Religion and American Education

Warren Nord's thoughtful book tackles an issue of great importance in contemporary America: the role of religion in our public schools and universities. According to Nord public opinion has been excessively polarized by those religious conservatives who would restore religious purposes and practices to public education and by those secular liberals for whom religion is irrelevant to everything in the curriculum. While he maintains that public schools and universities must not promote religion he also argues that there are powerful philosophical political moral and constitutional reasons for requiring students to study religion. Indeed only if religion is included in the curriculum will students receive a truly liberal education one that takes seriously a variety of ways of understanding the human experience. Intended for a broad audience Nord's comprehensive study encompasses American history constitutional law educational theory and practice theology philosophy and ethics. It also discusses a number of current controversial issues including multiculturalism moral education creationism academic freedom and the voucher and school choice movements.