The process of teaching world religions is fraught with dispositional and pedagogical concerns for pre-service teachers. To address these issues, middle grades pre-service teachers were asked to integrate an inquiry-based approach while considering their own histlexia, which we define as an inability to articulate positions. The findings of this…

If world religions courses are created at all in public school districts, they often are designed to encourage cultural fluency and tolerance. It is a teachable moment for the teacher to witness in an hour these far-flung students moving beyond tolerance to collaboration. Taking on a world religions program typically is viewed as a risky…

The concern for the realization of a prophetic announcement in the books of Kings is evident from the frequent fulfillment claims. Fulfillment details are often included in the formulaic notice to highlight its miraculous nature. However, as one correlates the prediction with the fulfillment details, there are noticeable discrepancies. This study…

This article employs George Lakoff and Mark Johnson's work on metaphor (1980) to examine the current use of the term "learning outcomes" within higher education. It argues that "learning outcomes" is an ontological metaphor (education becomes focused on results that one can understand and measure) that resonates with contemporary academic…

Undergraduate students today often enroll in introductory religious studies or theology classes because they want the time and space to reflect on their personal spiritual questions. Such a motivation can clash with the faculty's desire to introduce students to rigorous academic study of their field. Barbara Walvoord has proposed four "voices"…

This paper presents the author's response to "Global security, religion and education development: a crisis for the field of comparative and international education?" Prof. Lynn Davies's introduction to the Forum is interesting and provocative, and the author advances his response in the spirit of dialogue by looking at Davies's arguments, the…

This dissertation examines the development of religion curricula at four state universities in Michigan: Grand Valley State University, Western Michigan University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. It analyzes the historical development of these curricula, illustrating that each institution has a unique religion curriculum…

This study focuses on the effectiveness of using multimedia virtual simulation in Islamic Studies in Malaysia. Virtual simulation methods embedded in Microsoft PowerPoint was used in this study to determine the effectiveness of these modes to motivate students on the topic of pilgrimage in the Islamic Studies subject. Pilgrimage topic has been…

While carefully plotted lesson plans are invaluable in a classroom, tuning into the flow of the moment is just as essential. My experience has shown me that the most effective teaching happens when everyone in the room is in synch with one another. Teaching requires intuiting what each student is experiencing individually and adjusting in order to…

This study focuses on the effectiveness of using multimedia virtual simulation in Islamic Studies in Malaysia. Virtual simulation methods embedded in Microsoft PowerPoint was used in this study to determine the effectiveness of these modes to motivate students on the topic of pilgrimage in the Islamic Studies subject. Pilgrimage topic has been…

Comparative Religion is seen as an important curricula because it could serve as a mechanism for enhancing cross-cultural religious communication. The authors seek to examine the role of Comparative Religion as an important science for enhancing dialogue skills. Such a communication skill, however, must be developed from both intra- and…

Contemplative Pedagogy is a new and sometimes controversial pedagogical practice. Faculty often have basic questions about how to implement the pedagogy in their classrooms, in addition to questions that challenge the educational value and appropriateness of the practice. Assembled here are the most frequently asked questions about Contemplative…

This article explores how to teach students to drink deeply from books. Drawing on the work of Peter Elbow, the article argues for incorporating experiential assignments that are structured to create a mediating realm between abstract concepts and concrete experiences. The bulk of the article explores in detail the author's use of such assignments…

The purpose of this study was to examine how 22 elementary pre-service teachers (PSTs) planned and taught lessons on world religions to 7th-grade students. Pre- and post-lesson interview transcripts, lesson observations, as well as PST lesson plans and reflection journals served as data sources. Prior to teaching, the PSTs lacked adequate…

The word "religion" sends shudders down the spine of superintendents, as conflict over religious values can be one of the most unpredictable and emotional issues arising today in public schools. Dealing with religious belief in public schools need not be full of emotion and conflict. In this article, the author shares his strategies for…