Why Religion (and Non-Belief) Belongs in the Classroom
Enabling students to explore their worldviews— and those of their peers — promotes authentic inquiry, critical thinking, and empathy.
Earlier this year, my administrators took a risk: they tasked the students in my Leadership class with developing a virtual professional development course for the 175 teachers and staff at our high school. The topics? Systemic and structural racism, implicit and explicit bias, and religious tolerance and diversity.
After two months of preparation, my students delivered a training session that their instructors described in a follow-up survey as…
Relevant.
Engaging. Can I use these materials with my own students?
Impactful.
Practical. I have a better idea of how to talk about these issues with my kids.
Fun!
While I was blown away by my students’ ability to create such a meaningful learning experience for the adults on our campus, I was also surprised by my colleagues’ willingness to dive into such difficult discussions. At a time when school boards and legislatures across the country are attempting to curb conversations about race, I had assumed that the teachers and staff in our conservative district would ignore — or even challenge — our administration’s choice to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion at our school. I’m grateful to have been proven otherwise.
But that wasn’t the only assumption I had made about our training session. Because our school is situated in the heart of a community nicknamed “Little Provo” (in fact, 30% of our students attend classes at one of the largest Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seminaries in the United States), I’d anticipated that many teachers and staff members would be eager to talk about their knowledge of and experiences with religious diversity and tolerance.
Once again, I was wrong.
During our discussions on religious diversity and tolerance, I was stunned to hear comments like…
Religion? Oh no, I don’t want to go there.
How am I supposed to bring it up? It’s awkward.
I don’t want some parent calling the front office complaining about how I’m trying to indoctrinate their kid.
As someone who grew up in a monolithic religious environment, I know firsthand how faith can permeate every aspect of a child’s life. Religion provided a framework for interpreting what I learned in class. Religion helped me survive the hormonal chaos of adolescence. Religion even informed how I dressed and what I watched on TV. My life didn’t exist apart from my faith, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
At the same time, I was beginning to recognize from conversations with my own students, especially those who didn’t share the same perspectives as their peers involved in seminary, were left feeling like outsiders in their own community — a feeling I hoped could change with purposeful dialogue.
In light of my educational background and understanding of my current teaching context, I decided to spark conversations about religion (and nonbelief) in my English classes. Based on the feedback I received from my students, I’ve found that some of the most significant ways in which they were able to engage in these discussions occurred during our eight-week “Man and Meaning” unit, which involved…
- Reading and analyzing Man’s Search for Meaning, which culminated in a Socratic Seminar on finding hope in the midst of unimaginable suffering.
- Reading and analyzing religious and philosophical texts of their choice (including Friedrich Nietzsche’s Good and Evil, G.K. Chesterton’s The Everlasting Man, Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, and Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching), which students then discussed in “Literature Circles” of their peers.
- Conducting research on a religious or philosophical construct of their choice and evaluating the validity of that religion or philosophy’s answer to the question, What is the meaning of life?
- Sharing their findings with their peers and soliciting feedback on their arguments (e.g., “Although I agreed with what you had to say about all religions having some aspects of truth, I’m not quite sure I understand your reasoning behind…”).
For the majority of these seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds, this unit presented them with their first-ever opportunity to thoughtfully examine their own beliefs — and that of their peers — in an academic setting. Guided by our class discussion norms, students were eager to talk about issues that “really mattered” to them, countering the narrative that what they learn in school doesn’t connect to their lives or the world at large. What’s more, their conversations required a level of vulnerability and trust that ultimately helped a diverse group of students become a little kinder and grow a little closer.
If teachers are uncomfortable, or even afraid, to talk about religion (and nonbelief) in their classrooms, then they’re missing out on establishing deeper relationships with their students — not to mention giving them more authentic learning experiences that promote inquiry, critical thinking, and empathy. To do otherwise is to deny students their fundamental right to, in the words of one renowned philosopher, create meaning for themselves in a world where meaning is often created for them.
