10 reasons why religious education is important essay

• Our Mission

7 Reasons Why Religion Must Be Taught in School

1. We shouldn’t refrain from doing anything out fear of retribution.

My colleagues and I were working on an interdisciplinary unit that included a giant timeline that traced certain historical themes within each region of the world along side of one another, including politics, economics, art and literature, science and invention, and social history.  As we were brainstorming what themes to use, I said, “Oh, yeah, don’t forget religion.”  Now, I had grown to love and respect these colleagues over a long period of time, and we could pretty much say anything in our meetings and know that we wouldn’t be judged, but when I suggested that groups of students would research and plot the development of the major religions of the world, you’d have thought I’d suggested we convert the 8th grade class to Islam.

The awkward silence ended with everyone reassuring me that religion would be covered within the other themes. Finally, they conceded we could have a religion theme but we would not call it religion.  We could call it “culture.” What I took away from the discussion was not that my colleagues were against teaching religion. They were against the idea of us being accused of teaching religion. It was an reflexive reaction to a very real fear that we were entering territory that gets teachers in big trouble. We are so hardwired to avoid what might upset even one or two parents or correspondingly raise the eyebrows of our principal. I know I am guilty of the same. I might navigate a little closer to the boundaries (or a lot closer, to my detriment), but I have refrained from “doing the right thing” many times to avoid the political aftermath of the decision.

The implications of the way we, as teachers, censor ourselves are far-reaching and frightening. We have got to find a way to put those fears on the shelf when we reflect and make decisions about all aspects of our practice, including curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, classroom culture, discipline--at least long enough to think about our practice on its own merits of appropriateness, importance, and relevance. We know that religion a perfectly legitimate and important subject to study, but we avoid it out of fear of retribution. That means we are depriving our youth of important knowledge they are entitled to receive. And we are allowing extremists and the under-informed to dictate what we do and do not teach, without even making them lift a finger, before there is even a issue to resolve. If we are supposed to be teaching our youth to be active citizens in their society, we need to model those behaviors more often.

2. We heard somewhere that teaching about religions was a violation of church and state, but it  is not.

I don’t know how this “rumor” got started, but once misinformation is out there, it’s very difficult to undo it. It reminds me of when I taught about the most recent Iraq War. To this day, students who were old enough to remember the Iraq War believe that we went to war because Sadam Hussein was behind 9/11. After readings, discussions, debates, essays, even numerous pop quizzes with just that very question on the quiz, some kids were still resistant to stating that Saddam Hussein was not directly behind 9/11. Once we get an erroneous idea in our head, it’s very hard to get it out. You would hope we would be better at it than 12 year olds, but that is not always the case.

The Supreme Court has been very clear about studying religion in school. It’s allowed. What we can’t do is give one religion special attention over the other or promote a particular religious text as a singular truth. Religion can be included in our curriculum in a myriad of ways. We can study it as history, as literature, as art and architecture, as part of the study of a contemporary society or culture (including our own), or as it influences or is influenced by a current political or social issue. We can even teach entire electives, called Religious Studies. The Constitution and the Supreme Court give us very clear license to allow students of all ages to become students of the religions of the world.

3. We shouldn’t shy away from curriculum that could get a little dicey where we have to navigate in volatile waters.

Just because studying religion is perfectly legal doesn’t mean teaching it may not get a little challenging, at times. The same can be true of other important subjects, such as politics, sex education, racism, bullying, and conflict resolution. I’ve found most of the challenges don’t come from legal boundaries at all, but more from the stigma attached to discussing religion in the classroom.  Most students think we’re not supposed to talk about religion, so they may react emotionally and impulsively if we don’t prepare them. Having a discussion before hand about what separation of church and state means, and what limitations do exist and what limitations do not exist, could eliminate unnecessary fires and reactions when we start discussing the actual subject matter.

I use the word, discussion, a lot because whole group and small group discussions, talking circles, or Socratic seminars, is powerful pedagogy that shouldn’t be avoided when we hit sensitive subject matter. Having said that, it is essential that students have already practiced important dialogue guidelines that have been clearly established prior to the exploration of religion. Having said that, all the preparation in the world won’t prevent some kids from going straight for the gusto, the topics sure to trigger a response from their peers. For example, some will be anxious to talk about their own religious beliefs at the first opportunity. Some will find a way to bring up the very issues we “pray” won’t come up- creationism, abortion, who doesn’t get to go to heaven, etc. I usually allow these attempts at shock and awe to play out as long as they stick to the rules of respectful conversations, which include staying on topic, using I statements, among others. By allowing the discussion, it usually demystifies the idea of talking about such taboo topics. Then we can get on with it, and the process becomes more fluid and on point. The key is to be underwhelmed by the topics they bring up, and strictly adhere to the rules of respectful discourse, which would have already been practiced with other units and topics.

There are lots of other mine fields we could walk into. There is always the awkward potential for Sally to go home and tell her parents she much prefers the tenets of eastern Buddhism, thanks to her ____ class,  to her Methodist upbringing and she’d like to make a temple in the back yard and refrain from going to church from now on. That never happened to me, by the way, but it could, and it’ll be totally awkward, but that’s okay, because of reasons #4, #5, and #6.  The importance of the subject matter transcends having to live with a little uncertainty and unpredictability.

4. The subject matter is very important if we are going to understand other people and other societies.

Just like any subject we teach at school, studying religion shouldn’t be the study of a series of isolated facts, but sometimes some very basic knowledge offers perspective and opens up a whole new world that they hitherto didn’t have a chance to know about. Most students, no matter what the age, predict that the majority of the world is Christian. It’s very interesting to them and exciting to uncover a more realistic perspective about the world. And then the questions just start flowing. They want to know who was Buddha, who was Abraham, are Catholics Christians? and so on..

Comparing and contrasting religions offers enormous opportunities to not only see fundamental differences but also similarities, which students can analyze and draw conclusions about. I remember the kids especially enjoying choosing between ways of knowing between an indigenous and non-indigenous world view, or eastern and western religious world views, then we uncover which views belonged to which group. We unpack what it all might mean for us in understanding other groups, our own culture, and our own values. They also like studying the similarities of the religions within the Western and Eastern religions. They read quotes from various sacred texts and try to make conjectures on whether they are Eastern, Western, or Indigenous then they try to guess which religion they most sound like. They also really liked a lesson that I retrieved from Teaching Tolerance showing the Golden Rule of Christianity also being the Golden Rule in every major religion.  We read the original text and the translation and discuss the implications of these similarities.

Finding correlations, connections, relationships, and causation in relation to religion is an essential component in understanding much of what has occurred in history, politically, scientifically, artistically, in literature, personal relationships and economics. When studying a culture, historical or contemporary, we can’t begin to understand a group of people without knowing their beliefs. And a group’s fundamental beliefs about matters of ultimate concern are connected to all other beliefs and behaviors within the culture. We can’t look at politics, economics, art, social relationships, science, our environment, or religion, without looking at how they interact with each other. An indigenous spiritual world view might impact our treatment of the environment and our economic system. It might affect what one eats, how much one produces, who gets what, and so on. This, in turn, will impact how much time we spend with our families, how we treat Elders, and other social relationships.

5. The subject matter is very important if we are going to understand ourselves.

Students can see the long term effects of ideas and beliefs that permeate cultures today that arose from religions and world views of the past. If those ripple effects happen to be part of American history, we are really learning about layers of ourselves and assumptions about the world that we can now “unpack”, evaluate, then either embrace, reject, amend, or leave them to percolate as we continue our quest for self-identity, our beliefs, and our role in society. Students are fascinated to learn of the Puritan work ethic, pre-destination, and the “city upon a hill” mentality that has rippled into our economic and political systems today. They also learn the rich history of the Quakers and their firm and early stance against slavery, the subjugation of women, and the suffering of the poor. The Quakers, too, are part of our identity that they rarely have a chance to learn about.

6. The subject matter is very important if we want to eliminate prejudice, intolerance and hate.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, creepy ideas aren’t just for extremists. Better words for creepy might be intolerant or dangerous, but when I hear some of the flawed belief systems that kids will share if they are allowed to express how they really feel, and when I know these kids to be otherwise kind and loving people, the word that comes to mind is creepy.  It’s one thing to here these statements come out of the mouths of a Ku Klux Klan member, but it’s quite another to come out, in chorus, from the majority of any given classroom of beautiful children. The incredibly good news is that a real education allows students to explore these prejudices and come out the other side completely transformed, but we have to have the courage to dive in and take on these powerful and difficult issues.

The only thing as poignant and powerful as watching someone discover their way out of a previously held prejudice is to watch someone who has been discriminated against and oppressed become aware of their predicament. We must provide a forum for to study all kinds of prejudice, including religious persecution. We must speak of the origins and effects of these prejudices. If we don’t kids automatically assume there is something wrong with them and there is something wrong with their family and their community, without ever verbalizing it. They assume this is the way of things, so they have a good chance of continuing the deeply entrenched destructive cycle of prejudice. But when those kids start to become aware of the direct causes that created the problems they are experiencing in their lives and communities, their consciousness emerges into an empowered individual who is no longer chained to the patterns they see around them. Naming oppression is the first step to liberation, and we as educators, have an absolute obligation to provide that space in the curriculum for our students; otherwise, we are being not only irresponsible, but we are promoting institutional racism and prejudice, much of which has its origins in religious persecution.

7. Kids can deal with it.

Often when I promote the idea of dealing with complex sensitive issues with kids, a common reaction is that kids are too immature to deal with all that. That may be fine for college students, but not high school, certainly not middle school or elementary. I believe we don’t give kids near enough credit. The earlier kids start learning about the world realistically in an educational setting, the more mature and reflective they become as adults. We can’t expect to shield them from thinking, and then expect them to start when they turn 18. Moreover, we are fooling ourselves if we think our kids are sheltered from important issues of any kind. They see, live with, see others live with, and wonder about far more than we can imagine--not to mention what is experienced via television, internet, and music. If we don’t provide a safe environment to learn to make sense of the world, we end up with kids who don’t have the tools to cope, who suppress and ignore or react, or who follow their parents lead, never quite knowing how to process and develop their own views. There are wonderful units and lessons out there already and yet to be created for kindergarteners through 12th graders that appropriately integrate and embrace the study of religion in a way that nurtures curiosity, inquiry, and growth.

Making religion an integral part of the fabric of our curriculum may not be easy, but it is certainly legal and well worth the effort if we want to help our kids become independent tolerant critical thinkers who seek to understand and improve themselves and the world in which we live.

This piece was originally submitted to our community forums by a reader. Due to audience interest, we’ve preserved it. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own.

• Latest Latest
• The West The West
• Sports Sports
• Opinion Opinion
• Magazine Magazine

10 reasons religious education belongs in school

By Herb Scribner

Does religious education have a place in American schools?

That’s something that writer Julie Szego asked recently in her piece for The Age . Szego noted that religion — specifically learning about religion, rather than actually practicing faith — is quite vital for understanding the world’s history and fully grasping multiple cultures.

There are many benefits to learning about religion. And schools in the United States — which have been mediocre in recent years, a 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment study found — may also reap rewards for instructing about faith.

Here are 10 reasons why religion may have a place in the American educational system:

It improves brain development.

A recent study found that religious children are more likely to believe fictional tales and have a tougher time separating fantasy from reality. But that’s not all that bad. Believing in fiction and having a creative mind can be beneficial in brain development. Psychology Today, for example, found that pretend play is good for children .

It keeps kids out of trouble.

For schools worried about disciplining children in the classroom, religion can help with that. Books have been written about how religion can help families cut back the “juvenile delinquency” within families, Forbes reported .

Religious schools do better than public or charter schools.

Though teaching religious classes doesn’t exactly make a school a religious one, it’s still important to note that religious schools tend to do better than public or charter schools. A 2013 study published in the Peabody Journal of Education found that religious schools do better for a number of reasons, like pushing their students to take more rigorous classes and that the general environment and positive morale encourage better learning.

It helps kids develop psychologically.

One expert said learning about religion is extremely important from a psychological standpoint for young kids. Dr. Erika J. Chopich wrote that kids need to believe in something greater to fully push themselves to excel.

It would help Americans read more.

Polls have shown that Americans aren’t really reading . In fact, 28 percent of Americans said they read a book in 2013, according to The Huffington Post. But religious classes require an extensive amount of reading . Scriptures, biblical text and other forms of spiritual reading are constantly seen in those classes, and it may push Americans to do a little more reading.

It helps students learn a bit more about themselves.

A 2013 study by the IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science found that religious classes have a significant amount of benefits, including that they help kids learn more internally about themselves and how they feel about God and religion. This helps them move past those questions and identity crises, the study found, to focus on other issues.

Religious majors are more likely to be employed.

A business degree may sound like a good idea, but a religious studies major might be even better. A recent survey found that there are less unemployed religious studies majors (2.5 percent) than there are business majors (7.5 percent).

It can help further your education.

In college, majoring in religious studies can push you to get even more degrees, according to Louisiana State University . Many religious studies majors will go on to doctorate programs. Others will use the skills gained in religious classes — like critical thinking and analyzing texts — as a foot in the door to other areas of learning .

It can help American businesses.

American companies are experiencing a new trend. The happier employees are, the better the business does , The Atlantic reported. And, as The Washington Post reported earlier this year , religious belief and understanding makes people happier.

It can knock down depression.

It’s no secret that teenagers often struggle with depression — and sometimes it’s not even noticeable. But religion can knock that down, sociology expert Rodney Stark noted in his book “America’s Blessings.” In an interview with Deseret News, Stark said that religion — and those with strong conservative and religious beliefs — are less likely to be depressed.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @herbscribner

Four Reasons Why You Should Teach About Religion in School

• Share article

Understanding and weighing perspectives—from different people, cultures, and schools of thought—are important global competence skills that all student should develop. I’m happy to have Mark Fowler and Marisa Fasciano guest blog today to help us understand why and how to teach about religion in schools.

For a variety of reasons, many educators are understandably reluctant to raise the topic of religion in the classroom. They may worry about offending a student, misrepresenting a tradition, or favoring one belief system over another. If you’re unsure of the legal guidelines pertaining to religion in public schools, you might take the separation of church and state to its literal extreme and steer clear of the topic altogether.

Addressing and overcoming this reluctance is essential to the creation of respectful learning environments that adequately prepare students for an increasingly diverse and connected world. Not only is it perfectly legal to teach about religion in unbiased and academically sound ways, but educators have a responsibility to do so. Here are four reasons why:

1. Religiously motivated hate crimes are on the rise.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Hate Crime Victimization report, the percentage of hate crimes that were motivated by religious bias was nearly three times higher in 2012 (28%) than in 2004 (10%). Many violent hate crime perpetrators are school-age: in 2012, nearly one in five were under the age of 18. By encouraging students to understand and respect people of different religious beliefs, educators are combatting these disturbing statistics and contributing to a more peaceful world.

2. Our student body is more diverse.

In 1970, a little fewer than 5 percent of the U.S. population was foreign born. The majority of them were Christian Europeans whose cultural and religious practices blended into the mainstream. By 2010, our foreign-born population has nearly tripled , and the proportion from Latin America (54%) and Asia (28%) greatly surpassed the proportion from Europe (13%).

To ensure that students of less familiar cultures and religious traditions feel included and safe in their learning communities, teachers need to provide opportunities for all students to share unique aspects of their identities. As their classmates become more educated about these differences, the likelihood of exclusivity and bullying diminishes.

3. Religious literacy is key to a well-rounded education.

If students are to function as globally competent citizens, they need to understand religion’s profound impact on history, politics, society, and culture. They should know basic religious facts and principles and recognize the diversity that exists within each belief system across time and place. Familiarity with central religious texts is also important, and it’s legal to study these texts in public schools, as long as the purpose is educational and not personal or devotional. For example, the Bible can be studied as a piece of literature that has influenced many classic works.

4. Students have a First Amendment right to religious expression in school.

The U.S. Constitution contains two clauses, known as the religion clauses, which inform the relationship between religion and public schools.

The Establishment Clause: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,...”

The Free Exercise Clause: "...or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

As government employees, public school teachers and administrators are subject to the Establishment Clause and thus required to be neutral about religion while carrying out their duties. The Establishment Clause prevents public school staff from

• mandating or organizing prayer;
• praying in the presence of students;
• indoctrinating students in a particular religious belief;
• religiously observing holidays;
• erecting religious symbols on school property;
• distributing religious literature for persuasive purposes; or
• displaying a preference for religion over non-religion, or vice versa.

The Free Exercise Clause, on the other hand, affirms that certain religious activity in public schools is protected. As long as students do not coerce or otherwise infringe on the rights and learning of their schoolmates, they can

• engage in private prayer during the school day;
• express their religious beliefs in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments that meet educational goals; and
• obtain excusals from specific classroom discussions or activities for religious reasons.

Even though these guidelines may seem clear in the abstract, applying them to real-life situations often leaves room for interpretation and comes down to a judgment call. Educators can find it challenging to balance the requirements of the Establishment Clause, and the desire to protect students’ from unwelcome religious persuasion, with the right to free expression. To better prepare for this challenge, educators need to create conditions in their schools that allow for regular and sensitive communication about religious differences. That way, if religious tensions arise, they can be resolved more skillfully and effectively.

Dr. James Banks, a renowned expert in social studies and multicultural education, states “The world’s greatest problems do not result from people being unable to read and write. They result from people in the world-from different cultures, races, religions, and nations-being unable to get along and to work together to solve the world’s intractable problems.” By replacing anxiety about religion with a thoughtful strategy for promoting students’ religious literacy, educators are taking a step towards a better world.

The opinions expressed in Global Learning are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Sign Up for EdWeek Update

Why Education in Public Schools Should Include Religious Ideals

• Open access
• Published: 29 October 2008
• Volume 28 , pages 295–311, ( 2009 )

Cite this article

You have full access to this open access article

• Doret J. de Ruyter 1 &
• Michael S. Merry 2  

10k Accesses

18 Citations

Explore all metrics

This article aims to open a new line of debate about religion in public schools by focusing on religious ideals. The article begins with an elucidation of the concept ‘religious ideals’ and an explanation of the notion of reasonable pluralism, in order to be able to explore the dangers and positive contributions of religious ideals and their pursuit on a liberal democratic society. We draw our examples of religious ideals from Christianity and Islam, because these religions have most adherents in Western liberal democracies that are the focus of this article. The fifth and most important section “Reasonable pluralism and the inclusion of religious ideals in public secondary schools” provides three arguments for our claim that public schools should include religious ideals, namely that they are important to religious people, that they are conducive for the development of pupils into citizens of a liberal democracy, and that the flourishing of pupils as adults is advanced by encountering religious ideals. We also offer a more practical reason: religious ideals can more easily be included within public education than religious dogmas and rules.

Similar content being viewed by others

Reconstructing the social responsibilities of African universities towards citizenship education: perspectives from the ujamaa philosophy of Julius Nyerere

The unfulfillable promise of meritocracy: three lessons and their implications for justice in education, covid-19 pandemic and the prospects of education in south africa.

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

Public or state schools in some Western liberal democratic societies are notoriously silent on the subject of religion. Operating on a certain reading of the constitutional separation of church and state, schools are expected to be ‘neutral’ Footnote 1 concerning conceptions of the good life. Hence, the argument runs, the best way of guaranteeing that the state does not influence its young citizens towards a particular religious view of things is to have no religion in public schools at all. Although this line of argument is logically consistent, we will defend the opposite position: religion should be an aspect of the education of pupils in public schools. The arguments for this claim do not involve the suggestion that schools should include religions uncritically or that every aspect of every religion prevalent in society should be covered in its curriculum. Neither will we defend the view that schools should aim to strengthen religious adherence amongst their pupils. Our claim is that there is at least one aspect of religions that public schools should address, namely the ideals that are fostered within religious traditions and which believers adhere to and pursue. We will show that if public schools offer pupils the opportunity to learn from a diversity of religious ideals they contribute to one of the important aims of education in liberal democracies, i.e. that pupils become reasonable citizens, Footnote 2 and that they are able to do so without advocating a particular conception of the good life.

Yet we knowingly enter a crowded field of inquiry, for there is a long-standing discussion about religion in schools, separate schools, state-funding of separate schools in both Europe Footnote 3 and North America. Footnote 4 Contributors to the debates come from different academic backgrounds—philosophy of education, practical theology or political philosophy—and address different topics. Some have questioned whether religious education simpliciter or religious schools can be justified (see McLaughlin 1984 , 1985 ; Callan 1985 ; Dwyer 1998 ; De Ruyter and Miedema 2000 ; Hand 2004 ). Others have addressed the question of whether or not religious education and civic education are compatible (see Gutmann 1995 ; Macedo 1995 ), and, if they are, what sort of virtues religious schools promote (see Callan 1997 ; Spinner-Halev 2000 ; Gardner et al. 2002 ; Feinberg 2006 ; Merry 2007 ). Still other debates include the distinctiveness of separate schools (see Bryk et al. 1993 ; McLaughlin 1996 ; Conroy 1999 ) and whether or not religious views ought to be given ‘equal time’ in the classroom, etc. (see Nord 1995 ; Pennock 2007 ). We will set these and many other debates aside in order to concentrate on religious ideals in public schools.

We have several reasons for defending our focus on religious ideals. First, for persons of faith, religious ideals are one of the most important sources of meaning and therefore constitute an important part of their identity that schools in multicultural societies are called upon to recognize (see Salili and Hoosain 2006 ). Second, as we will argue, being a citizen in a liberal democratic society requires particular dispositions as well as knowledge and understanding. Children are more likely to develop into reasonable liberal democratic citizens when they possess an understanding of the ideals that motivate the actions of other citizens. In other words, we believe it is less important that children know about the practices and central dogmas of the main religions in their society, than that they understand the ultimate motivations of other people, i.e. the ideals to which fellow citizens aspire. Third, we will argue that the possibility that children will flourish as adults is advanced by offering them a variety of ideals to examine and consider (see also Levinson and Levinson 2007 ; De Ruyter 2007 ). Religious ideals provide a valuable source of alternative views on what contributes to a flourishing life. Footnote 5

Finally, there is a practical reason, which may nevertheless be a convincing argument concerning why public schools should include religious ideals in their curriculum. It seems clear to us that religious ideals can more easily be included within public education than religious dogmas and rules. Ideals, as we will explain, are typically abstract in character and therefore are open to personal interpretations of those who subscribe to the ideal—although we will show that ideals may lose this character, too. The openness of ideals has two important advantages. First, it gives them the potential to function as bridges between persons and their community and those who have attachments to different communities. Second, while the value of ideals can be discussed (see for instance Noddings 1993 ) or their importance can be scrutinized, they do not lend themselves to an examination of the epistemological basis or truth claims of religious beliefs in public schools as some propose (see Rosenblith 2008 ; Rosenblith and Priestman 2004 ). In our view, such discussions certainly have their place, but a number of conceptual and logistical obstacles in schools stand in the way of this happening. Footnote 6 Therefore, our more modest claim is this: to become good citizens, pupils must understand what inspires and motivates other people. Moreover it is important that they are offered the opportunity to discover whether or not there is a possible value in religious ideals for them too – which, as we will explain, does not mean that they ought to become religious persons themselves.

We circumscribe our discussion in at least three ways. First, the relevant contexts in this article are Western liberal democracies. Our arguments will primarily pertain to North America because the place of religion in public schools is more openly contested there. While European religious piety (at least among Christians) has been in decline since the 1960s, a large percentage of the North American population, particularly in the United States, continues to be religiously devout. Consequently, appeals for including religious ideals in public schools have particular resonance. However, our arguments are not limited to North America; indeed, they also broadly pertain to the European context, because while religious education is widely on offer—indeed, outside of secular France, some religious instruction is mandated Footnote 7 by the state—its focus most of the time is decidedly Christian in character, thus excluding most non-Christian religious ideals. In fact, the virtual absence of non-Christian religious instruction in most non-religious schools in Europe has precipitated repeated calls for separate religious schools in order to address what parents claim are the spiritual needs of pupils. Thus our argument for the inclusion of religious ideals in public education implies the inclusion of Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, etc. ideals. Second, while the arguments we develop in this article apply to all schools, our focus is on public or state schools. Denominational schools can reasonably be expected to offer a variety of religious ideals too, but because their position with regard to religion(s) is profoundly different from public schools we will not pursue that line of defense here. Third, our arguments apply to high schools or secondary schools, because they assume particular cognitive capacities that children at primary school age do not normally possess.

Finally, it is necessary that we are selective in our examples of specific religions. In Western liberal democratic societies the two religions with the most adherents are Christianity and Islam. To be sure, Christianity has enjoyed an historically privileged position in Western society, and other important differences are salient (e.g., Muslims do not comprise a socioeconomic underclass in North America). However, in our age of so-called ‘global terror’, Muslims in both North America and Europe receive a lot of public attention. Particularly on continental Europe, the fear of so-called Islamization of society has led to a significant increase of—primarily negative—attention in the media and politics. Therefore, with regard to the position of religion in the public domain and public schools, our examples in this article are drawn from these religions and our arguments also are illustrated by reference to these two religions.

Before we can begin with addressing the central question, we will first elucidate the meaning of ‘religious ideals’. In the sections “Religious ideals in the public domain” and “Reasonable pluralism and religious ideals”, we will then address the more general question of whether or not religious ideals have a role to play in the public domain and how this role may be evaluated. In the section “Reasonable pluralism and the inclusion of religious ideals in public secondary schools” we will provide arguments for including religious ideals in the curriculum of public schools and we end with a concise conclusion.

Religious Ideals

Religious ideals can be defined as ideals that acquire meaning due to a belief in something transcendent or a divine being (De Ruyter 2006 ). This means that only ideals that are related to a religious conception of the good are called religious ideals and that they are exclusive to those who adhere to such a conception. Footnote 8 Thus, we reserve the term religious ideals for those with beliefs in something transcendent and only for those ideals that are related to their beliefs. This gives rise to two kinds of religious ideals. The first type may be called religious ideals in the strict sense and consists of ideals that are constituted by a belief in a transcendent being. These ideals are oriented towards the divine or are characteristic of one’s relation to the divine. Such ideals are only pursued by people who believe in something transcendent or a transcendent being; the ideals have no meaning beyond this faith. For instance, the ideal of a devout Christian may be to live up to the commandments of God. The second type of religious ideals refers to religious ideals in the broad sense. These ideals belong to other domains of life, i.e. the moral, social, economic, political or aesthetic domain, but these ideals get a specific religious meaning through the belief in a divine being. For instance, the aspiration of being a good Christian or a good Muslim is translated into ideals regarding the way in which society is best organized, the economy is ideally run, etc. The relationship between the religious and other domains is normally an iterative one, i.e. the way in which people conceptualize their ideals is based on a mutual influence. We do not wish to suggest that the religious domain is necessarily foundational for the other kinds of ideals, although for some groups, most particularly fundamentalist believers, this will be the case.

Religious ideals are a type of ideals and therefore we also have to describe the concept of ‘ideals’. We define ‘ideals’ as those values that people believe to be excellent or perfect, to which they attach high importance, and that have not been realized as yet (De Ruyter 2003 , 2007 ). Put differently, ideals are imaginations or visions of situations or personal characteristics that the person who has the ideal believes to be excellent or perfect and to which she attaches high value. The images tend to be open to diverse interpretations, for they refer to visions of traits of character and situations that are not precisely defined and therefore persons find it necessary to give their own interpretation to the ideal. We can illustrate this by examining a small section of the diversity of conceptions of religious ideals found in Christianity. Christians are called upon by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount to be as perfect as God is (Matthew 5: 48), which includes relating to one’s enemies with charitable love ( agape ) and forgiving the offending other as much as “seventy times seven.” However, the characteristics that are ascribed to God in the Bible are highly diverse, for instance that He is all-knowing, righteous, jealous, immutable, forgiving, vengeful and merciful. Similarly, what characterises heaven and the ways in which Christians pursue the situation they call heaven, may also be very different. Further, it is also clear that Christians have different and even conflicting views on what constitutes an ideal society or ideally run economy, for Christians can be found on the (far) left and (far) right of the political spectrum. And finally, Christ’s commandment to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) has been interpreted in a variety of ways, from Christopher Columbus’ violent and exploitative colonisation and Christianization of indigenous peoples, to the arguably selfless work of Mother Theresa in the slums of Calcutta. Footnote 9

But before we go any further, we will briefly elucidate the distinction between religious dogmas and rules which we referred to in the introduction. We will mention three important differences. First, religious ideals are open to a personal interpretation by believers, while dogmas and particularly rules are laid down in relatively precise terms that the believers are expected to adopt. Phrased in terms of Nicholas Rescher ( 1987 , p. 122): ideals are the spirit of the law, while rules and regulations are the letter of the law. Of course, this description is crude and should be nuanced, but it is helpful for a good understanding of what religious ideals are. The nuance with regard to ideals is for instance that there are boundaries to the personal interpretation one may give to religious ideals, because they also have a communal character: religious ideals arise out of a shared social practice within a community of believers. Not every personal interpretation will be recognised as a version of the communal religious ideal. For instance, most Christians would not recognise a hedonistic world in which everyone aspires to have as much fun as possible as they would an eschatological ideal of heaven on earth. On the other hand, dogmas and rules are not as unalterable as they may seem. Throughout history, religious communities have altered their rules and requirements and dogmas have evolved over time. Furthermore, each differs in importance; while disregarding a more peripheral rule is normally not a reason for exclusion, breaching central dogmas may indicate that a person no longer perceives himself to be a member of the religious community. However, this is possible precisely because dogmas and rules operate rather differently, and the importance ascribed to each varies.

Second, ideals belong to the aspirational domain, while dogmas and rules belong to the domain of duties. Footnote 10 Rules and dogmas describe what people must do or believe if they are to meaningfully adhere to a particular faith. For instance, ordinarily Muslims are required to follow the five pillars of Islam, i.e. to fulfil the five duties—among which are daily prayer, giving alms, fasting during the Ramadan—if they want to be considered good Muslims; Christians are expected to believe that Jesus is the son of God. Religious ideals, on the other hand are aspirations that aim for an optimum outcome. Believers cannot be obligated to pursue religious ideals, because ideals reach beyond what may be required of people; they refer to excellences to which people aspire, not to expectations people have to pursue.

Finally people are intrinsically motivated to pursue an ideal. While they can follow rules for extrinsic reasons, for instance because they want to belong to a religious community or participate in its rituals, they pursue an ideal because they are convinced of the excellent qualities to which the ideal refers. Therefore, religious ideals, and not dogmas, will often tell us more far more about a person.

The combination of the high importance attached to the ideal and the supremacy of the value the ideal refers to motivates individuals to pursue their ideals. This makes ideals a powerful source of meaning and action. However, ideals—including the ways in which they are pursued—can be good or evil, as we will argue in the next sections.

Religious Ideals in the Public Domain

Religious ideals in the broad sense comprise religious conceptions of political and moral ideals, which per implication means that religious views have a bearing on discussions in the public and political domain. A lot has been written about religion in the public and political domain and therefore we will only briefly describe three possible evaluations of religiously influenced moral and political ideals in the public and political domain within Western liberal democracies.

The first evaluation of reference to religious ideals in the public domain is a negative one: religious ideals undermine social cohesion and, therefore, are disruptive to political stability. Religious ideals can be understood as having two characteristics that may more easily give people the justification to impose their ideals on everyone: (1) they are sanctioned by an unquestioned authority and (2) they are believed to be in the best interests of all—whether in this life or in the afterlife. Because some religious groups operate on the force of these convictions in their attempts to convert others, including the use of political power to impose those convictions, it is argued that allowing reference to religious ideals in the public and particularly the political domain undermines the existence of a peaceful pluralistic society. This will be difficult to deny when religious ideals require that all humans need to be converted by whatever means necessary. In these instances, ideals may indeed prove to be highly dangerous.

History has given us myriad examples as evidence that religious ideals impel some people to become religious extremists and recent examples are not hard to come by either; presently most western countries have installed special (intelligence) organizations to combat the threat of religiously-inspired terrorism. Even when religious ideals do not necessarily lead to extremism, they can encourage oppression of those who hold alternative views. This is particularly the case when ideals become concrete blueprints that are thought to be realizable. Emmet ( 1994 ) has eloquently described the difference between two conceptions of ideals. Regulative ideals do not describe a practice or society in precise detail like blueprints, but offer a standard for a practice. Furthermore, while regulative ideals are perceived to be unrealizable, blueprints are presented as an achievable states of affairs. Finally, regulative ideals orient a practice, whereas blueprints prescribe what should be thought and done ( 1994 , p. 17). When religious ideals of an ideal society become utopian blueprints, religious adherents may try to realize the utopia by whatever means available to them; if the ideal society can be realized, the end may well justify all means.

However, the second evaluation is that religiously inspired ideals can have a positive influence on society, because they offer an alternative voice that can make a constructive contribution to discussions of social or political import. In addition to being self-regarding, many religious ideals are other-regarding (as well as Other-regarding). This ethical dimension of religious ideals can have a positive influence on the ways in which societies function. In some cases, the voice of religion may even buttress the most reasonable arguments on offer concerning human rights and dignity, which, for example, occurred during twentieth-century freedom struggles in India and the United States. Yet one does not have to think of moral paragons such as Mahatma Ghandi or Martin Luther King Jr.; there are also other, less renowned, religious persons and groups that feed and shelter homeless people, offer drug counseling, employment assistance, etc.

Both of these evaluations can be accused of one-sidedness or of being simplistic, for it is obvious that the positions can defeat one another by the examples and arguments they each provide. Yet a third evaluation can be positioned in the middle. This evaluation does not deny the importance of religious ideals for people, but merely states that they cannot be a basis for public or political law. An example of this position is Rawls’ idea of the overlapping consensus. According to Rawls ( 1987 , 1989 , 1993 ) it is unreasonable to impose a comprehensive doctrine like religion on all citizens of a society. Rather, the basic structure of a society should be founded on “fundamental ideas we seem to share through the public political culture” ( 1993 , p. 150). Reasonable principles are (1) those which are accessible to reasonable persons and which facilitate willing consent, and (2) those which are consistent with fair terms of cooperation and free and equal citizenship. Rawls ascribes two qualities to a reasonable person, namely that they are “ready to propose principles and standards as fair terms of cooperation and to abide by them willingly, given the assurance that others will likewise do so” and “that they are ready to discuss the fair terms others propose” ( 1993 , p. 49). These two qualities are also articulated as two moral powers: a capacity for a sense of justice and a capacity for a conception of the good.

As an ideal, reasonable pluralism describes a society, comprised of many conceptions of the good, in which reasonable persons, as citizens, willingly support a political conception of justice that is not grounded in comprehensive truth claims but by principles they may endorse in light of their common human reason. So a well-crafted political conception of justice that governs the basic structure of society will function independently of comprehensive doctrines. Of course this does not mean that a political conception of justice cannot fit into or be supported by various reasonable comprehensive doctrines. Thus, significantly, one’s religious conviction is not excluded from the public domain in the sense that it may be one of many good reasons for supporting the non-comprehensive political conception of justice. As Rawls suggests, “It is left to citizens individually to decide for themselves in what way their shared political conception is related to their wider and more comprehensive views” ( 1989 , p. 249).

The middle position is not neutral vis-à-vis all religious ideals, for then it would be a version of the second (positive) evaluation. It does place limits on the acceptability of positions and the way in which they are pursued (see for instance Macedo 2000 ; De Jong and Snik 2002 ). For instance, it requires that principles of toleration and recognition as well as the harm principle necessarily apply. That is, individuals and the communities to which they belong may not act upon their ideals in ways that harm others (physically or psychologically), including fellow group members. Further, internal restrictions must be challenged that unduly limit the exercise of free will or which impose unfair restrictions on exiting a community (Spiecker et al. 2006 ). Determining what constitutes ‘unfair’ will invariably require examining specific cases but we can outline minimal prerequisites such as that children especially require the resources—beginning, importantly, with an education—to develop their capacity for making deliberative judgments and acting upon those judgments without fear of reprisal, even (or, perhaps especially) in cases of apostasy. Developing such capacities necessarily excludes practices like indoctrination or brainwashing that aim to establish precisely the opposite effect (see Merry 2005 ). Thus, some ideals will more comfortably ‘fit’ within reasonable pluralism’s demands, while others will ostensibly be squeezed out, or, at least be made to feel less welcome.

Even though the principles of reasonable pluralism cannot include all ideals of all citizens, we still maintain that the principles of reasonable pluralism serve a pluralistic society in the best way. Pluralism in western societies is a fact, which can be lamented or applauded, but it is the situation in which people in Western societies live. The best type of organization of pluralistic societies is one that allows all people to flourish by giving meaning to their lives on the basis of the ideals they value. Yet this is an arrangement that is impossible to realize, because the ideals of some may inhibit the pursuit of ideals of other citizens, and ideals should therefore be interpreted as a regulative ideal. Thus, a society should be organized in such a way that citizens can aspire to the regulative ideal in conjunction with giving meaning to their own lives on the basis of their private ideals. We suggest that reasonable pluralism is the best way of doing so, because well-crafted public policies will not be based on a particular conception of the good life that coerces citizens to comply without their consent. Moreover, reasonable pluralism encourages citizens to reflect upon the best way in which a pluralistic society can include the diversity of ideals. In other words, reasonable pluralism offers the best opportunity for citizens to evaluate policies and practices in the public domain by means of the regulative ideal that everyone will be able to flourish.

Nevertheless, it might be argued that reasonable pluralism is unjust, because it is intolerant towards people who adhere to (religious) ideals that do not cohere with reasonableness. Moreover, education congenial to reasonable pluralism, which requires that children learn that they need to complement their religious ideals with reasonableness in the public domain, may have the consequence of placing some in conflict with their religious ideals. Consider how many deeply religious persons feel profoundly uncomfortable with the manner in which pluralism appears to govern public life. Seemingly endless choices and opportunities provide little comfort to those whose ultimate religious ideals decisively trump other ideals. Indeed, reasonable pluralism is believed by some (Holmes 1995 ; Tarazi 1987 ; Yousif 2000 ) to be a type of moral relativism that has an intentionally eroding effect on their cultural or religious ideals. Footnote 11 Such beliefs may induce some to withdraw from the public sphere, or others to banish them from democratic conversations. Yet this would be an unfortunate outcome, as Strike ( 2007 , p. 707) reminds us:

[D]emocratic conversations that seek common ground cannot begin by excluding a whole genre of widely held views from serious discussion. Moreover, the attempt to exclude has tended to cause the expression of such views to go underground where they gain strength, go unrebutted and emerge in aggressive and theocratic forms. It is both more principled and strategically wiser to invite advocates of such views to the conversational table.

It is true that the principles of reasonableness are not neutral against every position, but this does not necessarily make them unjust. This would only be the case if they conflict with pursuing the regulative ideal of a society in which everyone can flourish. Since the opposite is true, sufficient reasons exist for defending reasonable pluralism as the best organizing principle of a pluralistic society. Thus, reasonable pluralism is the background against which we aim to defend the position that religious ideals be included in the curriculum of schools. The three evaluations offered above have shown that it is necessary to make a distinction between two aspects of religious ideals: the ideals themselves can be evaluated with regard to their compatibility with the ideals of a liberal democracy and the way in which they are pursued can be scrutinized. Before we address this topic, we first want to give a more precise account of the ways in which religious ideals and the ideals of reasonable pluralism may be compatible or incompatible.

Reasonable Pluralism and Religious Ideals

The former section has not settled the matter of precisely how religious ideals can best be voiced within the public sphere, or, for that matter, whether all religious ideals are compatible with reasonable pluralism. We suggest that there are three possible evaluations, both with regard to the ideals as well as their pursuit: they can be complementary to, neutral, and opposite to the ideals of a liberal democracy.

Some religious ideals are complimentary to the purposes of the liberal state. Indeed, far from being inimical to the interests of the public, some religious ideals may be perfectly compatible with liberal notions of citizenship such as equality of persons, individual autonomy and freedom of expression. Though sometimes expressed differently religious ideals may nevertheless extend the language of reasonable pluralism in useful ways. A powerful example of such an ideal is ‘all people are equal in the eyes of God’ that Christians profess, which complements the liberal right to non-discrimination. Another one would be ‘to love your neighbor as yourself’, which is consistent with the liberal notion of reciprocity. Most Christian ideal characteristics of a person are also complementary to those valued in liberal democracies. We have already mentioned ideals like being righteous or just, humble, merciful and charitable. Each may contribute to a flourishing liberal democracy. That these ideals are not unique to Christianity may be offered as a further illustration that religious ideals can be compatible not only with other religious ideals but also to the presumed secular ideals of the liberal democracy and reasonable pluralism.

The same may be said of Islam. For the majority of Muslims in the West, Islamic ideals and practices normally do not conflict with the ideals of reasonable pluralism. Similar to our Christian example, most Islamic and liberal ideals have a complementary relationship, and Muslims normally support the political institutions that help to make their life a rather good one (see Malik 2001 , 2004 ; March 2006 ). The pursuit of religious ideals that are complementary can also be conducive to a flourishing liberal democracy. If religious ideals are voiced reasonably they can keep alive the critical debate amongst citizens about what constitutes an ideal liberal democracy and in which ways liberal societies fall short. This certainly happens when Muslims challenge various types of discrimination, or push for positive freedoms, including the right to bury their dead or slaughter animals according to Islamic custom, or work to advance legislation in order to receive equal treatment in establishing Islamic schools. To be sure, Muslims who exercise their political will in this way are voicing an alternative to the prevailing practices that favour certain (normally Christian or secular) institutions; however, they are doing so in a manner that is consistent with deliberative democratic ideals and the requirements of reasonable pluralism. Hence, when religious ideals enter the political arena in this way, there is potentially real fruit to be borne.

Religious ideals that are politically neutral comprise only a small group. They primarily consist of religious ideals in the strict sense, i.e. ideals that are oriented towards the divine or are characteristic of one’s relation to the divine. Normally these ideals principally affect one’s private life and one’s (personal) relation with a transcendent being and are therefore neutral with regard to the public domain. However, this is not necessarily the case, for even personal ideals can also have a bearing on convictions that shape the way in which people act in the public domain. For instance, trying to live up to the commandments of the divine will likely have an influence on the way in which adherents look upon others. To take an extreme example we could mention the Phelps, an extremist Christian family living in Westboro, Kansas. Their religion is particularly toxic, for owing to their immovable convictions they have been known to organize pickets at funerals of soldiers who have fallen in the Iraq war at which they tell the world that God hates America because the US, in their view, loves homosexuals. Footnote 12 Although their hate campaign falls under First Amendment protections of free speech—and thus is permissible within the bounds of a liberal democracy Footnote 13 because they do not physically attack other people or incite others to do so—their ideals, including the way in which they pursue them, are not neutral to the ideals of a liberal democracy. Neither, for that matter, are they consistent with the requirements of reasonable pluralism.

However, the pursuit of religious ideals can be neutral to the public domain while the ideals themselves are not. Some are devout believers as well as convinced liberal democrats. While they may personally believe that divorce that is not annulled by the Roman Catholic Church is immoral or that homosexuality is an abomination, they are also committed to the liberal democratic ideal that everyone should be able to live their life as they see fit and therefore oppose any kind of discrimination on the basis of their private moral convictions. Notice that this pursuit of religious ideals is consistent with the requirements of reasonable pluralism.

Finally, some religious ideals, including the way in which they are pursued, are opposed to those of reasonable pluralism. When religious ideals are perceived as blueprints and thereby cease to be tolerant, it seems they necessarily collide with reasonable pluralism, because being reasonable not only assumes that one is able to revise one’s ideals, but also that others are entitled to espouse beliefs—and in most instances act upon those beliefs—with which one does not agree. The ideal of a theocracy is clearly in conflict with the ideals of a liberal democracy, but so are ideals that lead believers to discriminate against others because of their utter contempt of the other’s political views, religion or sexual identity.

For example, a political understanding of religious ideals impels some Muslims not only to prioritize the global Muslim community ( ummāh ) but also to view liberal democratic political institutions with utter contempt. Muslims who assimilate themselves to Western institutional norms (e.g., military service, jury duty) are believed by some to be betraying their Islamic faith, particularly if they are called upon to fight or testify against other Muslims. Taking matters further, residence in non-Islamic lands for a few has a tactical side, one that is driven by ideals which seek to establish an Islamic state (see Abbas 2007 ; Choudhury 2007 ; Husain 2007 ). Though only endorsed by a small minority, some Muslims believe that submission to non-Islamic authorities, with no consideration for Islamic law ( shari’āh ), makes the pursuit of specific Islamic ideals impossible. Clearly, these political ideals would not count as reasonable comprehensive doctrines on any reading of reasonable pluralism not only because such ideals offend against the principles of toleration or mutual respect; they also directly threaten a number of social goods that political liberals support, including legitimacy, reciprocal trust, tolerance, and political stability.

Thus, religious ideals may be compatible, or they may collide, with the ideals of reasonable pluralism, which indicates that reasonable pluralism is not an intolerant or anti religious doctrine, but is in fact a middle position. This implies that education consistent with reasonable pluralism in public schools need not exclude the possibility of incorporating religious ideals in their curriculum. On the contrary, the discussion in this section has corroborated our reasons for claiming that religious ideals should be part of the education of pupils in public schools. First, for those whose religious ideals are compatible with reasonable pluralism it is important that their ultimate values are recognized in public schools and accepted as a source of inspiration to foster the ideals of reasonable pluralism. Secondly, it is beneficial to the flourishing of a liberal democracy that future citizens learn to make nuanced evaluations about conceptions of the good life for themselves and other citizens. Teaching children about the positive influence of religious ideals as well as their dangers is arguably conducive to their development into reasonable citizens.

Of course, our proposal will not be agreeable to those whose religious ideals are incompatible with the ideals of reasonable pluralism. This is unavoidable, but we have already argued that this outcome is not unjust given the educational and societal benefits that accrue to others, including the children of those who espouse ‘unreasonable’ ideals.

Reasonable Pluralism and the Inclusion of Religious Ideals in Public Secondary Schools

In the introduction we argued that entering the broader discussion of religion in the public school through the door of religious ideals may shed some different light on this discussion. We aim to show in the remainder of this section that a focus on religious ideals both in a strict and broad sense does indeed make a novel contribution to the debate about religion in public schools.

In the former sections we have shown that religious ideals can be given a place in the public domain, but it also became apparent that not every religious ideal or every way of pursuing religious ideals is compatible with the ideals of reasonable pluralism. In this section we return to three reasons for including religious ideals in public schools we gave in the introduction, leaving the fourth practical reason aside, and will investigate their validity in light of the conclusions of the former sections. First, we will ask whether the importance of religious ideals for believers is a good enough reason for incorporating religious ideals in public schools. Second, we will review the (in)compatibility of religious and liberal ideals in relation to the development of pupils into citizens of a liberal democracy. Third, we will address the claim that including religious ideals into the curriculum of public schools is conducive to the possibility that pupils will flourish as adults. Finally, our arguments will lead to the observation that religious ideals can indeed be included successfully in public secondary schools.

We will not be very practical or concrete in this section, but we can say something in general about the approach and aim of the inclusion of religious ideal in public schools. Grimmitt ( 1994 ) suggests that religious education can pursue three types of aims: (1) learning religion, (2) learning about religion, and (3) learning from religion. In the first instance, religion is being transmitted to pupils; in the second, religion is presented as an academic subject; in the third, educators present religions in such a way that pupils are invited to investigate the value of various religions. With regard to the inclusion of religious ideals in public schools, we suggest that the third option is to be preferred, though interpreted in both a positive and a negative sense. Positively, pupils ought to explore both the value that religious ideals have for others, but also whether or not particular religious ideals have value for themselves. Negatively, pupils ought to examine the dastardly lessons that can be learned from the pursuit of religious ideals.

Religious Ideals are Important to Religious People

In the former section we saw that reasonable pluralism does not exclude the possibility that people also refer to their religious ideals in the public domain and base their decisions on these ideals. This means that there is in principle not an argument for excluding them in the public domain of public schools either. Therefore, it does not seem unfair for religious persons to insist that their ideals be taken seriously as well. Even stronger, our analysis suggests that it is difficult to find good reasons for why in principle religious ideals should be banned from schools. Most religious parents will receive this conclusion with enthusiasm, for religious ideals are of considerable importance for believers; for some, religious ideals in the strict sense are at the core of their identity. It is therefore not surprising that many parents wish to pass on their religious ideals, both in the strict and broad sense, to their children, and want to see their ideals recognized in the public schools their children attend. However, it is also true that many fear any education in public schools that may undermine this faith in their children. They may believe that reasonable pluralism supplies the conditions that will subvert religious ideals in the broad sense, and consequently, religious ideals in the strict sense (thus motivating some to withdraw their children from the public schools altogether in order to have those ideals reinforced in a private religious school). Footnote 14 This will be true primarily for the group of fundamentalist or orthodox parents; for the majority of religious parents, the inclusion of the ideals that have a profound meaning in their lives will be an important recognition of what they dearly value.

Fundamentalist and orthodox parents may find fault with the way in which religious ideals are addressed in public schools; they will certainly not warm to the idea that their ideals may be scrutinized in public schools. Even though education congenial to reasonable pluralism does not have as its aim to undermine the validity of religious ideals, (though it may restrict the way in which they are pursued), these groups may nevertheless be concerned that the education their children receive will have a negative effect on their beliefs (see Macedo 1995 ). Be that as it may, it is important to stress that religious persons not only live within their respective communities, they also are called upon to function as members of society.

Religious Ideals and Citizenship of a Liberal Democracy

We have described three types of relation between religious ideals and those of a liberal democracy and will now discuss the way in which public schools can address religious ideals that are complementary to, neutral, or opposite to, the ideal of reasonable pluralism. The focus in citizenship education will primarily be on religious ideals in the broad sense, more particularly on the religiously inspired moral, social and political ideals. However, these ideals are influenced by religious ideals in the strict sense and therefore those ideals will be part of citizenship education, too. Moreover, we would argue that understanding the motives of religious people with regard to the kind of person they think they should be is conducive to what it means to be a reasonable citizen.

Earlier we gave several examples of the positive influence of religious ideals on public life or society, like being just, caring, humble and temperate and an ideal society in which everyone is equal (because everyone is equal before God). We stated that these religious ideals are complementary to liberal democratic ideals. Inviting pupils to learn from religious ideals that cohere with liberal democratic ideals can have a twofold function: Doing so (1) fosters understanding and respect of others; and (2) pupils learn that the laws of a liberal democracy serve to protect reasonable pluralism and that religious ideals may be an important source of inspiration for some to pursue the ideals of a liberal democracy.

All pupils need to learn that there is a difference to be made between evaluating religious ideals and the way in which they are pursued. Pupils may be stimulated to discuss religious ideals and be critical about them, but they also need to learn that they have to respect the right of others to have ideals they themselves believe to be unjust, wrong or simplistic. In contrast, the way in which ideals are pursued should be scrutinized and the pursuit of ideals that infringes the harm principle should be sanctioned. Pupils also need to learn that what is of ultimate importance to them may not be the same for others, and that no one’s particular conception of the good life should determine what happens in the public and political sphere. Pupils who have religious ideals that do not cohere with those of a liberal democracy, should learn that they are nevertheless entitled to have these, i.e. that no one may deny them their right of having and pursuing them in the private domain—unless they are harmful to others. However they should also learn that in the public domain they should pursue their ideals in such a way that the effect is not negative but at least neutral in the way we have described it. Although these pupils may feel that this invites a kind of schizophrenia between their public and private life (McLaughlin 1995 ), they have to learn to accept that this is the best way in which people with different and even opposing views on life can live together harmoniously.

Finally, pupils will learn valuable lessons from religious ideals that are opposed to those of a liberal democracy, particularly from the ways in which the pursuit of these ideals may undermine the freedoms of others as protected under a liberal democratic constitution. That it is necessary for citizens of a liberal democracy to stay within the limits of the law, even when they believe themselves to be on the higher moral high ground, needs no defense. The evils that may emanate from the pursuit of certain religious ideals may be precisely the examples that motivate pupils to cultivate the moral dispositions necessary for strengthening deliberative democracy.

Religious Ideals and the Flourishing of Pupils

By learning from religious ideals pupils are invited to reflect on the values they take for granted, either because they are unthinkingly adopted from their parents or because they prevail in mainstream society. But why would this be important for their flourishing?

We suggest that persons are only able to flourish if they can give their own subjective interpretation to the objective goods of human well-being such as health, caring relationships, autonomy, creativity, and intellectual development. By ‘interpretation’ we mean that persons must come to identify with a conception of each of these in a way that personally makes sense and is worth pursuing for its own sake (De Ruyter 2007 ). In order to be able to discover which interpretation allows children to flourish as adults, it is important that they are introduced to different ways of life. There is not a one-to-one correspondence between what parents do or believe and find meaningful and what will enable their children to flourish. Public schools can play a significant role in furthering the possibility that children flourish when they are adults precisely by including values in the curriculum that are different from those of the families of the pupils and mainstream society (Brighouse 2005 ).

Yet the inclusion of alternative ways of life is not sufficient. It is important that children also learn that there are good and bad interpretations of the objective goods (De Ruyter 2007 ). For example, being a modest eater is arguably more conducive to one’s flourishing than the extremes of obesity or anorexia; an honest friend or a loving partner are clearly much more able to contribute to human flourishing than would someone who is deceitful or narcissistic. Educators can assist children in providing them with examples of the best or ideal interpretations of objective goods. This enables children to become good judges of values themselves. Which interpretation will bring intrinsic satisfaction is something that children have to discover for themselves, but what makes their actions within this interpretation good is something that educators can teach them. If someone knows what is best, that person is able to evaluate current as well as future or alternative practices against these supreme standards. This includes religious ideals as well.

We suggest that public schools offer religious ideals in the broad sense, in order for pupils to discover if the ideals of these religions regarding, for example, sexuality or morality, are good for them, too. This does not mean that they have to adopt the religion itself; the ideal does not have to become a religious ideal for them, though it may be transformed into a personal ideal for their own lives. For example, the sexual ideal of chastity before marriage or fidelity during one’s life-long relationship are meaningful alternatives to promiscuous alternatives found on music channels like the Box, MTV or TMF. We also stated that Christian and Islamic religious ideals normally refer to non-materialistic and non-competitive excellent or perfect values, and therefore, for some children, could be an antidote to the dominance of materialism and competition in mainstream society (see Burtt 2003 ; Conroy 2004 ; Merry 2007 ). By learning from religious ideals, pupils are invited to learn from what, to paraphrase Matthew Arnold’s words, many consider to the best that has been said and thought in the world.

On the basis of our foregoing reflections, we conclude that it is important for public schools to incorporate religious ideals into their curricula. Concisely put, this consists of offering pupils the possibility for positive learning from religious ideals that are compatible with reasonable pluralism and for learning from the negative effects of ideals when they are pursued in ways that are detrimental to those valued in liberal democracies.

Finally, it still might be objected that our argument, including our suggestions for the way in which the religious ideals might be included, is based on liberal democratic principles and therefore we have been begging the question. This may be partly true, but we have pushed the discussion of religious toleration and reasonable pluralism much further along. Importantly, we have shown that a separation between church and state does not mean that religious ideals have no place in the public domain or that ideals should be banned from public schools. Particularly today when religion is back in the centre of the public and political discussion, but where much of the attention is negative and does little to foster mutual understanding among religious and non-religious persons, or, for that matter, among persons with different religious commitments, the current silence in public schools should be replaced with the inclusion of religious ideals. The combination of the reasons we have offered is, in our view, sufficient to draw this conclusion, and, we hope, will assist in opening a new line of debate about religion in public schools.

Although public schools are neutral towards religions, they are not neutral per se, nor should they be. As instruments of the state, public schools have an important function to play in promoting specific kinds of civic virtue.

We shall have more to say about reasonableness below, but briefly by reasonable we mean that persons are prepared to respectfully listen to and interpret what others have to say, as well as propose fair terms of cooperation with others with whom one may not agree.

For an overview of ideas about or practices in religious education in Europe see for instance Leicester et al. 2000 or Jackson et al. 2007 .

It should be noted, however, that the debate among educators and philosophers of education in North America has focused primarily on fundamentalist or orthodox religious communities and families. This is understandable, because these believers tend to draw most public attention hrough court cases (the Yoder case or the Mozert case) and because they tend to be opposed to mainstream liberal views and scientific theories. There is, however, a disadvantage to this focus on fundamentalist and orthodox communities. Fundamentalists and orthodox believers represent only one group within the enormous diversity of religious persons, and quite a distinct one. This means that the discussion about inclusion of religion in schools runs the risk of being too narrow in focus. In Europe, this focus is less prevalent, although it is interesting to note that in debates about schools in France, a country whose public school system is also strictly secular, conservatives—Muslims in this case—form the center of attention.

Briefly, people are able to lead a flourishing life if they give personal meaning to the objective goods that are good for all human beings, for instance health, relations, creative and intellectual development, and if the life that follows from this is satisfying to them. We will return to this in the section “Reasonable pluralism and the inclusion of religious ideals in public secondary schools”.

Proponents of epistemic analysis will no doubt object to this, claiming that we are exempting religious truth claims from rational analysis and engaging in some kind of multicultural moral relativism. Yet we would argue that conceptually religious truth claims by their very nature are non-rational and therefore are not amenable to rational analysis. Further, the difficulties both with respect to adequate (and unbiased) teacher training and parental objections to epistemological analysis of their faith claims in classrooms surely must give us pause.

Of course, there are usually opt out provisions in place, and in some countries ethical instruction of a non-specific sort may be substituted for religious education.

‘Religious ideals’ is the generic name of a category consisting of a wide range of specific religious types of ideals, for instance Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Bahai’ ideals. And it might be argued that these labels are still too general. For instance, Christianity (like many other religions) is a highly diversified religion, which may even make it impossible to speak about ‘Christian ideals’. Rather, one may wish to use terms like Roman Catholic ideals, Eastern Orthodox ideals, Wesleyan ideals, Reformed ideals, etc, though of course one will find various subsets within each of these traditions as well.

Although there will be those who would argue that she was not actually doing selfless work, but was merely working out her own salvation.

Here we follow Fuller ( 1969 ), who makes the distinction between the morality of duty and the morality of aspirations.

Importantly, when this perception is aggravated by unfavourable economic circumstances and social exclusion, conditions may be ripe for strengthening less tolerant religious ideals that militate against those prized by liberal democratic states.

For more information about the Phelps family, we can refer the reader to their website: http://www.godhatesfags.com/

While all liberal democratic constitutions make provisions for criminal action to be taken against defamation and the incitement to riot, exactly what constitutes hate speech, and thus what will be publicly tolerated, will vary from one liberal democratic context to another.

This phenomenon is perhaps more common in North America,, but one certainly notices a similar phenomenon in Europe with the rapid expansion of faith schools, particularly among various minority groups. For example, concerning the recent growth in Hindu schools, see Merry and Driessen, forthcoming.

Abbas, T. (2007). Ethno-religious identity and Islamic political radicalism in the UK: A case study. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 27 (3), 429–442.

Article   Google Scholar  

Brighouse, H. (2005). Channel one, the anti-commercial principle, and the discontinuous ethos. Educational Policy, 19 (3), 528–550.

Bryk, A. S., Lee, V. E., & Holland, P. B. (1993). Catholic Schools and the Common Good . Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Google Scholar  

Burtt, S. (2003). Comprehensive educations and the liberal understanding of autonomy. In K. McDonough & W. Feinberg (Eds.), Citizenship and education in liberal-democratic societies . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Callan, E. (1985). McLaughlin on parental rights. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 19 (1), 111–118.

Callan, E. (1997). Creating citizens: Political education and liberal democracy . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Choudhury, T. (2007). The role of Muslim identity politics in radicalisation: A study in progress . London: Department of Communications & Local Government.

Conroy, J. C. (Ed.). (1999). Catholic education: Inside out, outside in . Dublin: Lindisfarne.

Conroy, J. C. (2004). Betwixt and between. The liminal imagination, education and democracy . New York: Peter Lang.

De Jong, J., & Snik, G. (2002). Why should states fund denominational schools? Journal of Philosophy of Education, 36 (4), 573–587.

De Ruyter, D. J. (2003). The importance of ideals in education. Journal of Philosophy and Education, 37 (3), 467–482.

De Ruyter, D. J. (2006). Be ye perfect? Religious ideals in education. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 27 (3), 269–280.

De Ruyter, D. J. (2007). Ideals, education and happy flourishing. Educational Theory, 57 (1), 23–35.

De Ruyter, D. J., & Miedema, S. (2000). Denominational schools in the Netherlands. In M. Leicester, C. Modgil & S. Modgil (Eds.), Spiritual and religious education; education, culture and values (Vol. 5, pp. 133–141). London: Falmer Press.

Dwyer, J. G. (1998). Religious schools v children’s rights . Cornell: Cornell University Press.

Emmet, D. (1994). The role of the unrealisable. A study in regulative ideals . New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Feinberg, W. (2006). For goodness sake: Religious schools and education for democratic citizenry . New York: Routledge.

Fuller, L. L. (1969). The morality of law (revised ed.) . New Haven: Yale University Press.

Gardner, R., Cairns, J., & Lawton, D. (Eds.). (2002). Faith schools: Consensus or conflict? London: Routledge.

Grimmitt, M. (1994). Religious education and the ideology of pluralism. British Journal of Religious Education, 16 (3), 133–147.

Gutmann, A. (1995). Civic education and social diversity. Ethics, 105 , 557–579.

Gutmann, A. (1999). Democratic education (2nd ed.). Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Hand, M. (2004). The Problem with faith schools. Theory and Research in Education, 2 (3), 343–353.

Holmes, M. (1995). Common schools for a secularist society. Canadian Journal of Education/Revue canadienne de l’éducation, 20 (3), 284–296.

Husain, E. (2007). The Islamist . London: Penguin Press.

Jackson, R., Miedema, S., Weisse, W., & Willaime, J. P. (Eds.). (2007). Religion and education in Europe: Developments, contexts and debates . Münster: Waxmann.

Leicester, M., Modgil, C., & Modgil, S. (Eds.). (2000). Spiritual and religious education; educations, culture and values (Vol. 5). London: Falmer Press.

Levinson, M., & Levinson, S. (2007). “Getting Religion”: Religion, diversity, and community in public and private schools. In R. Curren (Ed.), Philosophy of education: An anthology (pp. 283–289). London: Blackwell.

Macedo, S. (1995). Liberal civic education and religious fundamentalism: The case of God vs. John Rawls? Ethics, 100 , 468–496.

Macedo, S. (2000). Diversity and distrust: Civic education in a multicultural democracy . Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Malik, M. (2001). Islam in Europe: Quest for a paradigm. Middle East Policy, 8 (2), 100–115.

Malik, M. (2004). Muslims pluralize the West, resist assimilation. Middle East Policy, 11 (1), 70–83.

March, A. (2006). Liberal citizenship and the search for an overlapping consensus: The case of Muslim minorities. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 34 (4), 373–421.

Merry, M. (2005). Indoctrination, moral instruction and non-rational beliefs: A place for autonomy? Educational Theory, 4 (55), 399–420.

Merry, M. (2007). Culture, identity and Islamic schooling: A philosophical approach . New York: Palgrave.

Merry, M., & Driessen, G. (forthcoming). Integration by other means: Hindu Schools in the Netherlands.

McLaughlin, T. H. (1984). Parental rights and the religious upbringing of children. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 18 (1), 75–83.

McLaughlin, T. H. (1985). Religion, upbringing and liberal values: A rejoinder to Eamonn Callan. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 19 (1), 119–127.

McLaughlin, T. H. (1995). Liberalism, education and the common school. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 29 (2), 239–256.

McLaughlin, T. H. (1996). The distinctiveness of Catholic education. In T. H. Mclaughlin, J. M. O’Keefe & B. O’Keeffe (Eds.), The contemporary Catholic school: Context, identity and diversity (pp. 136–154). London: Falmer.

Noddings, N. (1993). Educating for intelligent belief or unbelief . New York: Teachers College Press.

Nord, W. (1995). Religion and American education: Rethinking a national dilemma . Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.

Pennock, R. (2007). Should creationism be taught in the public schools? In R. Curren (Ed.), Philosophy of education: An anthology (pp. 539–552). London: Blackwell.

Rawls, J. (1987). The idea of an overlapping consensus. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 7 (1), 1–25.

Rawls, J. (1989). The domain of the political and overlapping consensus. New York University Law Review, 64 (2), 233–255.

Rawls, J. (1993). Political liberalism . New York: Columbia University Press.

Rescher, N. (1987). Ethical idealism. An inquiry into the nature and function of ideals . Berkeley: University of California Press.

Rosenblith, S. (2008). Beyond coexistence: Toward a more reflective religious pluralism. Theory and Research in Education, 6 (1), 107–121.

Rosenblith, S., & Priestman, S. (2004). Problematizing religious truth: Implications for public education. Educational Theory, 54 (4), 365–380.

Salili, F., & Hoosain, R. (Eds.). (2006). Religion and multicultural education, vol. 4 in series research in multicultural education and international perspectives . Greenwich: Information Age Publishing.

Spiecker, B., De Ruyter, D. J., & Steutel, J. W. (2006). Taking the right to exit seriously. Theory and Research in Education, 4 (3), 313–326.

Strike, K. (2007). Common schools and uncommon conversations: Education, religious speech and public spaces. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 41 (4), 693–708.

Spinner-Halev, J. (2000). Surviving diversity. Religion and democratic citizenship . Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press.

Tarazi, N. (1987). Who is teaching your child? Islamic Horizons, 30 (4), 40–43.

Yousif, A. (2000). Islam, minorities and religious freedom: A challenge to the modern theory of pluralism. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 20 (1), 29–41.

Download references

Open Access

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Faculty of Psychology and Education, Department of Theory and Research in Education, VU University, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Doret J. de Ruyter

Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Philosophy and History of Education, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Prinsengracht 130, 1018 VZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Michael S. Merry

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Doret J. de Ruyter .

Rights and permissions

Open Access This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0 ), which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

de Ruyter, D.J., Merry, M.S. Why Education in Public Schools Should Include Religious Ideals. Stud Philos Educ 28 , 295–311 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-008-9120-4

Download citation

Received : 29 August 2007

Accepted : 11 October 2008

Published : 29 October 2008

Issue Date : July 2009

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-008-9120-4

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Reasonable pluralism
• Religious ideals
• Public schools
• Political liberalism
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Why religious education has an important role to play in our society

Opinion: ‘the suggestion that time might be taken from re in order to increase the focus on literacy, numeracy, science or it is educationally inappropriate’.

‘At primary level, RE provides a place in the younger child’s day to reflect on belonging and being cherished within a community of religious faith or other belief system.’ Photograph: Getty Images

The current critique of denominational education, and of denominational religious education in particular, risks undermining the place of this core subject in all schools, just at a moment when deeper reflection on religion, belief, spirituality and ethics could contribute enormously to the emergence of a society that seeks to embrace difference and is comfortable to celebrate the presence of a variety of religious and other belief systems.

This, of course, means respecting the beliefs of those of the majority religious tradition, too, and seeking to contribute to the religious and spiritual literacy of all young people and of adults.

Some recent commentary appears to indicate a lack of knowledge of, or perhaps interest in, the transformation of religious education (RE) after the renewal of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s and since. It has changed from a wholly content-focused subject to a student-focused one; from learning off questions and answers to discussion of personal experience and response; and from difference being defined denominationally within the Christian tradition, to an acknowledgment of the variety of people in Irish society today and respect for the diversity of their religions and beliefs.

RE in schools contributes not only to the personal reflection and development of young people, but should also heighten respect for the beliefs of the other and help build a diverse but cohesive society. To neglect RE is to neglect the future.

The suggestion that time might be taken from RE in order to increase the focus on literacy, numeracy, science or IT is educationally inappropriate. The debate in the 1990s, during the preparation of the Education Act, 1998, emphasised in the first instance the importance of preparing young people for the jobs market and for strengthening the nation’s economy.

Reflection on this important but limited understanding of the person led to confirmation of the need for a holistic approach to education that values and seeks to educate the whole person “. . . for personal and home life, for working life, for living in the community and for leisure” (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment: general definition of education).

Freedom of conscience

RE contributes significantly, indeed uniquely, to the education of the whole person. Defined in a way that is appropriate for the young person’s age and stage of development, good RE honours the freedom of conscience of the young person while revering their family faith and/or belief traditions and expectations. This requires a high level of training among teachers.

At primary level, RE provides a place in the younger child’s day to reflect on belonging and being cherished within a community of religious faith or other belief system.

For example, in a Catholic primary school, RE will focus for Catholic pupils on their experience of growing into their own faith community and on respect for others (See Irish Episcopal Conference, Share the Good News ). Contrary to recent suggestions, pupils do not participate in faith formation in schools in Ireland in any faith tradition if their parents/guardians are not content. An updated curriculum is being finalised for religious education and formation in Catholic primary schools and a variety of other such programmes are now being provided for too.

At Junior Certificate level, RE has become one of the most popular subjects for State examination. For teenagers of all religions and none, whether taking it as an examination subject or not, RE creates a safe space to test one’s own identity, and reflect with others in a respectful manner on the search for meaning and values.

At senior cycle level the emphasis is on becoming a “critical questioner and reflective searcher”.

Over a period of time, RE contributes enormously to the development of the young person’s literacy across a wide range of texts and resources and of challenges to the human psyche. The ability to express the big questions in words, story, art, song, ritual and prayer, for example, has an impact at a whole series of levels on the developing knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes of the young.

They are confronted not only cognitively but affectively and through activity- based approaches, encouraging them to become actors in the world, particularly in support of those in most need.

Good practice

The Irish Centre for Religious Education researches and promotes good practice in religious education at primary, secondary and higher levels. Doctoral students along with a network of RE lecturers, North and South, are now actively engaged in exploring appropriate models of RE, not only for schools but also at home, in faith communities and as a contribution to the wellbeing of society.

RE in schools is valued by individuals and communities who understand its contribution. Reasonably, it can be expected that in the future there will be different emphases placed within RE provided in different kinds of schools. RE should, however, be a core subject for all pupils, appropriately, in all schools.

Dr Gareth Byrne is head of religious education at Mater Dei Institute of Education, Dublin City University, and co- ordinator of the Irish Centre for Religious Education. He is the editor with Patricia Kieran of Toward Mutual Ground: Plurality, Religious Education and Diversity in Irish Schools (Dublin: Columba, 2013).

IN THIS SECTION

‘students are struggling in ways we haven’t seen before’, hot school meals: a close look at the ingredients list is not pretty. this is industrial food, most students in single-sex schools want mixed enrolment, technological universities: bridging the gap between classroom and career, tertiary degree programmes: alternative paths to third-level education, woman ordered to remove walls, gates and foundations erected without planning permission, man seriously injured in suspected knife attack at homeless tents in dublin city centre, london attack: boy (13) killed in stabbings incident as sword-wielding suspect arrested, ireland-britain diplomatic row: cabinet approves emergency legislation to facilitate transfer of asylum seekers, ‘we’re moving with the times’: private all-girls’ school in south dublin to admit boys for first time, latest stories, residential care provider for children accused of ‘falsified’ background checks and ‘altered’ garda vetting, top law firm ordered to pay solicitor €5,000 over ‘long covid’ discrimination, all-ireland football championship draw: live updates, man who helped kinahan cartel murder innocent victim has had ‘change of heart’ about criminality, court hears.

• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Information
• Cookie Settings
• Community Standards

No products in the basket.

Return to shop

• Login / Register
• Update School Details

• Testimonials
• Annual Review 2023
• Strategy 2025
• Media Information
• Meet the Team
• Partnerships
• Early Career Framework
• ECT Appropriate Body Services
• ECT Induction & Registration
• Health For Life Programme
• Mathematics Interventions
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Safeguarding
• National Professional Qualifications (NPQs)
• School Improvement
• Statutory Assessment
• Mathematics
• PSHE & RSE
• Religious Education
• Key Stage 1
• Key Stage 2
• CPD & Training Courses
• Consultancy & INSETs (Bespoke)
• Digital Courses
• Music Tuition in Schools
• Area Ensembles
• Central Ensembles
• Price: High to Low
• Price: Low to High
• Search for:

Advice For Schools

The importance of religious education (re) in a school’s curriculum, discover the new 2022/23 locally agreed syllabus for religious education in birmingham and why it is important schools make it a priority in the new academic year.     .

On 8 th February 2022, the Cabinet of Birmingham City Council adopted the new Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.

The changes reflect the CORE report and the bigger pedagogical discussion about the teaching of worldviews in general.

In this article, I provide an overview of the new locally agreed syllabus for Religious Education in Birmingham and explain why it will play a crucial role in supporting future generations.

Why is Religious Education Important in Schools?

In a world where, for some, religion and faith have no lasting value, and the educational ground is constantly moving, it’s now an opportunity to reflect on the place and the importance of RE within the school’s curriculum.

Just recently the RE report card provided a national overview of RE from the value of the qualification, its place in society and the future of the subject in the wider curriculum.

One of the biggest talking points was the fact that 64% of the adult population view education in religion and worldviews (or RE) as an important part of the school curriculum.

With the number of students taking Religious Studies GCSE rising by nearly a third in the last ten years, society still sees great value in its role in the curriculum.

For schools, Religious Education is important because it helps pupils to:

• Respect others and gain a broader understanding of views and beliefs
• Improve their knowledge of global affairs
• Develop a stronger sense of wellbeing, ethical standards and personal happiness
• Avoid extremism and religious discrimination
• Contribute to and build a more cohesive community

Birmingham’s Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education for the 2022/23 Academic Year

A pupil’s experiences are as important as anybody else’s as a starting point. Today’s lessons are led by everyday concerns such as telling the truth, looking after the planet, treating everybody as equal or just plain listening.

These basics are about the human condition, and in Birmingham, are summed up in 24 values or dispositions.

People from faith traditions and non-religious traditions have been involved in devising, updating and voting for the new Birmingham Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.

Although it is still centred on teaching through dispositions, it is now expanded to consider the changing landscape of belief. It has a local flavour which is owned by the communities in which you teach.

For the pupils in Birmingham to be good people, they need to be able to think about what they believe in on a deeper level. You will want them to consider what sort of person they might become and what sort of city and society they might want to live in.

Pupils are expected to think for themselves around these values. In learning to critically interpret and evaluate the content that is presented, pupils will grow in their ability to discern.

In the new Agreed RE Syllabus, pupils will be encouraged and challenged to reflect and evaluate, and think critically about what they have learned.

In doing so, they will begin to understand that the interpretation of these sources can be used both legitimately (and inaccurately) to support a particular point of view.

Pupils will learn how individual aspects may conflict with each other and acknowledge that plurality exists in religious traditions and non-religious worldviews, which leads to divergence in practice. This process will involve reflective and interpretative skills, as well as the ability of pupils to examine themselves in the light of the information encountered.

As pupils learn about the things that concern us all, they will be educated on what religions think about them, as well as people like humanists, atheists and people who do not have a firm tradition.

By sixteen, a young person will know a lot more about what drives them in their lives and realise what motivates the people they see in their day-to-day lives.

Pupils may decide whether they are religious or not. Or they may not think this particularly affects their character.

They will understand a person’s particular religion or worldview from what they have learned about their values.

Pupils will also identify that the people around them have made their own decisions about belief and character, just as they have.

With the right commitment from schools, Birmingham’s Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education can have a significant impact on the upcoming generation. It is a simple matter of recognising its value inside and outside of school and teaching the syllabus in an engaging way.

Making Religious Education a Central Point Within the Curriculum

The locally Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education in Birmingham enables pupils to understand the city’s diverse range of citizens and recognise that each person has their own principles, values and beliefs. They will see how and why people may differ sometimes and even discover that the citizens of Birmingham have much more in common than they might have otherwise thought.

But most of all, through Birmingham’s RE teaching, pupils will have thought about their qualities ready to take into their adulthood to lead a rounded and fulfilling life.

So, it’s not just about learning a comprehensive set of factual information about religious and non-religious traditions that don’t have any connection with your life. The Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education in Birmingham is an opportunity to provide pupils with the tools to connect them with the community and reflect on their lives. That’s why RE is still important and valid within the school curriculum.

For any dedicated support across the Religious Education Agreed Syllabus, take a look at our range of expert services, here .

About the Author

Simone's journey in the field of education is nothing short of remarkable. Armed with a deep passion for Religious Education, she has not only excelled in her own academic pursuits but has also dedicated herself to the betterment of the education system.

From her early days as a Head of Department leading RE in schools in Birmingham to her current role as an Education Advisor at Services For Education, Simone has constantly pushed the boundaries of her knowledge and expertise. Simone has also worked as a visiting lecturer on the Birmingham University RE PGDip course. Her commitment to the field is evident in her decision to pursue a PhD, delving into the unique approach to teaching RE in Birmingham.

But Simone's impact goes beyond just Religious Education. Her extensive knowledge of ITT and the Early Career Framework has allowed her to support teachers, school leaders, and governors in their professional development journey. As an Induction Manager and facilitator for the Best Practice Network, she plays a crucial role in shaping the next generation of educators and school leaders.

Simone's dedication to her craft is unwavering, whether she's engaging with faith groups, acting as the drafting secretary for the Agreed Syllabus Conference, advising on curriculum development, or delivering nationally recognised CPD as part of the NPQ suite of qualifications. Her passion for education is truly inspiring, as she continues to push boundaries, challenge norms, and lead by example in the world of education.

Lucie Welch has worked in the field of Primary Education for the last 15 years, holding the positions of Assistant Head of School, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Attendance Lead and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children. Through working across several local authorities and within multi-academy trusts, Lucie has garnered a passion for safeguarding and supporting children and young people to enable them to thrive.

At Services For Education, Lucie is an integral part of the Safeguarding team, sharing her expertise with schools, colleges, trusts, and other educational settings across the city of Birmingham and beyond. Dedicated to improving safeguarding practices in an actionable and impactful way, Lucie works closely with settings to provide bespoke training, supports with reflection on their own practices during Safeguarding audits and always strives to contribute to a better learning environment for all children. Through delivery of statutory training for DSLs and Safer Recruitment, Lucie works with colleagues in all age ranges and is a source of expertise within these areas.

Lucie also wears other important hats within the School Support Team. Not only is she dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of students through her role in safeguarding, but she also plays a key part in the PSHE/RSE and Health for Life teams. Additionally, Lucie partners with the Best Practice Network to deliver the Early Career Framework, supporting new teachers in their professional development.

Jo Perrin is a seasoned Education Adviser with a strong background in safeguarding. She has held key roles as a Designated Safeguarding Lead and pastoral lead in the education sector. Facilitating training to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals working directly with children and young people is her passion.

With a wealth of experience in teaching PSHE and expertise in childhood trauma from her time as a foster carer, Jo is dedicated to supporting organisations that work with children and vulnerable adults on safeguarding issues. She is actively involved in professional safeguarding groups in the West Midlands and is currently collaborating on a research project with colleagues from the University of Birmingham and the NHS focusing on FGM awareness within communities. Jo’s has worked as a West Midlands' Adviser for national PSHE resources, presented at the Sex Education Forum National Members' Event and authored an advertorial for PSM magazine and an article for SEND magazine.

Jo's expertise extends to training on topics such as Safer Recruitment and Mental Health at Work. She is also a facilitator for the nationally recognised NPQSL qualification, supporting senior leaders in education. Her contributions to publications and development of resources for RSE provision have been well-received by schools nationally and internationally.

With her extensive experience and dedication to professional development, Jo Perrin is a highly respected figure in the field of education. Her guidance on safeguarding, mental health awareness, personal development, and relationships education is highly valued within the industry.

Tricia Bunn - Former Adviser, Services For Education

Over a career spanning 20 years, Tricia has been involved in primary education in a variety of contexts – as a teacher; senior leader; headteacher (within an LEA and within an Academy) and teacher educator. She is an experienced, successful headteacher, having led two schools since 2010.

For three years Tricia was Senior Lecturer in Primary Education at the University of Wolverhampton. In this role she was Module leader for English and Lead Tutor for the PGCE. Tricia is part of our School improvement team and is a tutor on the SFE primary initial teacher training programme.

She is the Lead English Adviser and co-leads on our curriculum development programme. Another key part of her most recent work has been embedding an understanding of cognitive theory into CPD, and ensuring this is the basis of work going forward.

Liz Bates – Independent Consultant

After teaching for 25 years, Liz worked as an advisor with Services For Education for over 10 years leading on Mental Health, Emotional Health and Wellbeing before becoming an independent consultant. As well as working with schools Liz has presented key note talks, workshops and research findings at national conferences.

Liz has written 4 books and teaching resources that are used across the country by schools and other professionals working with children. Liz also works as a schools’ engagement trainer for the Anna Freud Centre, a Wellbeing Award advisor for Optimus Education and is a Protective Behaviours practitioner and trainer.

Charlie Laffan – Independent Integrative Counsellor

Charlie is an Integrative Counsellor who works with adults and children, delivering family support, mentoring and counselling.

She has extensive experience of providing specialist support with families and individuals in schools, and across a wide range of sectors.

Charlie’s counselling has a holistic approach and is tailored to the client’s needs. She brings this philosophy to mentoring and family support, providing therapeutic and practical interventions for young people and families.

Julia Davey – Director, Supervision in Schools

Julia brings over 20 years experience in Education and Social Care. Her roles have included school advisor, national safeguarding programme developer, strategic lead in SEND and Safeguarding and qualified systemic supervisor in multiple contexts. With understanding of the daily challenges of a DSL in a school setting and wider safeguarding considerations, Julia brings knowledgeable and sensitive insights alongside practical tools, to generate solution focused actions for individual cases and the whole school system.

Edwina Langley – Lead Attendance Officer, Birmingham City Council

Edwina Langley is the Lead Attendance Officer for Birmingham City Council. A qualified social worker with a Masters’ degree in Social Science, and experience in family support, Edwina has worked in the city for 26 years, working directly with schools. Currently, Edwina leads the Education Legal Intervention Team providing statutory support and advise to schools relating to school absence, legal processes and related early help.

Sandra Passmore – Former Adviser, Services For Education

Sandra has extensive experience in safeguarding, health and wellbeing and evidence based practice. She has worked nationally with key government departments (Departments of Health and Education) to help shape strategy and policy whilst still retaining the focus on working for the best outcomes for children and young people.

She has a PhD on the psychology of health related choices which has informed the development of award winning, evidence based programmes such as Health for Life in primary schools and Health for Life in nursery schools which have been proven to have a sustainable impact on improving the health and wellbeing of children and families.

Sandra led the development and delivery of the DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) training for SFE. She was pivotal in expanding the remit of the safeguarding work to also include issues such as domestic abuse and sexual violence and harassment within the education context.

Sandra’s passion for improving the lives of children has led her to develop work within Public Health and managed RCT (Randomised Control Trials) on the effectiveness of interventions such as the daily mile. Additionally, Sandra has written books for teachers and pupils as well as peer reviewed academic journal papers.

Marsha has over 18 years’ experience of teaching and senior leadership in schools within the West Midlands. She is passionate about the power of education to create knowledge, build confidence, and break down barriers to opportunity. She works with senior leaders, middle leaders, and governors to develop capacity and bring about rapid improvement through supporting them in effective self-evaluation, evaluating the impact of the curriculum and conducting quality assurance across the school.

Her particular areas of focus are Personal Development and Culture and Ethos, including Safeguarding.

Marsha works closely with SEND – the platinum thread, providing advice and guidance on the most effective ways to promote desirable outcomes. She helps to develop an understanding of best practices and processes, as well as appropriate tools and resources.

Sign Up For Updates

Register your interest below and we’ll keep you updated over the coming months, and you’ll be the first to know about our brand new subscription service when it launches in January.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Every Thursday, on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, we will be sharing even more advice, free resources and events about Safeguarding, for schools. Follow us now to keep up to date!

*OUR ONE-MINUTE READS ARE COMING SOON*

YOU SPOKE, WE LISTENED. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING SOME CONTENT THAT IS EASY AND QUICK TO DIGEST, TO FIT INTO YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE. 

Emma Mudge – Adviser, Services For Education

Emma Mudge has over 20 years of experience working in primary education. Throughout this time, she has become a leader in a wide variety of areas throughout the school including Assessment, Teaching and Learning, Curriculum Management and Lead DSL, to name but a few. As Deputy Head Teacher and Acting Head Teacher, she has been at the forefront of school leadership and improvement.

During her role as English leader, she successfully introduced new approaches which significantly raised attainment. This led her to be approached to support other English coordinators across Birmingham, make presentations to school leaders and become a member of a small group of specialist teachers and leaders, tasked with improving the reading attainment in a number of schools across the city.

Emma now works as the Educational Adviser for English at Services for Education, sharing her experience and knowledge of working in primary schools to continually promote and improve the standard of teaching and learning in English, and in school improvement.

Chapelhill-umc School

Education & religion, why religious education has an important role to play in our society.

Religious Education is important for the development of understanding and knowledge about religions in the young minds. It provides an individual with insight into different religious practices, faiths, beliefs and helps people know and familiarize with different cultures around the world. It builds tolerance among people with different background and religious beliefs. Overall, it serves to build a better society, community, and culture of the human being. Hope this article will help you understand the question and will serve you like an essay writing help .

Religious education is vital to democracy

Religious belief and norms still remain the living force of the moral spirit of society. Religious education not only teaches virtue, but it also catalyzes moral action. Thus, it plays a vital role in society, enabling the individual having special considerations for different people with different needs. It teaches individuals to abide by the law voluntarily and respect others (and their properties). It teaches you how to give value to the human relationships and that money cannot buy you love and peace.

The multidiscipline nature

Due to the multidisciplinary nature of religious studies which include analytical and reasoning skills, social insight, theoretical knowledge, ethics, and philosophical thinking, it helps to develop core literacy skills.

Makes people understand the value of religious freedom

Indeed, preserving religious freedom in society is of great importance and has key advantages. Religious freedom amplifies socioeconomic progress in society and reduces violent conflict. Common people can only understand the importance of religious freedom through religious education. This will allow them to respect the different religious beliefs of their neighbor. Thus, societies are better developed when citizens have the freedom to express their religious beliefs and ideologies. So, religious education contributes to a more peaceful, stable and charitable society.

Improves the ability to think critically

The religious study itself is a demanding subject requiring rigorous efforts to understand its principle. Therefore, religious education also enables to empower your critical thinking ability as you go through the courses.

You will understand your heritage

Irrespective of the religious education you are receiving, it will enlighten you with your heritage, values, and future understanding. For young people, it offers a great opportunity to develop consciousness of society, philosophy, history, politics, and culture.

Individuals will know their own identity

With the help of religious education , individuals get to know about their identity and start to respect themselves. It also teaches to know your rights and key responsibilities towards society and mankind at large. There is a growing need for religious education in a time when we need a more tolerant society with increasing diversity among communities. Religious education will play a vital part in establishing social bonding and building a true understanding among different societies, reducing social unrest, intolerance, and friction between communities. Unfortunately, the religious space is more and more reduced by the idea that religion is a purely private matter. This prevents the study of religion at a larger scale at a community level and circulating the true essence of religion. This trend is disconcerting, especially for believers.

The current world, even more so need the religious education as we can clearly notice the dip in religious tolerance across the globe. No religion teaches us to hate human beings and nature or disrespect other religions. The role of religion in society remains indispensable. Religion must remain a very precious heritage. Preserving this legacy carefully through religious education will help to develop a renewed respect for religious freedom and the democratic principles that support it. This respect will come with religious education, and people will understand and recognize the vital place of religion in society.

Proudly powered by WordPress

Theme designed by Webempresa

University of Notre Dame

Ten Reasons Why Catholic Education Still Matters

Reverend Ronald J. Nuzzi, Ph.D. Director, ACE  RISE  (Renewing Identity, Strengthening Evangelization) offers ten reasons why Catholic schools still have an important place in our world.

1. An Incarnational View of the World Catholic School students learn that God is present and active in their lives and in the world. They learn to recognize the "footprints of God" in their daily experiences, especially in the midst of life's challenges. They develop a sense of "sacramental awareness". They see the signs of God's love around them, and become instruments of God's grace in their own neighborhoods, communities and the world. In an incarnational view of the world, there is no such thing as a secular subject as all learning helps to develop and bring to full bloom that image of God that is in each person. 2. Immersion in the Paschal Mystery Our lives are a series of small and not so small dyings and risings. In union with the Paschal Mystery, we realize that there is redemptive power in suffering, and in the power of the cross. In it lies the answer to the mystery of all of life's successes and failures. In the experience of the Paschal Mystery, we also realize the need for community. Like Jesus, we encounter our own Simon of Cyrenes to help us along the way. Wins and losses on the athletic field, As and Fs in class, and laughter and tears in our lives are the way we participate in Jesus' dying and rising. 3. The Value of Relationships as a Reflection of the Divine Catholic school students learn to experience God's grace and presence in their lives through their relationships with family, friends and teachers. The loving and supportive relationships they experience are reflections of the love and life-giving dynamic of the Trinity. As a community we celebrate our successes and achievements. We share grief and downfalls. We unite together in solidarity, and even challenge each other to become better reflections of the divine. We are made for community. 4. A Nuanced View of Scripture Catholic school students are given the opportunity to explore the beauty and richness of Sacred Scripture seen through the lens of faith and lived out in daily practice. They experience the ongoing revelation of God in Scripture as the One who leads the Israelites through the promised land, and who redeems them through His cross and resurrection. They also come to view the human person as created in God's image and likeness, and destined for eternal life. They learn to apply Scripture to their own lives as a tool for prayer and the true guide for virtuous living. 5. Civic Engagement In recent research, it has been reported that private school graduates are significantly more likely to actively participate in civic activities than their public school counterparts. Catholic Schools were ranked #1 in the percentage of graduates who actively participate in civic and community activities such as voting, volunteering, letter-writing to legislators, Catholic Concerns Day, and donations to charity, not just for a tax write-off, but out of a sense of the requirements of justice. 6. Service for the Common Good Catholic schools promote service as an essential component of their curriculum. Many Catholic schools have service programs from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Higher education programs such as the Jesuit or Dominican Volunteer Corps promote service at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Diocesan organizations such as Catholic Family Services provide resources and help to people from all walks of life. Catholic school students learn that since community is at the heart of who we are, there are no strangers, only brothers and sisters in the Lord. We have a responsibility to respond to the needs of others because we are all part of God's family. 7. Discipline as a Faith Expectation Catholic schools promote self-discipline through clarity of moral vision that is based on the Gospel. Students are challenged to be Christ-like in word and action. They are asked to examine their choices and action in light of the Ten Commandments and the Gospel law of love. They are given a theological foundation for ethical behavior. Students are not good because they act in accord with rules and expectations. Rather, because students are good, i.e. sons and daughters of God, they are expected to act and make choices that are in keeping with this dignity. 8. The Centrality of Arts, Ritual, Drama, Music to the Life of Faith Through Catholic education, students are exposed to the richness of the religious tradition. Music, Art, Literature, Drama and Ritual are rooted in the rich history of the Church, and find their truest glory as an expression of divine praise. 9. The Fullness of the Catholic Identity at the Heart of the Church Catholic education has always been at the heart of the Catholic mission. Catholic education, and the students who are the product of it, have been called the "greatest work of the Church". They have been entrusted with the fullness of faith and have been charged with the mission of evangelization. They are to go out into the world and share the gifts they have received, as doctors, lawyers, policemen, firemen, businessmen and women, teachers, priests and religious, all as Catholic school graduates. Catholic school graduates are a leaven in society, helping the broader community to be the best that it can be. 10. Personal Excellence as a Spiritual Goal Catholic school students learn that excellence is a response to God's blessings. Academic excellence is not a gospel value in and of itself. The Sermon on the Mount doesn't say "Blessed are you who get all A's." Education must have an altruistic orientation. Students learn so as to help others, and make a difference in the world around them.

Let your curiosity lead the way:

Apply Today

• Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Studies in A&S

Why study religion?

Big questions.

Whether you consider yourself a religious person or not, or whether you think religion has played a positive or negative role in history, it is an incontrovertible fact that from the beginning of time, humans have engaged in activities that we now call religion, such as worship, prayer, and rituals marking important life passages. Moreover, religions have always asked fundamental questions, such as: What is the true meaning of life? What happens to us after death? How do we explain human suffering and injustices?

Human Understanding

The answers different religious traditions give to these important questions are many and varied and often contradictory. But the questions themselves are ones with which humans throughout time have grappled, and probably will continue to grapple with into the indefinite future. Thus, one of the first reasons to study religion is simply to deepen our understanding of others and ourselves, even as we pursue other realms of knowledge.

Cultural Influence

We also study religion in order to learn more about how different aspects of human life—politics, science, literature, art, law, economics—have been and continue to be shaped by changing religious notions of, for example, good and evil, images of the deity and the divine, salvation and punishment, etc. By studying different religious doctrines, rituals, stories, and scriptures, we can also come to understand how different communities of believers—past and present, East and West—have used their religious traditions to shape, sustain, transform themselves.

Global Insight

More than ever before, the world we live in is both multicultural and global. We no longer need to travel across the ocean to visit a Hindu temple or an Islamic mosque or to meet a Sikh or a Jain. The chances are that you can find a temple or mosque within a few miles of where you live, and it is almost certain that you will be meet someone from any and all of these religious traditions on campus or on the street. This makes it even more essential that we cultivate our ability to understand and interpret other people’s religious traditions.

Interdisciplinary

Finally, the academic study of religion is inherently multidisciplinary. This is reflected in our program here at Washington University, which draws faculty from different disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences, such as history, anthropology, literature, art history, and political science. Studying religion thus provides you an opportunity to learn about a range of disciplinary approaches, and, even more importantly, the connections and linkages among them. In this way studying religion invites us all to think in a more interdisciplinary and integral way about the world and our place in it.

Ready to learn more?

Reach out to us if you're curious about studying religion at WashU. Or, check out our event page for upcoming social events where you can meet current religious studies faculty and students!

Oak Knoll School Blog

Why catholic education is important now more than ever.

Each year, January is a month packed full of New Year’s resolutions and quiet reflection, but this winter month also highlights the importance of Catholic education in the United States a the annual National Catholic Schools Week celebration takes place.

During National Catholic Schools Week, it’s prime time for Catholic schools to celebrate through various Masses, open houses, service projects and other activities for students, families, parishioners, and community members. Keeping this year’s theme in mind – “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service,” – there are several reasons why Catholic education is important now more than ever.

Safe, Caring Community

Especially during the continuing global pandemic, parents everywhere are seeking a safe and caring school environment for their child(ren). A Catholic school community ensures that your child will be taught the same values that they learn at home – have reverence for every person, treat others as you would want to be treated and live as Jesus did to help those in need. Many people view choosing a faith-based school as an extension of their families.

High Quality Academics and Spiritual Guidance

According to two studies released last spring from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), every year for the last 20 years, Catholic schools have outperformed public schools on NAEP tests – reading, math, science, computer literacy, geography and history. Catholic school students also in grades 4 and 8 are outperforming their public-school peers in math, reading, and science. Additionally, Catholic schools produce a higher percentage of high school graduates who go on to attend a four-year college and also typically see higher national graduation rates. Catholic school students, while also gaining a high-quality education, benefit from the spiritual teachings of the Catholic church, which are usually infused throughout the school day in religion classes and through active participation in serving their communities around them. In these pandemic times where our nation’s children are at a critical mental health crisis, quiet spiritual teachings and reflections can be highly beneficial.  

Whole Child Education

Catholic schools place high emphasis on educating the whole child – meaning that they focus on strong academic achievement, but just as important is providing students with values and ethics that promotes the long-term development, wellbeing and success of children. Catholic schools spend time teaching children about the importance of their actions and behavior and treatment of one another as essential qualities in the learning process. Whole child instruction also aims to ensure each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.  

Focuses on Serving the Community

A central benefit to Catholic education is that it devotes time to focusing on the needs of others most in need first, much like Jesus did in his own life. Especially in the age of individualism or “ Me Decade” where people focus on promoting themselves, Catholic education “broadens horizons helping children think of others and promotes community service” through various volunteer nonprofit service projects, dedicated community service days or other similar programs to help people who need assistance. 

While Catholic schools were once exclusively made up of Catholic children and staff, today Catholic schools include and are welcoming to all families and all religions. Many families today seek to educate their children by embracing the differences of others, by serving those in need and educating the whole child in a safe and spiritual environment while, at the same time, providing the highest academic and spiritual standards. 

Click here for more information about how Oak Knoll has celebrated National Catholic Schools Week in years past.

Topics: education , religion , independent catholic school summit nj , social and emotional learning

Interested in learning more about Oak Knoll School for your child?

Recent posts, posts by topic.

• parenting (52)
• elementary school (44)
• high school (41)
• education (37)
• middle school (37)
• technology (32)
• social and emotional learning (21)
• building confidence (20)
• mental health (19)
• student advice (19)
• family (17)
• activities with kids (14)
• christmas (14)
• wellness (14)
• Community (13)
• all-girls (13)
• athletics (13)
• private school (13)
• COVID-19 (12)
• Coronavirus (12)
• admissions (12)
• community service (12)
• diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (12)
• health (12)
• academics (11)
• reading (11)
• podcast (10)
• back-to-school (9)
• students (9)
• teaching (9)
• growth mindset (7)
• learners (7)
• lower school (7)
• thanksgiving (7)
• things to do (7)
• history (6)
• project-based learning (6)
• success skills (6)
• Black History Month (5)
• Summit NJ (5)
• classroom (5)
• computer science (5)
• educational forum (5)
• elementary (5)
• independent catholic school summit nj (5)
• kindergarten ready (5)
• pre-kindergarten (5)
• religion (5)
• science (5)
• separation anxiety (5)
• social justice (5)
• coeducation (4)
• college counseling (4)
• election (4)
• engineering (4)
• executive functioning (4)
• internet safety (4)
• performing arts (4)
• the arts (4)
• fitness (3)
• leadership (3)
• mission (3)
• politiccs (3)
• preschool (3)
• preschool ready (3)
• Artificial Intelligence (2)
• creative arts (2)
• ensemble (2)
• entrepreneurship (2)
• fine arts (2)
• fundraising (2)
• halloween (2)
• hispanic heritage (2)
• kindergarten (2)
• life lessons (2)
• tuition (2)
• winter break (2)
• writing skills (2)
• Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (1)
• Bullying (1)
• Cornelia Connelly (1)
• Society of the Holy Child Jesus (1)
• after school (1)
• austria (1)
• development (1)
• dominican republic (1)
• fall fun (1)
• first day of school (1)
• flipped classrooms, (1)
• giving tuesday (1)
• harkness (1)
• holy child (1)
• mustard seed (1)
• politics (1)
• social media (1)
• student athlete (1)
• summit new jersey (1)
• virtual learning (1)

Subscribe to Email Updates

Copyright © 2023 Oak Knoll. All Rights Reserved.

• Department of Religious Studies
• Location Location
• Contact Contact
• Colleges and Schools
• Arts and Sciences

10 Reasons to Consider Religious Studies

As a Religious Studies major at the University of South Carolina, you will explore the variety and depth of the world's religious traditions, including their histories, scriptures, systems of belief, rituals, sacred art, ethical teachings, transformative practices and social institutions.

You will also be introduced to the history of the discipline of Religious Studies and to the range of scholarship that has shaped and continues to shape the academic approach to religion. You may choose a major or a minor.

Here are just 10 reasons you should consider a religious studies major.

Throughout history, religious traditions have been a strong motivating force, fueling efforts towards peace and human rights, as well as conflict, violence and oppression. Although some predicted that religion would fade away in the modern era, the situation is quite the opposite. Today in fact it is more vital than ever to understand the many roles religion has played and continues to play both in society and in individual people's lives.

An understanding and appreciation of religious traditions on their own terms, and in their interface with other traditions, is an integral part of the education demanded by the complex, increasingly globalized society we live in. Now more than ever we need people who are aware of their own perspective and how it shapes their perception, who are informed about views other than their own and respectful towards them, and who are able to understand and use different kinds of information.

Because Religious Studies is an inherently multifaceted and multidisciplinary enterprise, it allows students to explore a number of different methods and fields, such as philosophy, anthropology, sociology, history, art, psychology, theology, literature, political science, medicine, women's and gender studies, pop culture—you name it and you can study it.

Religious Studies courses help to develop your critical thinking abilities, your analytical reading and writing skills, and your capacity for interpretation and comparison--abilities which are essential in every field of study.

Because religion is such a fundamental aspect of human experience and society, studying it offers access to a variety of career options. Students who major in Religious Studies often go on to pursue careers in law, education, government, medicine, social work, counseling and journalism, as well as ministry.

Whether it is Zen monks, ancient Christian martyrs, Muslim and Jewish women, Hindu saints or Chinese philosophers, our courses introduce you to people and phenomena from all over the world. Learning about religion provides an opportunity to explore different cultures and develop a more global perspective. Through Maymester programs and study abroad opportunities, students have been able to travel to India, China, Japan, Greece, Turkey and elsewhere.

What is the meaning and purpose of human life, how are faith and reason related, what happens after death, what should guide our ethical choices? Religious Studies will give you the opportunity to ponder some of the possible answers.

Because religion is such a complex issue, studying it gives you a chance to stretch your thinking. It can be exhilarating to see the world from an entirely different perspective--for example, by putting yourself in the shoes of a third-century C.E. orthodox Hindu priest. What does that teach you about yourself?

From Buddhist Meditation to the Psychology of Religion, from Existentialism to Islam, from the New Testament to Money, Power, Greed and Theology, our courses are sure to meet your interests each semester.

All of the Religious Studies faculty are committed to excellence in teaching and are actively pursuing research. Stop by for our office hours, talk to us after class, and get to know what we're working on and what keeps us coming back to the study of religion!

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

• Essay Samples
• College Essay
• Writing Tools
• Writing guide

↑ Return to College Essay

Why is Religion Important Essay

If we are not governed by a set of values, then our principles and idea of right and wrong are only based on opinion. The Nazis were not evil. They had a set of values that do not match many of the values that exist today. If they had kept to the religious promises they made the Vatican as they rose to power, then they would have had a hard time taking life in the way they did. My hypothesis is that religion is a human creation, but without some form of faith in more than human opinion, we are lost because only have ourselves to account to.

Human nature is bad. We are not born with a knowledge of right or wrong. That is why people turn out so differently. It is not because a person is born good or bad, but the way they are treated and the values they are taught is what makes them the person they become. Religion has sets of rules that people follow on mass. These rules are more than laws with punishments and rewards, they are based on a set of values, and those are the things that help a person grow to be well adjusted.

Imagine kids without the rule of parents. If a child was allowed to run around and do what he or she wished in an unchecked manner, then children would kill themselves by accident, become sociopaths, and become savages. There would be no way of knowing what would happen. Kids need a parental figure to give out rules and teach values, and that is what religion does for adults. It gives them a set of values and rules to live by.

We are taught what is right and wrong, and religion allows a certain unification that governments are unable to instill. The law tells us not to kill. We are not born with that knowledge. We are born to kill, which is why kids are often merciless insect (and pet) killers. We have both eyes facing front, which means we are born predators. The law tells us not to kill and not to steal. Most will never do such things, and part of that is due to religion. Religion came up with the idea that we shouldn’t kill and steal long before the law did.

The law simply tells us what to do, but religion tries to explain why we should do things. One may say that we do not do things because the law tells us not to, and that is a good enough reason for them, but it is too black and white for most people. Religion helps us shape values so we can make our own choices. For example, the law may say do not kill, but religion (the good religions) teaches us the sanctity of life, so if we had to kill a single person in order to save thousands–then religion allows us to make that choice where the law does not.

The law is the government’s way of trying to instill values, but they simply cannot do it with rules alone. The government would hope that if you follow the law, then you will see why it works and learn your values that way–but it is doing it all backwards. With peace-loving and good religions that do not condone killing, such as any religion “other than” the Arian brotherhood, Islam, and Satanism, you are taught why something is wrong so that you may then choose what you do. Good religions that do not condone killing say you can break the law because you have choices, but it first gives you the reasons and values needed to make the right decision (which usually involves following the law).

Follow Us on Social Media

Get more free essays

Send via email

Most useful resources for students:.

• Free Essays Download
• Writing Tools List
• Proofreading Services
• Universities Rating

Contributors Bio

Find more useful services for students

Free plagiarism check, professional editing, online tutoring, free grammar check.

9 Reasons Why Religion is so Important in Life and to Society Today

• Post author: lesoned
• Post category: Society and Culture
• Post comments: 0 Comments
• Post last modified: June 30, 2020

The importance of religion cannot be underestimated considering the impact it is having on our daily lives every day whether we are interested in it or not

Religion is defined as believing in a supernatural power by carrying out different activities or rituals as a way of worship.

There can’t be a fixed definition of this, but there are a couple of ways you could define it as you understand

But why on earth we would need to create a religious culture in our lives today   

Here are 9 reasons why religion is important in our everyday lives and today’s society in reference to all religions in the world

Table of Contents

Importance of religion in life

1. guidance on how to live life.

There are lots of things taught in religion especially to children in Sunday school on how to live peacefully with others in society

This is the same reason students are taught religious education in schools as religious education backs up formal education teaching its followers to be law-abiding citizens with high levels of integrity

And if you are going astray in life, religious books do provide you with information on what you ought to do in life

2. Religion gives us a purpose in life

One of the questions people ask themselves in life is what their purpose on earth and in life is.

Religion gives you a purpose to live for and for some people, it is to spread the word of God or others it’s to eradicate the evil from the world through their actions

And others it’s to help others, especially in poor countries through charity organizations. Some religions have been carrying out charity activities in Africa especially Christianity

In all those ways religion is inspiring people to fulfill their purposes in life for a good cause

3. Religion gives people hope, faith, and belief for a better future during hard times

Religious teachings set a very good ground for counseling and giving people hope during hard times 

The stories in religious books like the bible actually have encouraging stories to help people endure hardships in life and be able to achieve what they want in life

Religion is also being used in counseling the youth about the effects of early sex through sex education and also helping the youth in the fight against using drugs

4. Religion is used to guide us know what is wrong or right

Much as with our natural conscious we can tell what is wrong or right, religion guides you to follow and respect your intuition and do the right thing

Indirectly religion is keeping law and order by making people who follow it and do what they are taught in religious books.

Even in debatable instances, religion acts the final verdict on whether something is wrong or right and also helps us live with each other in harmony through doing the right thing

Importance of religion to society

5. religion promotes unity in society.

Even though different religions cause disunity among us

Having one religion in a given society is actually going to promote unity and that’s because all people in that society will all at least have something in common to bring them together

And of course, there are lots of benefits from being united and all this could be brought about by religion

6. Religions unite races, genders and social standings as one

Religion is a good platform to fight racism which is a growing vice in the world today

Most people are always looking at their differences and discriminating themselves into races and high and low-class standing which is not good

Most religions teach their followers that we are all made by the same God irrespective of our differences in culture and races or gender so we should treat everyone the same way we treat others

So religions encourage believers to accept everyone the way they are and accept them irrespective of the differences

In that way, religion is able to tackle growing vices which makes the world a better place for everyone to live in

7. Religion acts as a universal language

Apart from love since we can all speak the language of love, religion also provides another language we can all speak if we all belong to a certain religion.

 We can all be able to communicate with each irrespective of our races or indigenous languages, this is because religion provides a common ground and common language that can be spoken by all believers which creates one big society

8. Religion is used in promoting morals and values in society

One of the core purposes of religion in our society is creating a world with best acceptable morals from people

And in instances where society shows very poor morals religion is blamed because it has a very strong stand in our society today to ensure that morality is achieved

This could be through religious leaders being exemplary and also organizing seminars to educate people on expected and acceptable moral behaviors in our society  

9. Religion is used to make laws

Most laws are made with a foundation laid from religious books

Most laws in the world are based on religious books. The Sharia law is based on Quran teachings well as Christian nations also base their laws on the teachings of the bible

Religious books are all-around books that can be used for a lot of things and even offering advice to people but in this case, they are actually being used to make laws especially with confusing and sensitive crimes

You could see even most Christian nations have something to do God on their national emblems and people are sworn in using a religious book to prove their honesty in courts of law

Actually, if Christians follow the 10 commandments there would be little or no crime as most offenses lie within not following these laws

On the contrary, this kind of setup makes it hard to separate religion from the state

The world could run out of control if not for religions laying principles for their followers to abide by

Interestingly a couple of people are only doing the right thing because they fear to go to hell, which means if people wake up today and they are told there is no hell or heaven you might get some surprise reactions and behaviors from them

So religion is acting as a control to a ticking time bomb to earth from tearing its self apart though one of its greatest setbacks is lack of evidence to back some teachings and inconsistency which make a lot of people give up and end up atheists

And religious leaders failing to practice what they preach

But as long as religion remains, the world will be a good place to live in with each other

You Might Also Like

Which Religion is Right for You in the World Today?

10 Good Reasons Why Family is Important to You in Life and Society

Can You Wear Black to a Wedding?

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Critical Financial

10 Reasons Why Religion Is Good (and 8 Reasons Why It’s Bad)

Posted: April 25, 2024 | Last updated: April 25, 2024

Many people see religion in very black-and-white terms, describing it as either all good or bad. But in reality, religion comes with both benefits and drawbacks, often depending on how it’s used. This list reveals 10 reasons why religion is good and 8 ways it can be harmful.

A Sense of Community

Starting off with the good, religion is famously effective at bringing people together. It promotes a sense of community and belonging based on shared values, which helps people feel less alone and more supported through their struggles. Perhaps this is why religious communities are linked to a high degree of human flourishing . Many religions also make use of regular gatherings and events, which encourage communities to get together and support one another.

Moral Guidance

While it can be dangerous to get your whole sense of morality from religion, it often provides a good framework that helps people make more ethical decisions. Many religions emphasize the importance of virtues such as honesty, compassion, and forgiveness, which are all universally viewed as positive qualities.

Coping with Stress

Without coping strategies, stress can be extremely damaging to one’s mental and physical well-being. A lot of religious people state that their religion plays an essential role in helping them to manage their stress, giving them a greater sense of hope, resilience, and comfort in the idea that there’s a divine plan for everyone.

Sense of Purpose

People who lack a sense of purpose may fall into depressive thinking, a lack of motivation, and feelings of existential dread. Thankfully, many religious folks are able to avoid these feelings because of the sense of purpose they derive from their faith. They may gain this sense of meaning from many aspects of religion, including a belief in a higher power and purpose or a commitment to serving their community.

Emotional Support

Religion is able to provide emotional support to many individuals during times of hardship or loss. Followers commonly find feelings of comfort and solace in their faith’s teachings, prayer, and the religious communities they belong to. A belief in the afterlife can also make the passing of loved ones a little more bearable.

Encouragement of Family Values

A lot of religions prioritize family values such as loyalty, respect, and love, all of which are important ingredients in shaping moral and upstanding individuals. The emphasis on the importance of parenthood and marriage can also help build a greater sense of family cohesion and life satisfaction.

Promotion of Healthier Lifestyles

Many religions help people adhere to healthier lifestyles and diets through teachings about food, moderation, and the discouraging of harmful behaviors. According to the National Library of Medicine , religious people are more likely to regularly participate in vigorous activity than their non-religious counterparts.

Source of Inspiration and Guidance

Religious people often see their faith as a significant source of guidance and inspiration, both in their day-to-day lives and during times of hardship. Meaningful passages in religious texts can be particularly helpful in uplifting one’s mood and helping them move forward with a sense of resilience and strength.

Encouragement of Forgiveness

As mentioned previously, religions typically highlight the importance of forgiveness and its ability to improve one’s emotional and mental well-being. This can help people better maintain their friendships and relationships, as well as allow them to lay down the heavy burden of hatred and grudges.

Promotion of Peace and Harmony

There aren’t many religions that don’t preach the importance of peace and harmony in one form or another. Most faiths teach valuable lessons about tolerance, compassion, and empathy for people from all walks of life. This can help promote a sense of inclusivity, inclusion, and social harmony.

Division and Conflict

Now it’s time to take a look at the potential downsides of religion. Perhaps one of the most common arguments against religion is its potential for division and conflict. Indeed, it is true that religious differences have been at the center of many wars. However, it’s important to remember that most faiths condemn violence. What’s more, according to The Encyclopedia of Wars , less than 7% of all wars were primarily caused by religion.

Suppression of Individual Rights

While religious rules and guidelines can be helpful in providing a sense of guidance and morality, they can also feel restrictive for many. Some religions and doctrines infringe upon important rights such as the rights of minorities, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.

Anti-Science Attitudes

Different religions have vastly different accounts of how the world was born and developed, and many of these ideas conflict with scientific discoveries. Some religious groups are also known for rejecting established scientific facts and promoting pseudoscience.

Repression of Critical Thinking

Some religions discourage critical thinking, questioning, and skepticism, which can be harmful in many ways. For example, children who are raised to blindly follow religious beliefs and doctrines may also fail to question or critically engage with other aspects of their life or education.

Economic Exploitation

Some religious institutions are known for having incredible amounts of money, which is often exempt from taxes, while many of their followers may be struggling to make ends meet. According to the Christian Post , the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints may be worth a whopping $1 trillion by 2044.

Promotion of Ignorance

A lot of people believe that religion promotes a sense of ignorance and closed-mindedness. For example, some religious communities restrict their children’s access to education and other points of perspective. Some also engage in strict censorship rules which may limit followers’ access to important information.

Perpetuation of Superstition

Some religions promote the belief in supernatural phenomena such as otherworldly beings, miracles, and abilities. While this is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, it can lead some people into more irrational thinking, paranoia, a lack of critical thinking, and obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

Entrenchment of Patriarchy

Unfortunately, many religious texts were written during times when women had fewer rights and freedoms. As such, some religions continue to reinforce these old, harmful gender stereotypes, create a sense of inequality, and promote the idea that men should always rule over women.

Read More: 17 Religious Facts People Get Wrong All the Time

Religious beliefs and practices are often misunderstood, leading to common misconceptions. Some are just too general, others are downright out there. So, we’ll be correcting 17 widely circulated ‘facts’ about world religions.

17 Religious Facts People Get Wrong All the Time

Why People Aren’t Religious Anymore: 15 Simple Reasons

As society evolves, so does our approach to spirituality. This article looks at the subtle yet profound shift from traditional religious adherence to a more personal, evidence-based belief system.

17 American Attractions That Not Even Americans Want to Visit

The United States of America—land of the free, home of the brave, and the location of some of the most ‘unique’ tourist attractions you’ll ever lay eyes on.

Get ready to chuckle, scratch your head, and maybe even facepalm as we look at 17 American attractions that not even Americans think are worth visiting.

20 Things We Did When We Were Young That We Regret Now

It’s easy to say hindsight is 20/20, but what advice would you really give your younger self? Here are 20 things that most people did when they were young that they regret today.

17 Things That Used to Be Highly Respected But Isn’t Anymore

Many things in the world used to be well-respected before turning into complete jokes for various reasons. An internet survey recently asked people, “What is something that was once highly respected but is now a complete joke?” Here are the top 20 answers:

More for You

Former boxing world champion dies aged 57

Man loses 450 pounds after reaching 'rock bottom.' 1 key diet change helped

Martin Freeman reflects on age-gap controversy with Jenna Ortega in 'Miller's Girl'

Net Worth for Baby Boomers: How To Tell Whether You’re Poor, Middle Class, Upper Middle Class or Rich

23 Insane Features Of Real Houses

Netflix is about to remove a large selection of movies and TV shows

NFL's top 20 remaining free agents include Odell Beckham Jr.

I Lost 50lbs With 3 Lifestyle Changes

A Massive U.S. Nuclear Plant Is Finally Complete. It Might Be the Last of Its Kind.

‘Most people waffle’: The 'new retirement' doesn’t include quitting work altogether for boomers. Here’s what’s driving the evolution of Americans’ third act

5 Types of Homes That Will Plummet in Value in 2024

America's Next Great Hypercar Is Almost Ready To Hit The Streets

Patrick Mahomes’ Super Bowl rings used in attack on Raw

How much protein do you need to build muscle?

'American Idol': Watch Emmy Russell bring Katy Perry to tears with touching Loretta Lynn cover

If markets want the Fed to cut rates, 'something really bad must be happening': Heather Zumarraga

4 Hidden Money Traps New Parents Need To Avoid

Common Foods That Are Illegal to Grow in Your Backyard

The Coolest Car From the Year You Were Born (1945-1995)

‘City Hunter’: Netflix Whiffs Yet Another Live-Action Manga Adaptation