Post: Tim Hall, Ph.D., Executive Director, Religion Matters
In social studies, we teach students that democracy depends on voice agency. We teach that civic life thrives when people not only ask good questions but take action on their answers. This fall, I decided to model that lesson at the national level.
I’ve submitted a resolution to the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) House of Delegates calling on our professional social studies community to reaffirm the importance of religious literacy in K–12 education. In doing so, I am reminded that civic action doesn’t just happen in the streets or at the ballot box. It also happens in our professional spaces, where we shape the values and practices that guide how educators teach and how students learn.
Taking Informed Action — Beyond the Classroom
The C3 Framework ends with Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action, which is a reminder that inquiry is incomplete without impact. Each time our students investigate a compelling question, analyze evidence, and construct an argument, they are preparing to act.
Submitting a resolution to NCSS follows that same process:
- Question: How can we ensure that social studies educators are prepared to teach about religion accurately, constitutionally, and inclusively?
- Evidence: Decades of scholarship and everyday classroom experience show that understanding religion as part of human culture strengthens civic understanding and reduces bias.
- Action: Propose a formal resolution that signals our shared professional commitment to this work.
The inquiry model we teach in schools is the same framework that guides advocacy. In both, we move from curiosity to clarity to change.
Why Religious Literacy Matters for Civic Life
Religious literacy is not about promoting religion. It is about cultivating understanding. In a pluralistic democracy, our students encounter diverse worldviews daily through media, peers, and community life. Yet many teachers hesitate to engage with religion academically, often fearing controversy, pushback, or misunderstanding.
That silence leaves a civic gap in civic literacy. When we don’t equip students to engage with religion thoughtfully, we leave them vulnerable to stereotypes, misinformation, and division. Teaching about religion through history, geography, culture, and civics helps students see difference not as a threat but as another dimension of the human story.
In this sense, religious literacy is civic literacy. It prepares students to engage in public life with empathy, respect, and critical thinking. These are the very qualities democracy requires.
The Power of Professional Voice
Resolutions may not make headlines, but they do make a difference. They represent the articulation of the collective conscience of our profession. When NCSS delegates gather in December to debate and vote, they are modeling democracy in action: inquiry, dialogue, and deliberation at work.
This resolution is one piece of a larger movement among educators who believe that social studies should be both rigorous and inclusive and inquiry-driven. By passing this resolution, we strengthen the message that the study of religion belongs within the civic mission of education.
When I submitted my resolution, I thought of the many teachers who have told me, “I want to teach about religion, but I’m not sure how.” This resolution is for them, for every educator trying to create space for curiosity, courage, and respect in their classrooms. That is the kind of civic learning our democracy needs most.
Read and Reflect
The window for co-sponsoring resolutions has now closed, but the work continues. You can still read the resolution below and join the conversation about how we advance this vision in our schools and professional communities.
đź“„ Promoting Religious Literacy Education as an Essential Component of Social Studies Education
👉 Read the Full Resolution
Together, we can ensure that social studies remains a space where students learn to engage with difference—not fear it—and to view religion not as a taboo, but as a window into humanity.
AI Disclosure:
Portions of this post were supported by generative tools such as ChatGPT(GPT-4) and Grammarly for organization and language refinement. All ideas, examples, and final edits reflect my own professional judgment.
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