One Nation Under God? Religion and the Politics of Education in a Post-9/11 America

Abstract

For American public schools, the interplay between religion and public policy has been rather volatile, thanks to both state and federal constitutions mandating an ever shifting degree of separation between church and state, yet permitting free religious expression. Some of the most intense political disputes in the past 40 years have involved educational issues such as the teaching of evolution or intelligent design within public schools, publicly funded vouchers for attendance at religious institutions, state-sanctioned prayer within public schools, and the rise of sexuality education. This article seeks to map some of the contemporary features involved with religion and the politics of U.S. education by focusing on (a) recent court decisions, (b) the policy agendas of the current Bush administration, and (c) curricular issues. The article closes by focusing on a few of the larger issues relating to religion and education in a highly pluralistic and religiously fluid society.