Faith, Hype and Clarity: Teaching About Religion in American Schools and Colleges

In an effort to provide clarity about the highly charged issue of religion in US classrooms, Nash (College of Education and Social Services, Univ. of Vermont) describes and critiques four diverse religious positions, namely, fundamentalist, prophetic, alternative spiritualities, and post-theist. He uses a narrative approach, asking such questions as, is it workable? is it convincing? does it move people and provide a sense of purpose, community, moral action? and does it explain the unknown? Chapters cover the positive and negative aspects of the four religious positions Nash describes. They outline a methodology and curriculum of religious education, focusing on these four positions, which have gathered much strength throughout society and have created controversy in communities in the United States and around the world. Relevant readings are integrated into the text, which purports to help schools and colleges move toward "religious literacy." For a similar perspective, see Richard J. Bernstein's The New Constellation: The Ethical-Political Horizons of Modernity/Postmodernity (1992). Suitable for upper-division undergraduates and beyond; recommended especially for use by teachers and policy makers. (From the Publisher)