Toward a More Perfect Union

Abstract

The public schools in the United States fail to deliver a curriculum that adequately addresses religion in general and the many world religions in particular. This lacuna does not represent the constitutionally required neutrality of schools toward religion(s) and non-religion, but instead indicates the existence of what the author terms the hostility of neglect. When the curriculum privileges non-religious epistemologies, ideologies, and worldviews, such as secularism and scientism, often to the exclusion of religious ways of knowing and making meaning, then the schools violate the First Amendment of the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court. In this dissertation, the dominant myths of America’s founding are examined historically in an effort to provide a thick description and critical analysis of the reigning meta-narratives that influence the debate concerning religion in American public schools (chapter 1). Then, turning to the particular, some current models of inclusion or exclusion of religion(s) in/from the curriculum are identified and examined, with a brief proposal for a new way forward called the Meaningful Inclusion Approach (chapter 2). To demonstrate the constitutionality of this new proposal, a careful study of the Constitution and its interpretation by the Supreme Court is presented, highlighting especially the demand for neutrality and the Court’s positive opinion concerning teaching about religion(s) in public schools as part of a secular program of education that is considered complete (chapter 3). The constitutional question is followed by a critique of the reigning educational paradigm, which is unduly subservient to the market economy, too narrowly focused on STEM technical knowledge, and hyper-individualistic. In an exploration of alternative educational philosophies, warrant is found for not only teaching about religion(s) but also learning from religion(s), thus taking seriously the demands of neutrality and the promise of a holistic, liberal education (chapter 4). The author then proposes resituating the educational project in terms of the common good. A basic framework is proposed for education that is rooted in a healthy understanding of the human person in society, and which calls for a problem-posing approach to education that values cooperation, building bridges through dialogue to encourage the virtue and commitment of solidarity, and openness to both religious and non-religious contributions to human knowledge and wisdom (chapter 5). Finally, a consideration of the unique circumstances of our post-secular age and the urgency of the need for religious literacy in a globalized world is presented as a major rationale for changing the curricula of our public schools without delay. The dissertation concludes with a proposal for the Meaningful Inclusion Approach (MIA) to learning about, from, and with religion(s) in age-appropriate ways from kindergarten through grade 12 (chapter 6).