Taking Religion Seriously Across the Curriculum

In Taking Religion Seriously Across the Curriculum Warren A. Nord and Charles C. Haynes chart a middle course in our culture wars over religion and public education--one that builds on a developing national consensus among educational and religious leaders. While it is not proper for schools to practice religion or proselytize it is not permissible to make them into religion-free zones either; schools must take religion seriously. Unfortunately religion is taken far from seriously in the K-12 curriculum as the authors review of textbooks and the new national content standards makes clear.In Part One Nord and Haynes explain why schools should take religion seriously and they outline the civic constitutional and educational frameworks that should shape the treatment of religion in the curriculum and classroom. In Part Two they explore the major issues relating to religion in different domains of the curriculum--in elementary education and in middle and high school courses in history civics economics literature and the sciences. They also discuss Bible courses and world religions courses and they explore the relationship of religion to moral education and sex education. The result is a book that is unique in the scope of its consideration of the relevance of religion across the curriculum.Anyone interested in the future of public education will find much that is worth considering in this timely thoughtful and provocative volume.