Religion, Teaching About in Schools

The First Amendment

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that the government—which includes public schools—“shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Of these two clauses, the first, known as the Establishment Clause, has been interpreted to prohibit government advocacy of one religion over another or of religion over irreligion. The Establishment Clause was held in two major Supreme Court decisions, Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), to prohibit schools from requiring devotional prayer and mandatory Bible reading. However, in Schempp, the [Page 1797]U.S. Supreme Court also declared that study about religions in the nation's public schools is both legal and desirable. Justice Tom Clark, writing for the majority, expressed the legality and importance of the study of comparative religions when presented objectively. In other words, the study of religion and scripture is not prohibited. Schools and teachers are forbidden only from crossing the line between academic presentation and religious advocacy—between “teaching” and “preaching.” Schools may promote awareness of religion and expose children to the diversity of religious worldviews, but may not encourage students to accept religion, or endorse or denigrate any particular religion or belief. Within the scope of permissible academic study, schools may acknowledge the role of various religions in shaping world and U.S. history and religion's influence in society today.

Teacher Identity, Self-Awareness, and Education

Teachers and students do not leave their personal beliefs at home; they enter the classroom with religious perspectives and assumptions that influence how they interact with their peers and interpret curriculum content. Teachers' own childhood and adolescent experiences are very powerful in shaping the teachers' pedagogies. To engage effectively with their students, teachers should be aware of their own values and where they come from as well as the biases teachers consciously or unconsciously may have toward religions other than their own. Self-reflection and dialogue about religion and education can help prepare educators to teach about religion in their classrooms in an effective matter.

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