’s guide, prepared by t he First Amendment Cent er, suggest s w ays t o use t he volumes f or supplement al reading and research project s in hist ory and ot her courses.
For more inf ormat ion, visit Oxf ord Universit y press at w w w.oup-usa.org.
Religion in t he Public School Curriculum
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On Com m on Ground (CD-ROM )
Anot her groundbreaking resource f or st udent s and t eachers is On Common
Ground: World Religions in America, a CD-ROM published in 1997 by Columbia
Universit y Press. This mult imedia resource uses t ext , primary sources, phot ographs, music, f ilm and t he spoken w ord t o bring alive t he ext raordinary religious diversit y in t he Unit ed St at es. Prepared by Harvard Divinit y School prof essor Diana Eck, t he CD-ROM draw s on t he Pluralism Project , a Harvard-based st udy t hat has document ed America’s religious landscape.
Using t he CD-ROM , st udent s can f ind out about t he belief s and pract ices of America’s many f ait h t radit ions. They are able t o explore t he religious diversit y of eight een cit ies and regions of t he Unit ed St at es. Fif t een dif f erent religions are represent ed, f rom t he long-est ablished Nat ive American, Christ ian and Jew ish t radit ions t o more recent arrivals such as Hinduism and Buddhism.
What is especially impressive about t his resource is it s use of document s, phot ographs, f ilm, and music t o enable pract it ioners of each f ait h t o provide st udent s w it h some experience of t he religion f rom t he inside. It is also not ew ort hy t hat dif f erences w it hin various t radit ions are discussed (e.g., Ort hodox and Ref orm Judaism). Even issues debat ed w it hin various t radit ions — t he role of w omen in Islam, f or example — are included. In short , t his is an essent ial resource f or every secondary social st udies and lit erat ure classroom.
For more inf ormat ion, visit t he w eb sit e at
w w w.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cat alog/elect ronic/idx_cd.ht ml.
Orders can be placed at : 1-800-944-8648 (phone); 1-800-944-1844 (f ax); or Columbia Universit y Press Order Depart ment , 136 Sout h Broadw ay, Irvingt on, NY 10533.
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Religion in t he Public School Curriculum
Taking Religion Seriously Across t he Curriculum
In Taking Religion Seriously Across t he Curriculum, Warren A. Nord and Charles C. Haynes chart a middle course in our cult ure w ars over religion and public educat ion – one t hat builds on a developing nat ional consensus among educat ional and religious leaders. In Part One, Nord and Haynes explain w hy schools should t ake religion seriously, and t hey out line t he civic, const it ut ional and educat ional f ramew orks t hat should shape t he
t reat ment of religion in t he curriculum and classroom. In Part Tw o, t hey explore t he major issues relat ing t o religion in dif f erent domains of t he curriculum – in element ary educat ion and in middle- and high-school courses in hist ory, civics, economics, lit erat ure and t he sciences. They also discuss Bible courses and w orld religions courses, and t hey explore t he relat ionship of religion t o moral educat ion and sex educat ion. The result is a book t hat is unique in t he scope of it s considerat ion of t he relevance of religion across t he
curriculum.
This book is available f rom: Associat ion f or Supervision and Curriculum Development , w w w.ascd.org.
The Bible & Public Schools: A First Am endm ent Guide
The First Amendment Cent er and t he Bible Lit eracy Project joint ly published t hese First Amendment guidelines f or t eachers on t he appropriat e role of t he Bible in t he public school curriculum. This guide is endorsed by a w ide array of organizat ions, ranging f rom t he People f or t he American Way Foundat ion and t he American Jew ish Congress t o t he Christ ian Legal Societ y and
t he Nat ional Associat ion of Evangelicals. The guide is based on a quest ion-and-answ er f ormat addressing such issues as w het her t he Bible can be t aught in public schools, met hods and approaches t hat are const it ut ional, and w hat t he court s have said about t he subject .
This guide is available online at w w w.f reedomf orum.org, or by calling 1-800-830-3733 and request ing publicat ion No. 99-F03.
w w w.biblecurriculum.org
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Am erica’s Religions: An Educat or’s Guide t o Belief s and Pract ices Teacher Ideas Press present s a guide by Benjamin
Hubbard, John Hat f ield, and James Sant ucci t o t he belief s and pract ices of a number of t he w orld’s religions. Designed specif ically f or t eachers, t he guide examines each religious group in t erms of it s origins, belief s, sacred script ures, pract ices, main subgroups, common misunderst andings and st ereot ypes, and classroom concerns.
This book is available f rom Teacher Ideas Press, Dept . B40, P.O. Box 6633, Englew ood, CO 80155-6633; by phone at 1-800-237-6124, ext .1; or on t he w eb at w w w.lu.com/t ip.
Religion in t he Public School Curriculum
Organizat ions That Provide Classroom Resources
Council on Islam ic Educat ion
P.O. Box 20186 Fount ain Valley CA 92728-0186 (714) 839-2929 w w w.cie.org
email: [email protected].
The Council on Islamic Educat ion (CIE) is a nat ional, non-prof it resource organizat ion dedicat ed t o providing inf ormat ion on Islam and M uslim hist ory t o K-12 t ext book publishers, educat ion of f icials, curriculum developers, t eachers, and ot her educat ion prof essionals. CIE is comprised of scholars and academicians associat ed w it h major universit ies and inst it ut ions t hroughout t he Unit ed St at es. CIE produces resource mat erials, conduct s w orkshops, at t ends educat ion conf erences, and convenes event s in it s ef f ort s t ow ards accurat e, balanced, and sensit ive coverage of Islam in t he cont ext of a global approach t o w orld hist ory.
Religion and Public Educat ion Resource Cent er
Direct or: Dr. Bruce Grelle
Depart ment of Religious St udies Calif ornia St at e Universit y — Chico Chico, CA 95929-0740
(530) 898-4739
e-mail: [email protected]
The Religion and Public Educat ion Resource Cent er (RPERC) provides resources f or t eaching about religions in public schools in w ays t hat are const it ut ionally permissible and academically sound. The Cent er serves bot h as a deposit ory of exist ing mat erials and as a cat alyst f or t he development and dist ribut ion of new mat erials relat ing t o pedagogical and legal issues t hat arise in connect ion w it h t eaching about religion in public schools. RPERC of f ers curriculum guides and sample lessons in several subject areas f or classroom t eachers.
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Council f or Spirit ual and Et hical Educat ion
Execut ive Direct or: Pet er W. Cobb 1465 Nort hside Drive, Suit e 220 At lant a, GA 30318-4225
(800) 298-4599 f ax: (404) 355-4435 e-mail: inf [email protected] w w w.csee.org
The Council f or Spirit ual and Et hical Educat ion is a membership organizat ion t hat serves as a nat ional resource f or schools t o encourage t he moral, et hical, and spirit ual development of young people. CSEE promot es communit y service, provides resources and a net w ork f or schools’ involvement in communit y service and service learning. CSEE also support s inst ruct ion in w orld religions and et hics as essent ial component s of a complet e educat ion.
Religious St udies in Secondary Schools
7735 SW 87t h Avenue Port land, OR 97223 inf [email protected] w w w.rsiss.org
RSISS is a grow ing coalit ion of public and privat e secondary school t eachers commit t ed t o t he idea t hat educat ion is not complet e w it hout t he academic st udy of t he w orld’s religious t radit ions and t he et hical values, lit erat ures, and cult ures so inext ricably linked t o t hem. There are no membership dues, just people in t he f ield w illing t o help.
Religion and Educat ion
M ike Waggoner, Edit or Universit y of Nort hern Iow a 508 Schindler Educat ion Cent er Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0604 (319) 273-2605
email: [email protected] w w w.uni.edu/jrae
Religion and Educat ion is a journal devot ed t o new s, review s of books and
curricular mat erials, and essays relat ing t o int eract ions of religion and educat ion.
Religion and Educat ion’s mission is t o f acilit at e inf ormed, const it ut ionally
appropriat e t eaching about religions in hist ory and cult ure t hat enables st udent s t o part icipat e in a pluralist ic and religiously diverse w orld.
Religion in t he Public School Curriculum
Int ernet Resources
The Int ernet has become a valuable t ool f or exploring religious libert y issues in educat ion and t he role of religion in t he curriculum. In response t o t his grow t h, w e have prepared a list of resources relat ing t o various religious inf ormat ion sit es t hat can be f ound on t he Int ernet . Some of t hese sit es t arget t he academic communit y, and as such are more usef ul t o t he t eacher w ho is t rying t o bet t er underst and a variet y of f ait h t radit ions. A w ord of caut ion is due here. As t he Int ernet is an ever-changing ent it y, t he cont ent of t he sit es ment ioned is also ever-changing. Whenever st udent s are using t he Int ernet , t hey should be closely monit ored. In f act , w e encourage t eachers t o preview t hese sit es bef ore st udent s are allow ed t o access t hem. While w e have at t empt ed t o choose sit es t hat are w ell est ablished, t heir addresses and locat ions can change f requent ly. Also, please remember t hat t hese sit es are not endorsed by t he First Amendment Cent er but are merely areas t hat might provide valuable inf ormat ion f or t he classroom.
APS Guide t o Resources in Theology w w w.ut oront o.ca/st mikes/t heobook.ht m
This Universit y of Toront o sit e is act ually a list of links t o ot her sit es, primarily t hose dealing w it h Christ ian resources. It is of int erest because it links t o sit es t hat provide primary mat erials (papyri, manuscript s, et c.) M ost of t he linked sit es are f airly sophist icat ed and w ould be most usef ul as resources f or t eachers seeking a deeper underst anding of some of t he various Christ ian denominat ions and early source mat erials in Christ ian st udies.
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Int erf ait h Calendar by M all Area Religious Council w w w.int erf ait hcalendar.org
This sit e is a list ing of t he religious holidays observed by various religious groups. It is a usef ul resource f or t eachers w ho are int erest ed in t hese holidays.
Yahoo! List ing of Religious Sit es
dir.yahoo.com/Societ y_and_Cult ure/Religion_and_Spirit ualit y/
This sit e is f rom t he Yahoo! Search engine. It list s a number of diff erent f ait h t radit ions and sit es t hat apply t o each. It is of quest ionable usef ulness t o st udent s, due t o t he number of issues included in some of t he indices, and t o t he large number of sit es t hat are list ed. (It is hard f or t eachers t o preview t he more t han 13,000 sit es t hat are list ed in t he Fait h and Pract ices indices.)
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Religion in t he Public School Curriculum
Academ ic Inf orm at ion on Religion w w w.academicinf o.net /religindex.ht ml
This is an academic version of t he Yahoo! Sit e not ed above. It not only list s various religions, but also list s t hem according t o t heir presence in various geographic locat ions. This sit e is valuable in t hat it also links t o t he art and lit erat ure of t he various belief syst ems, a usef ul f eat ure f or t eachers seeking visual aids. This sit e links t o college- and graduat e-level sit es and is t oo complex f or younger children.
Pluralism Project
w w w.f as.harvard.edu/~pluralsm/
The Pluralism Project w eb sit e at Harvard Universit y is f illed w it h such resources as pict ures of various U.S. w orship cent ers, links t o ot her sit es w it h cont ent relat ed t o various f ait hs, syllabi f rom college courses on t he t opic of religious pluralism, and archives of new s art icles report ing on recent f ait h t radit ions in t he Unit ed St at es.
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Nat ional Hum anit ies Cent er
ht t p://w w w.nhc.rt p.nc.us/t serve/t serve.ht m
The Nat ional Humanit ies Cent er TeacherServ w eb sit e is designed t o provide pract ical planning helps f or t eaching t opics in t he liberal art s. Inst ruct ional guides and resource mat erials are provided t o assist t eachers w it h secondary-school humanit ies t opics, part icularly as relat ed t o t eaching about religion. The current guide, Divining America, is an invaluable resource f or t eachers at t empt ing t o achieve a deeper underst anding of religion’s place in American hist ory.
Educat ion f or Freedom
ht t p://w w w.f reedomf orum.org/t emplat es/document .asp?document ID=13588
Educat ion f or Freedom is off ered by The Freedom Forum’s First Amendment Cent er. These
lessons (beginning and advanced levels) address const it ut ional principles and cont emporary issues involving t he First Amendment . They w ill draw young people int o an explorat ion of how t heir f reedoms began and how t hey operat e in t oday's w orld. St udent s w ill discuss just how f ar
individual right s ext end, examining right s in t he school environment and public places. The lessons may be used in hist ory and government , language art s and journalism, art and debat e classes. They may be used in sect ions or in
Religion in t he Public School Curriculum
