RPL in the News: Project transforms the perception of religion in classrooms around the nation

MultiBriefs writer Sheilamary Koch writes about the impact of RPL at Harvard Divinity School as it guides teachers in incorporating a constitutionally sound approach to presenting the interplay between culture and religion.

"From reading Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” to analyzing artwork at the Art Institute of Chicago, students around the nation are embarking on educational activities from a new religious studies-informed angle.

Thanks to the Religious Literacy Project (RLP) at Harvard Divinity School, which guides teachers in incorporating a constitutionally sound approach to presenting the interplay between culture and religion, students are developing better understanding of how the multiple facets of religion influence human experience.

Not a moment too soon in today’s pluralistic society, teamwork involving educators and RLP scholars and fellows has begun to reshape how religion is perceived and discussed in classrooms — and out in the world.

Teaching religion from a cultural perspective impacts democracy

Religion is a powerful force behind world affairs past and present, yet receives insufficient attention in K-12 education.

When presented in world history or social studies in text books, religion is often relegated to what Religious Literacy Project founder Diane L. Moore calls “the religion centerfold,” a two-page section that names the major world religions, their founders, dates, location and beliefs."

Read the full article on MultiBriefs.