Teaching about Religion in the Public School Classroom
Teacher Tip Sheet
Why Teach about Religion?
Religion is embedded in our lives. Whether or not you practice religion personally, it has a
daily impact on the lives of our students, communities, and the larger world. Religion must be
a feature of your curriculum in order for students to truly understand the past and our
modern world. Religious illiteracy leads to inaccurate views on religions that fuel intolerance
and prejudice that are manifested in violence and inequality. You can teach about religion and
this sheet is designed to help you feel comfortable in doing so.
Historical Background: The most commonly associated phrase with teaching religion in the
classroom is the phrase, “wall of separation between Church and State.” Although commonly
thought to be a part of the Constitution or the first amendment, Thomas Jefferson uttered
this phrase at the Danbury Baptist Church in Connecticut in 1801. The establishment clause
of the first amendment reads, “Congress shall not make a law respecting the establishment of
religion.” The establishment clause actually allowed states to continue to make religious laws.
Jefferson’s statement was a reflection of his belief that there should be more religious liberty
within the nation and to urge states to repeal their religious laws even though under the
Constitution, there was no wall of separation between state law and religion. This desire to
separate pubic life from private life is actually a Protestant belief. Over the next 200 years, the
Supreme Court would intepret this phrase to make decisions on issues of religion especially as
they relate to public school classrooms.
Case Law:
The Supreme Court has made many rulings about the state and religion. Many of these cases relates to schools. The
rulings have established the importance of distinguishing between devotional and nonsectarian teaching in your
classroom. Devotional teaching in public schools is unconstitutional because it violates the neutrality of the
government in matters of religion. In the case of Engle v. Vitale (1962), the Supreme Court ruled that schools could not
encourage prayer even if students could opt in or out of the prayer. In Abington School District v Schempp (1963), the
Supreme Court ruled that school-sponsored Bible reading in public schools was unconstitutional. Justice Clark, a
member of the court for both these decisions expressed, “The government is neutral, and, while protecting all, it prefers
none, and it disparages none.” Devotional teaching encourages certain faiths over others and therefore is
unconstitutional. In your classroom, be sure that you are engaged in nonsectarian teaching rather than devotional
teaching.
Another case, Lemon v Kurtzman (1971), set up a standard to determine if an action violates the establishment clause.
The “Lemon Test” holds that a law does not violate the establishment clause if it:
1. Has a non-religious purpose
2. It’s principal effect neither aids or inhibits a religion
3. The government and religion are not overly mixed
The ruling in Lynch v Donnelly (1984) added the “endorsement test” which states that the government cannot appear to
endorse one religion over another. In Lee v Weisman (1992), another ruling created the “coercion test” in which a law
cannot coerce people to support or participate in a religion against their will or provide aid in a way that would tend to
establish a state church. These cases helped to establish the difference between devotional approaches to religion
versus nonsectarian approaches.
Thus, there are ways to teach about religion that are supported by law. Consider this historical background
and case law as you craft your classroom climate and lessons about religion.
Tips for Teachers
Before you teach:
 Understand the case law and the historical background of the establishment clause
 Understand and reflect on your reasons for your approach to teaching about religion.
 Understand the difference between the historical teaching of religion versus devotional study of religion
 Understand the diversity of religions both across beliefs systems and within a belief system
 Understand that religions are dynamic and change over time
During Class:
 Create class expectations and a classroom climate that emphasize interpretation, complexity and
awareness.
 Establish the difference between the historical and devotional study of religion.
 Avoid binary approaches that aim for objectivity or complete relativism (acknowledge the gray areas,
avoid trying to present the black and white)
 Qualify your statements about religion (e.g. “most’, “many,” “some”, “generalization”)
 Represent religions as diverse by using multiple stories and not relying on single sources
 Be explicit with your intentions and actions
Reflect on:
 The resources you use when you teach about religion.
o Are you learning to heavily on texts that promote only one view of a particular religion or focus on
only one religion?
o Are your resources emphasizing devotion rather than historical study or awareness of a religion?
 Find resources that represent the diversity of views and context
 The course expectations you use.
o Do you set up a climate that encourages awareness and tolerance?
 We live in a pluralistic society and our government must be tolerant of all the diverse people
in our nation. Aim for creating awareness and tolerance rather than forcing acceptance.
 The context you use when you teach about religion.
o Are you teaching only about the beliefs? Do you teach a single version of a religious tradition?
 The context of a religion establishes the study of religion rather than the practice of and
reinforces the diversity and dynamic nature of religion.
 The guest speakers or field trips you have.
o Do you rely on a religious leader or field trip to teach about a religion?
 By only focusing on one “expert” or experience, you present a singular view of religion when
you should be emphasizing diversity. Students will interpret the guest speaker as the “right”
answer rather than as one answer.
Uh-oh!
The main way to prevent problems is to set up a classroom climate and curriculum that follows the guidelines
above. Foreseeing potential problems is the best way to avoid controversy in the classroom. When you do
have problems:
 Reflect back on your justifications for your approach and share that information with your students,
parents and administrators
 Refer back to your guidelines during tense moments in your classroom or with students
Resources:
“Guidelines for Teaching About Religion in K-12 Public Schools in the United States”, April 2010, The American Academy of
Religion in the Schools Task Force, Diane L. Moore, Chair. (found easily online)
Overcoming Religious Illiteracy: A Cultural Studies Approach to the Study of Religion in Secondary Education, Diane L. Moore,
Palgrave McMillan, 2007.