Teaching about religion in public schools is a complicated and nuanced topic. Though religious illiteracy has been named as a widespread concern throughout the United States, little research has been conducted that critically analyzes what teachers are asked to cover. Preservice teachers often confess they do not understand what they are and are…

The present study aimed to explore the link between intercultural sensitivity, the four dimensions of cyberbullying, i.e. aggression, victimisation, cyber-defending, and passive bystander behaviour), and religious education as a formal study discipline in schools. Our sample consisted of 241 high school students (M = 18.54, SD = 0.49, 61% males).…

In this article, I explore an ethical and pedagogical dilemma that I encounter each semester in my world religions courses: namely, that a great number of students enroll in the courses as part of their missionary training programs, and come to class understanding successful learning to mean gathering enough information about the world's religious…

Asynchronous online instruction has become increasingly popular in the field of religious studies. However, despite voluminous research on online learning in general and numerous articles on online theological instruction, there has been little discussion of how to effectively design and deliver online undergraduate courses in religious studies.…

This essay presents educational principles of Mahatma Gandhi, specifically principles of character education, as a model for strengthening non-violence in students. Its major concern is to show that Gandhi's ideal of non-violent character education is important for university teaching in disciplines including religious studies, and that Gandhi…

This report brings together recent research, analysis, and textbook evaluations to explain what lies behind today's school wars over teaching about religion. It concludes that textbook controversies involving religion are an important part of a large cultural debate. Some of the most divisive and important curriculum issues of current times,…

Argues that the rise of Islamic fundamentalism since the Iranian Revolution has generated a number of issues of analytical significance for political science. Describes three main models in teaching and research on Islamic fundamentalism: Islamic exceptionalism, comparative fundamentalisms, and class analysis. Discusses the construction of a…

This lecture is accompanied by slides of India. The lecture is used an introduction to the first of the three videotapes of Peter Brook's "Mahabharata," providing students with preliminary background on Hinduism and on the Hindu epic. The objective is also to have students think about the basic values of ancient and modern Hindus. (EH)

Describes a class assignment for a college-level sociology course in which students read from religious texts to identify norms and sanctions. Reports that students expressed positive comments about the activity. Includes suggestions for preparing materials, instructions for implementing the activity, and a coding sheet to be used by students.…

This packet describes how a culture kit can be used to engage students in active learning. While using the kit and poster lessons, students will improve their skills of observation, valuing and analysis. Activities include: (1) a "What is it?" game of exploration of cultural items; (2) poster lessons depicting Indian food, gods and…

This packet contains teaching ideas for a unit on India. It is based on a series of interviews of people from India and directs students to develop a museum kit from the research. The packet begins with a unit on the United Nations and uses India as the model country for students to write their own projects. Questions for consideration are…

Describes the implementation of a humanities-based curriculum for all ninth and tenth grade students at St. Michael's Academy (Austin, Texas). The ninth grade core is thematically organized, integrating the study of English and religion. The sophomore core integrates world history, world literature, and comparative religions. Describes sample…

Asserts that most textbooks and curriculum guides continue to ignore what most social studies acknowledge: U.S. history cannot be taught properly without frequent discussion of religious topics and issues. Discusses topics and recommends resources for including the teaching about religion in U.S. history. (CFR)

This syllabus describes a college course developed to address South Asian literature and culture with a focus on India. Suggestions for student readings and discussion, oral communication, listening, writing, and field trips are included. The empires of South Asia, its religions, social stratification, parallels of history and religion with the…

Maintains that a difficulty in teaching humanities survey courses is coordinating data from the various disciplines of cultural history. Recommends the use of creation stories as "windows" on the cultures of the Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and the Hebrews. Provides an overview of each culture's creation stories and a bibliography of…