Tag Archives: Faith Ed

As Faith Ed nears its 6th birthday, author appears on two podcasts and works on new book

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Greeting, Faith Ed subscribers! I know it’s been a long time – perhaps nearly two years – since I’ve sent out a newsletter. I thought this was a good time to reconnect, given the state of our world and continued concerns about a rise in religious bigotry and racism in America.Faith Ed turns six years old this summer, and I still hear from new readers who have discovered the book and want to learn more about how religion is taught in … Continue reading →

Speaking as a Religious Minority in Mormon Country

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Our stories were different, and yet Ossama, Sahar, Haroon and I had a commonality in our experiences. We all were religious minorities in America. Each of us had dealt with being stereotyped or maligned because we were not Christian and because those around us knew so little about our faiths. We knew too of incidents that had affected Muslims, Jews and other religious minorities in our own communities or nearby towns. Continue reading →

Faith Ed Makes National TV & Other News

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Church/state battles rage on in America, and last week, author Linda K. Wertheimer spoke about religion and public schools on Primetime Justice with Ashleigh Banfield. Read more Faith Ed related news in the newsletter. Continue reading →

Making Our Voices Heard Through Workshops & More

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Like so many around the country, I have been dismayed by the tone of anti-Muslim, anti-women, anti-fill-in-the-blank rhetoric during the 2016 presidential campaign and afterward with the election of Donald Trump as president. I have been torn about how much to weigh in, given I remain a journalist committed to not publicly endorsing politicians. With the publication of my first book, Faith Ed, however, I put myself firmly in the position as an advocate for social justice, as an advocate for respecting … Continue reading →

December Dilemma v. Thinking Broadly about Religion in Schools

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As I write this, K-12 schools are wrapping up classes or may have already finished them for winter breaks. In elementary schools, no doubt, many teachers have felt compelled to mention Christmas and Hanukkah in some way.

Look at the photo above, though. First-grade teacher Debbie Fagg at the Minneha Core Knowledge Magnet Elementary School in Wichita, KS, is teaching about Hanukkah in early November as part of a multi-week unit on three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. She brought … Continue reading →

Seeing Hope in America on Election Eve

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It’s the eve of Election Day. I’m anxious, just like the rest of America. I worry about the divisiveness in our country. This tumultuous election has revealed bigotry in many forms, toward people of color, toward Jews, toward people with disabilities, and toward Muslims. Yet, I have a twinge of hope. Continue reading →

Reflections from a Religion Writing Conference, Plus Major Award for Faith Ed

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Faith Ed wins a national religion book award and the author’s reflections on a national religion writing conference. Continue reading →

Learning about Ramadan

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It’s easy to know what to say to Christians when Christmas rolls around. “Merry Christmas,” of course.
But how many people know how to greet Muslims, Jews, or celebrants of other non-Christian faiths during their observances? This week marked the start of Ramadan for Muslims. Continue reading →

Making the Case for Teaching about Religion in the Big D, TV & more

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So much to catch up on as Faith Ed, my book on teaching about religion in the schools celebrates its ninth month of existence. I recently traveled to Dallas to give a talk for the Jewish Book Council. Pictured with me above are: Mark Chancey, a religion scholar from Southern Methodist University, who participated in a panel with me and Rabbi Steve Gutow, and the panel moderator Cheryl Drazin. Cheryl led us through a discussion on the issues covered in Faith Ed, … Continue reading →

Faith Ed Book Review, Interview Round-up

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Here are links to book reviews, when available online, and interviews:

Jewish Book Council review.

Boston Globe review by Kate Tuttle.

Wichita Eagle Review by former religion editor Tom Schaefer.

New York Times Sunday Book Review by Naomi Schaefer Reilly.

 Religion & Education has reviewed Faith Ed. and given it a nod in a foreword, too. Many thanks to the journal editor Mike Waggoner and reviewer Nicholas Piediscalzi. Here’s a snippet from the review, which also included Dr. Piediscalzi’s wonderful insight … Continue reading →