The effects of pluralism on today's college campuses are intense. The place held by religion in this context is often awkward, but as a dimension of diversity and a potent force in human interaction, it deserves the same tolerance as any other aspect of pluralism and should not be trivialized. (MSE)

The legal tests that are applied to the issue of state mandates to provide creation instruction in public schools, and the implications of the mandates, are discussed. This issue is compared with other curriculum mandates and requirements to illustrate the difficulty of the problem. (MSE)

Religious studies should be pluralistic, comparative, interdisciplinary, and objective. When these four criteria are met then the study of religion will be consistently academic and humanistic--free of partisan control, open to radical doubt, responsive to cultural interaction, and concerned with human enrichment. (MLW)

Cornell University (New York) was among the first to remove normative religious instruction and mandatory religious practice from their previous pervasiveness in higher education. This has removed from the university the responsibility for safeguarding the cultural authority of religion and allowed religion to enter the realm of ideas to be…

Theology deserves a place in the life of a university, as a subject of inquiry and as an area of scholarly interest in many disciplines, alongside more technical areas of study. Maintenance of democratic values requires the broad understanding that study of religion can help develop. (MSE)

Catholic colleges and universities are seen as not Catholic institutions but American institutions of higher learning legally chartered to purvey first-rate education to American citizens. They are subsidized by the federal government and are also philosophically committed to the exploration of the Judeo-Christian-Catholic religious traditions.…

Reflection on religious issues is an essential part of education. In secular colleges and universities, religious topics under study should be highlighted, with discussion, challenges, and critique encouraged, not dismissed or ignored. Faculty should openly express their convictions when relevant to the subject or a student's concern. Dialogue can…