A Role for Religion?

Abstract

The perspective of the preceding chapters has been humanistic but non-religious. This chapter is concerned with the possible role of religion in education. Endeavoring to steer between two kinds of fundamentalists—those who view particular scriptures as morally authoritative, and the “new atheists” who aim to abolish religion entirely—it argues that the crucial insight (stemming from Immanuel Kant) is to recognize the priority of morality. Once that is appreciated, secular humanists can ally with devotees of any religion, provided that the faithful have reached an ecumenical stage of religious progress. The educational consequences allow religion a role in the classroom, for comparative studies that promote dialogue among religions (and between religions and forms of secular humanism), and that appreciate both the contributions and the blemishes of the world’s major religions.