History of Religion & Public Schools
This module serves as a brief historical overview of the relationship between religion and public schools. Participants will also examine how that relationship has changed over time and the impact of these events on public schools today.
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- Religious Literacy
- Educator
Kate Soules is a doctoral candidate in Curriculum and Instruction at Boston College. Her research focuses on teachers’ professional learning and development on religious literacy and religious liberty. She has taught students from the middle school level to the graduate school level.
- Identify the contributions of key figures in the development of religious liberty
- Evaluate arguments for and against disestablishment and the success of the resulting compromises
- Haynes, C. C., & Thomas, O. S. (2007). Finding Common Ground: A First Amendment Guide to Religion and Public Schools. Nashville, TN: First Amendment Center.
- Appendix B “A History of Religious Liberty in American Public Life” (pg. 261-282)
- All Possess Alike Liberty of Conscience by Charles Haynes, Religious Freedom Center
- Explore this timeline of the History of Religious Freedom in the United States:
- How did religious freedom issues in public school develop alongside other aspects of religious freedom?
- What events or people on the timeline were unfamiliar or surprising to you?
- Why do we need to understand the history of religious liberty in the United States?
- How has the principle of religious liberty shaped American public life? Give a specific example.
- How does the history of religion and religious liberty in the United States impact schools today?
