Increasingly, educators are realizing that, in our connected and diverse societies, it is important to teach students religious literacy—knowledge of, and ability to understand, different religions. But, teaching about religion in public school can often prove tricky, and teachers must find ways to teach their students about religion without accidentally promoting a religion or religions. In Chicago, public school educators are taking part in workshops on teaching religious literacy, which stress an analytic approach that allows students to gain an awareness of world religions without forcing acceptance or practice of any particular faith. As one teacher in the program says, “We cannot endorse, so the way we always say it is: we teach, we don’t preach. We educate, we don’t endorse.”
