Context and Rationale for the Work of This Research Unit

Recent shifts in both national and state politics have made the separation of church and state in the United States once again (and perhaps uniquely) fragile. Multiple state governments have recently re-introduced legislation to insert Christian Nationalism (in various forms) forcefully into public classrooms, curricula, and school life. For example, the following actions directly impact more than six million students in American public schools:

1. An initiative begun in 2024 in Texas seeks to use simplified (Protestant) Bible stories to teach Language Arts in primary schools. And in 2025 the Texas State Legislature passed Bill 10, which requires all public classrooms to display the Ten Commandments.

2. Oklahoma required in 2024 that every public classroom in the state must have a physical copy of the (Protestant) Bible, and mandated the inclusion of the Bible across all public secondary curricula.

These initiatives are not isolated. New legislation related to Christianity (or the Bible) and public schools exists in Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. Other states are sure to follow.

About This Research Unit

This call for proposals (CFP) anticipates a hybrid (in-person and via Zoom) panel or roundtable session at the spring 2026 AARNE Conference at Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS). The group will meet on November 22 in Boston surrounding the AAR/SBL Annual Meeting, and at least once virtually over the winter according to the group’s needs.

This Research Unit will eventually seek to publish scholarly resources for concerned educators, policymakers, and researchers. The format of these resources will be determined collectively by the members of the Research Unit. Possibilities for media may include (but are not limited to):

• A volume of scholarly essays

• A curriculum and/or teaching aids for K-12 educators

• A webinar or series of webinars

• A podcast

• A series of educational videos

• Other media, as suggested

This Research Unit is intended to complement the AAR’s Religion and Public Schools: International Perspectives Unit (RPS). Whereas the RPS “focuses on the global relationship between religion and education across diverse historical, geographical, cultural, political, and pedagogical settings,” this regional Research Unit seeks to understand the distinct concerns related to religion and US public education in the current social and political landscape.

Eligibility

This call is open to scholars and educators from anywhere in the world, and is not limited to those within the American Northeast. There will be virtual options for every event sponsored by this Research Unit, including the spring 2026 roundtable session. Membership in a learned society (such as the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Biblical Literature, or the American Educational Research Association) would be beneficial but is also not required. Registration fees for the 2026 AARNE conference will be required to participate in the roundtable, with considerations made for those participating virtually.

The Call

Soules and Vaughan seek proposals articulating real and current problems and areas of inquiry that collective research and reflection might address. We are not seeking fully developed project proposals necessarily. What matters for this CFP is to establish a coherent group, and to bring topics and concerns to that group that could become projects. The following prompts and topics are only intended as a tone-setter, and we welcome other ideas, which can be inter- and cross-disciplinary.

Potential topics:

• Democratic engagement with religion and religiosity in educational contexts

• The new Christian Nationalism in American K-12 schools (public and private)

• Religious literacy in American K-12 schools (public and private)

• Charter schools, release-time programs, and school vouchers

• Educational policy related to religion in American public schools

Methodologies academic disciplines, and perspectives could include:

• Pedagogy for democracy and civic engagement

• Relevant insights from political philosophy

• Relevant insights from history, both intellectual and political

• Reflections on the unique nature of American pluralism

• Responsible reflections on current American political life, particularly surrounding religion and public schools

• International perspectives, particularly those from other democracies

• Methods and models of teaching religion in American schools consistent with the First Amendment

• Relevant insights from legal studies, both American and international

• Explications of regional, state, and federal policies

• Relevant insights from religious and biblical studies