Does God belong in public schools? / Kent Greenawalt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Greenawalt, Kent, 1936-2023.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Religion in the public schools--United States.

Religion in the public schools.

Religion in the public schools--Law and legislation--United States.

Education and state--United States.

Education and state.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (271 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Controversial Supreme Court decisions have barred organized school prayer, but neither the Court nor public policy exclude religion from schools altogether. In this book, one of America's leading constitutional scholars asks what role religion ought to play in public schools. Kent Greenawalt explores many of the most divisive issues in educational debate, including teaching about the origins of life, sex education, and when--or whether--students can opt out of school activities for religious reasons. Using these and other case studies, Greenawalt considers how to balance the country's constitutional commitment to personal freedoms and to the separation of church and state with the vital role that religion has always played in American society. Do we risk distorting students' understanding of America's past and present by ignoring religion in public-school curricula? When does teaching about religion cross the line into the promotion of religion? Tracing the historical development of religion within public schools and considering every major Supreme Court case, Greenawalt concludes that the bans on school prayer and the teaching of creationism are justified, and that the court should more closely examine such activities as the singing of religious songs and student papers on religious topics. He also argues that students ought to be taught more about religion--both its contributions and shortcomings--especially in courses in history. To do otherwise, he writes, is to present a seriously distorted picture of society and indirectly to be other than neutral in presenting secularism and religion. Written with exemplary clarity and even-handedness, this is a major book about some of the most pressing and contentious issues in educational policy and constitutional law today.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Introduction

PART I. HISTORY AND PURPOSES

Chapter 1. A Brief History of American Public Schools and Religion

Chapter 2. Purposes of Public School Education

PART II. DEVOTIONS, CLUBS, AND TEACHING RELIGION AS TRUE

Chapter 3. Devotional Practices: Prayer and Bible Reading

Chapter 4. Moments of Silence

Chapter 5. Teaching Religious Propositions

Chapter 6. Equal Facilities

PART III. TEACHING ABOUT RELIGION

Chapter 7. Teaching and Religion in the Public School

Chapter 8. Teaching Natural Science I: Relation between Science and Religion

Chapter 9. Teaching Natural Science II: Evolutionism, Creationism, and Intelligent Design

Chapter 10. Teaching Natural Science III: What Amounts to Teaching Religion?

Chapter 11. History, Economics, and Literature

Chapter 12. Morals, Civics, and Comparative Religion

Chapter 13. Constitutional Constraints and Other Legal Limits

PART IV. RIGHTS OF STUDENTS

Chapter 14. Student Rights to Religious Freedom and to Free Speech on Religious Topics

Chapter 15. Excusing Students When They or Their Parents Object

Notes

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786612086632

9781282086630

1282086634

9781400826278

1400826276

OCLC:

335241908