“Religion and the Making of American Citizens”

In November I will be speaking at “Religion and the Making of American Citizens,” a weekend teacher’s institute to be held at the University of Tennessee. Conference co-organizer Jonathan Yeager writes:

My colleague Lucien Ellington and I are organizing an institute at UTC for teachers. During the weekend of Friday, November 15 to Saturday, November 16, teachers will hear various experts speak on the theme of: “Religion and the Making of American Citizens: Past, Present, and Future.” This weekend institute is sponsored by the Apgar Foundation and the Center for Reflective Citizenship at UTC, which was founded by Lucien and former SunTrust Chair of Excellence in Humanities, Wilfred McClay.

This weekend institute is meant to offer training for local educators, approximately two dozen of whom will hear speakers talk about the importance of including religion in their teaching. The Center for Reflective Citizenship hopes to convince teachers that religion has played a vital role in America, from its founding to the present, and should be included in any basic courses on American history. As sponsors of this event, Lucien and I believe that religion is a subject worthy of serious attention by educated people, and so we hope to remind teachers of the influential religious traditions that have permeated American history and culture. 

Speakers include Tracy McKenzie, Daniel Dreisbach, Wilfred McClay, Molly Worthen, and Michael Cromartie.

If you are a teacher and are interested in attending this institute contact Jonathan at his UT-Chattanooga website.

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