Studying Religion in the Classroom

Studying Religion in the Classroom
Rachel Shaw
10/14/09
EDGE 6101


Both the historical and current violent strife over religious disputes necessitate a change in the ways in which religion is discussed in classrooms. Not only must productive talk about different religions take place, but it must cover all religions in an equitable way. For this type of discourse to make an impact, it must occur in several different settings. Teachers must find a way to incorporate the study of religion into their secular and parochial classrooms. Educators must not only work toward respect in classrooms, but they should also strive to reach students’ families through inviting them to the school to share religious cultures and traditions. What is perhaps most imperative, however, is that public and parochial school teachers must reach out to religious leaders to ensure that this new philosophy of teaching religion is taking hold at home and at houses of worship. Without this final step, it is unlikely that any significant change will take hold.
While public and parochial schools each encounter their own struggles when attempting to teach religion from a multicultural standpoint, all schools must work towards exposing students to all religions. Public school teachers must find ways to teach about different religions in a secular manner. Since religion is so important to many people, there are some important guidelines to follow when teaching about religions. The school should study the beliefs of all people, but should not teach a student what to believe. The school should instruct students on religions but not indoctrinate them. The school should strive for student awareness of different religions, but not press them to accept any religion (Gollnick & Chinn, p.280 - 281). When religions are taught not as a belief system to be inherited but as a tradition to be studied, they no longer conflict with the separation of church and state. We know from numerous college courses that religion can be taught from an objective standpoint.
In parochial schools, the situation is different. Obviously, one component of a religious school is to teach a particular belief as one to be followed and observed. However, this does not mean that other religions cannot and should not be studied, from the elementary level up. It is my experience that when one religion is taught to the exclusion of all others, troubling misconceptions can arise. In the school where I teach, a Jewish day school, I heard some of my second graders talking about how all Christians were bad people. This was extremely troubling to me since it was obvious that due to the lack of information provided by our school, the students had been left to form their own ideas. Oftentimes, children and adults cannot fully understand another person’s views unless they have walked in their shoes. Attempting to see the world through someone else’s eyes is an acquired skill, not something we should be able to pick up on our own (Lewison, Leland, & Harste, p.99).
For an idea to really take hold in a student’s mind, it is essential for that idea to also have a place in the students’ home. If a teacher espouses one idea and the parents reject that idea, the student is much more likely to be confused and conflicted instead of excited about a new perspective or piece of knowledge. Teachers should of course involve parents as much as possible in the learning process. At the beginning of the year, the teacher should make it clear to the parents that the classroom will take a multicultural approach to religion, discussing the facts and beliefs of various faiths without favoring any. Educators might open the discourse by asking families about their religious traditions and beliefs. Understanding the importance of religion to students and their families is an advantage in developing effective teaching strategies for individual students (Gollnick & Chinn, 2009). When explaining a multicultural curriculum, teachers should emphasize the benefit that such a curriculum has for the children – such as, when we study your religion, the other children will know more about the important beliefs in your life.
Involving religious leaders in a multicultural approach to religion would certainly help families to believe that you have the students’ interests in mind when teaching about a wide variety of religious views. Churches and other faith-based organizations have historically served as the nucleus of urban entrepreneurial ventures, political and social activism, and educational reform (Kluth, Straut, & Birken, p.60). Many churches, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship have partnerships across religious lines. If these institutions can work with one another, surely we can use their help to teach about different religions in the classroom. Who better to inform educators about the similarities and differences between religions than the religious leaders themselves? You could weave in these members of the community during various social studies units on community and social action. During a study of careers, you could have rabbis and priests come and talk to students about what they do, alongside doctors, electricians, and accountants. There are many ways to involve clergy in your classroom that subtly encourage students to broaden their understanding of previously unknown faiths.
Such a study would have distinct benefits for the individual, community, and the world. By learning in depth about other religions, individual students would confront their own prejudices and stereotypes and have a greater understanding of the importance of religion across cultures. Students would bring this knowledge out into their communities, encouraging different religious institutions to work together on both religious and secular projects. Over time, by forming bonds based on mutual understanding and respect for differences, religious groups across the globe would increasingly work together to create a more peaceful, cooperative society.
Gollnick, D., & C., P. (2008). Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Kluth, P., M., D., & Biklen, D. (2003). Access to Academics for All Students. Hillsdale: L. Erlbaum Associates.

Lewison, M., Leland, C., & Harste, J. (2008). Creating Critical Classrooms. Hillsdale: L. Erlbaum Associates.