Religious education and American democracy

Front matter

LISP IS EDUCATION AND MERICAN DEMOCRACY

GOTTATHEARN

Pass L&*

Foreword

Three definite things have been attempted: (1) The development of a constructive program of religious education for the American people. (2) The critical analysis of existing organizations, agencies and institutions with a view to determining our present educational assets and liabilities. (3) A survey of the available literature on the various problems involved in a nation-wide program of religious education. Over six hundred titles, carefully selected and classified, appear through the book. The reference lists are placed in close connection with the subject matter to which they refer.

The problem of the book is the organization of religious education in the American democracy. For this reason only problems of organization and closely allied subjects have been included in the present discussion.

Chapters I, II, and III were published during the past year as the Maiden Leaflets. These leaflets have been revised and enlarged for the purposes of this volume. A portion of Chapter V has previously appeared in the columns of Religious Education.

I have attempted to give to the problems considered in this book careful, impersonal, quantitative observation, and qualitative interpretation. When an investigator submits his findings to the public the highest reward that can come to him is the frank, impersonal criti-

viii

FOREWORD

cism of his fellow workers. Such criticism I covet in the interest of the extension of our knowledge of this important subject.

I am convinced that the greatest task before the American people today is the building of a system of religious education which will insure the religious development of every citizen. This book is presented as a slight contribution to that end.

Walter S. Athearn.

Malden, Mass., July 17, 1917.

IX

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

Foreword - - - vii

I Religious Education and American Democracy ---- 3

Chapter I Religious Education And American Democracy

OUTLINE OF CHAPTER I

Religious Education and American Democracy

I. The American Children Will Be Educated in the Public Schools

1. A System of Schools for the Masses

2. A System of Teacher-Training Schools

3. A System of Educational Supervision

(1) General References

(2) References on Junior High Schools

(3) References on the Junior College

(4) References on National System of Educa-

tion

(5) References on Educational Tendencies in

America

II. Religion Will Not Be Taught in the Public Schools

III. The Educational Arch Must Be Completed

1. A System of Church Schools for the Masses

2. A System of Church Teacher-Training Schools

3. A System of Educational Supervision

IV. The Two Systems Must Be Closely Correlated

V. Concrete Community Demonstrations Must Be Made

VI. Summary g ?

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STATE SUPPORT

THE EDUCATIONAL ARCH

CHAPTER I

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

I. THE AMERICAN CHILDREN

WILL BE EDUCATED

IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The perpetuity of our American democracy demands a very high level of intelligence on the part of the masses. We are extending the franchise, giving our people the rights of initiative, recall, referendum, and permitting the people to vote directly on many important problems of government. Just in proportion as we hand over to the people the responsibilities of citizenship does it become necessary to give to the people increased opportunity for education. The perpetuity of the state demands an educated citizenship.

There seems to be general agreement that the average level of American intelligence shall be placed at the point of graduation from a standardized high school. The average citizen of the United States in the future will have at least a high-school education. The people's college — the American high school — is being developed with unprecedented rapidity. During the past twenty years the high-school enrolment of our country has increased six times as fast as the population of the country. The state will put a standardized high school within easy reach of every boy and girl in the Union and compulsory attendance laws will bring the pupils and the schools together.

"The enrolment in public high schools has increased nearly thirty-five per cent within a period of five years, and the rate of growth in the latest years for which statistics are furnished in the present report (of the Commissioner of Education) was substantially higher than the average rate of the fifteen preceding years. There is every reason to expect that, by 1925, the high schools will have doubled the enrolment that they had in 1910. If this rate of growth continues for still another decade and a half, our secondary schools will enroll by 1940 no fewer than 3,500,000 pupils, and the number will probably be closer to 4,000,000 — unless a reduction in per capita wealth following from the waste of the world war causes a disastrous setback in educational development. If present tendencies are not seriously retarded, secondary education will be as nearly universal by 1950 as is elementary education today." ( W. C. Bagley, in School and Home Education, March, 1917.)

Moreover, the American high school will rapidly develop into a Junior College. The colleges of the country are already preparing to hand over their freshman and sophomore students to the local high schools. There are three reasons for the rapid development of junior colleges in connection with the local high schools.

1. The American people believe that it is not wise to transplant young people from their homes to a strange academic environment just at the crisis time of middle, emotional adolescence. Then, if ever, young people need the home church and the careful guidance of parents.

2. There are no academic objections. Over thirty per cent of a college course is of high-school grade.

3. With the present rich elective system, the two additional years could be added to the high-school course without adding greatly to the burden of the taxpayer.

The American public-school system will develop in three parallel columns, as indicated on the drawing on page 2.

1. A System of Schools for the Masses

These schools will include the following divisions :

1. Kindergarten.

2. Primary.

3. Intermediate.

4. Junior high school.

5. Senior high school.

6. Junior college.

7. Senior college.

8. University. The University will include the professional schools and university extension courses which will take the university to the people.

The development of this system of schools is receiving the active attention of an army of trained educators.

2. A System of Schools for the Training of

Teachers and Supervisors for the Public Schools

This system will include:

1. Local institutes and professional reading circles.

2. City normal colleges.

3. State normal colleges.

4. Departments of education in state colleges.

5. Graduate schools of education doing research, laboratory and experimental work in education.

3. A System of Educational Supervision This system includes:

1. Village and ward principals.

2. Supervisors of special subjects.

3. City superintendents.

4. County superintendents.

5. State superintendents.

6. United States Commissioner of Education.

The unifying of this system of public schools in the interest of the largest efficiency is being effected gradually but surely. When it develops into its completed form it will be the most wonderful system of public schools which the world has ever seen.

Questions:

1. What will be the effect of this expanding public-school system on private and denominational academies, and the small denominational colleges?

2. The public schools will teach physics, biology, chemistry, and give our people the scientific method. What effect, if any, will this have on religious instruction?

3. What common elements should enter into the education of all the people? Should religion be included?

(1) References: General

Brown, E. E., The Making of Our Middle Schools. Dutton, S. T., and Snedden, D., The Administration of Public Education in the United States. Dexter, E. G., A History of Education in the United States. Bagley, W. C., Principles Justifying Common Elements in the School Program, School and Home Education, December, 1914. Minimum Essentials in Elementary School Subjects. The Fourteenth Year Book of the National Society for the Study of Education, 1915. University of Chicago Press.

(2) References on Junior High Schools

Lewis, E. E., Standards for Measuring Junior High Schools, Extension Bulletin No. 25, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Contains a carefully selected and annotated bibliography on the Junior high school. Douglass, A. A., The Junior High School, The Fifteenth Year Book of the National Society for the Study of Education, Part III. Public School Publishing Co., Bloomington, 111. The most exhaustive study available. Stacy, C. R., The Junior School Movement in Massachusetts, Educational Administration and Supervision, 3 : 6, pp. 351-354, June, 1917. Giles, J. T. The Effect upon the First Six Grades of the Junior-Senior High School Reorganization, Educational Administration and Supervision, 3 : 5, pp. 275-280, May, 1917. Johnson, C. H., The Junior High School, Journal of National Education Association, 1 : 2, pp. 145-151, October, 1916.

(3) References on the Junior College

Angell, J. R., Problems Peculiar to the Junior College, The School Review, 25 : 6, pp. 385-398, June, 1917. Stout, H. G., The Place of the Junior College in the System of Schools Conducted by the Church, Bulletin of the Board of Education of the M. E. Church, South, 6:1, pp. 36-39, May, 1916. Nashville, Tenn. Leath, J. 0., Relation of the Junior College to the Standard College, Bulletin of the Board of Education of the M. E. Church, South, 6 : 1, pp. 39-46., May,

1916. Colton, Elizabeth A., The Junior Colleges in the South, The High School Quarterly, 5 : 2, pp. 115-119, January,

1917. Wood, J. M., The Junior College, Journal of National Education Association, 1 : 2, pp. 145-151, October, 1916. Cammack, I. I., Legitimate Range of Activity of the Junior College, Journal of National Education Association, 1 : 9, pp. 952-957, May, 1917.

(4) References on National System of Education

The Reorganization of Secondary Education, Bulletin No. 41, 1913, Bureau of Education. Bunker, F. F., Reorganization of the Public School System, Bulletin No. 8, 1916, Bureau of Education. MacLean, G. E., Recent Standards of Higher Education in the United States, Bulletin No. 4, 1913, Bureau of Education. Capen, S. P., Recent Movements in College and University Administration, Bulletin No. 46, 1916, Bureau of Education. Reber, L. E., University Extension in the United States, Bulletin No. 19, 1914, Bureau of Education. Farrington, F. E., Public Facilities for Educating the Alien, Bulletin No. 18, 1916, Bureau of Education. Richardson, B. C, A Plea for a National System of Education for America, School and Home Education, 36 : 254-56, May 1917.

(5) References on Educational Tendencies in America

Vocational Secondary Education, Bulletin No. 21, 1916, Bureau of Education. Snedden, David, The High School of Tomorrow, The School Review, 25 : 1, pp. 1-15, January, 1917. Lewis, W. D., Democracy's High Schools. Flexner, Abraham, .4. Modem High School, Occasional Papers, No. 3,

General Education Board, 61 Broadway, New York. Balliet, T. M., The Modern School Proposed by the General Education Board, American Education, 20 : 8, pp. 466-470, April, 1917. Dewey, John, Current Tendencies in Education, The Dial, 62 : 739, pp. 287-289, April 5, 1917. Bruce, J. D., Recent Educational Tendencies, School and Society, 5 : 114, pp. 241-251, March 3, 1917. Keyser, C. J., Educational Ideals that are Most Worthy of Loyalty, Educational Review, 53 : 4, pp. 325-328, April, 1917. Johnston, J. B., Certain Ideals in Education, School and Society, 5 : 107, January, 1917. Moore, E. C, Stress on Practical Interfering with Idealistic Training of Our Boys and Girls, School and Society, 5 : 118, pp. 361-367, March 31, 1917. Graves, F. P., Present Tendencies in Education, School and Society, 4 : 101, pp. 837-845, December 2, 1916. Koos, L. V., The Fruits of School Surveys, School and Society, 5 : 107, January 13, 1917. Thurstone, L. L., A Statistical Method for the Treatment of School Survey Data, The School Review, 25 : 5, pp. 322-330, May, 1917. Davenport, F. M., Revolutionary Tendencies in the School System of the United States, Outlook, 116 : 59- 60, May 9, 1917.

II. RELIGION

WILL NOT BE TAUGHT IN

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Our forefathers separated the church from the state because they believed in religious liberty and political freedom. The American doctrine of "majority rule" does not apply in religious matters. The majority will not be allowed to impose its religious convictions upon the minority. This means that the church and the school will remain apart, and leaves us the problem of preserving a free church within a free state. The teaching of religion is not the function of the public schools. This task must be performed in our homes and in our churches.

The daily reading of the Bible in our public schools, and the study of the Bible as history and literature would not give the American people a religious education. In some place the Bible must be taught as religion as well as literature and history. The curriculum material must be presented for the purpose of reinstating in the rising generation the great religious experiences of the past. Religious teaching results in religious feeling, religious acts, and religious knowledge. This involves prayer, conversion, and the usual phenomena of the religious experience. It is clear that the public school teachers are not prepared to teach religion. The public school leaders have developed the psychology of habit, the psychology of ideas and attitudes, but they have not developed the psychology of sentiment, prejudice, ideals, and emotions. The religious educator must make this contribution to educational theory. Religious education requires a technique which the public school teacher does not have.

The state has relied upon the church to teach morality and religion. But the church has not taken its teaching function seriously. Sunday schools have been inefficient, and the church colleges have been gradually secularized until their product can hardly be distinguished from that of the tax-supported institutions. One of the difficult problems of our day is to induce church colleges to teach religion. The condition in church academies is still more appalling. With the state institutions confessedly leaving religious teaching to the church, and the church colleges shamefully dodging this responsibility, and the Sunday schools doling out "a penny a Sunday" educational program, we are fast losing the sturdy virtues of our Puritan ancestors, and we are growing up a generation of people who have no moral basis of citizenship. Sixty millions of our one hundred million citizens have no connection with any church. There are 15,- 000,000 children in this country who receive no religious guidance whatever. There are 35,000,000 over ten years of age outside the membership of any church. There are 10,000 small towns west of the Missouri river in which Christian preaching is rarely, or never, heard.

New sciences, new psychology, new sociology, new wealth, new forms of amusement are all factors in the decreasing interest in religious training. We are fast drifting into a cultured paganism. Unless the church takes immediate steps to stem the present tide of indifference, luxury, and commercial greed, this country will soon cease to be a Christian nation — if, indeed, a country in which three out of four of its citizens are without active church relations can be said to be a Christian nation now.

But the state is alarmed. In fifty years 11 crime has increased 400 per cent, with a crime rate in New York far above London, Paris, or Berlin. Something must be done to underpin the virtues of our people. Honesty, industry, truthfulness, and the common decencies must be taught or the state will perish. Can the state trust the church to teach morality? The church has confessedly failed in the past. For a dozen years committees of the National Education Association have been at work on the problem of introducing into the public schools courses in ethics which are not based upon religion. One thing is clear to those who are closely in touch with the present tendencies, and that is that the United States will have a system of moral training for her people before ten years. It will either be some form of ethics with no religious presuppositions, regularly taught in the public schools, or it will be a system of church schools giving adequate moral and religious training to the children of all the people. The attitude of the church people of this country during the next ten years will determine this question. Shall religion drop completely out of American education? At no time in its history has the Christian Church faced so grave a crisis as that which confronts it now. What are the churches of this country going to do about it?

Questions:

1. To what extent have our public schools been secularized, and what is the present legal status of the Bible in the public schools? References: Brown, S. W., The Seenlarization of American Education; Brown, S. W., Present Legal Status, in Religious Education, 12 : 2, pp. 103-109, April, 1916.

2. To what extent have our denominational and church colleges been secularized? References: Padelford, F. W., et al, Findings of the Committee on Religious Work in Denominational and Independent Institutions, published in Fourth Annual Report of the Council of Church Boards of Education, 1915, pages 28-33, and in the Fifth Annual Report of the Council of Church Boards of Education, 1916, pages 24-32; Athearn, W. S., Religion as a Liberal Culture Subject, in Religious Education, April, 1912; Athearn, W. S., Religion in the Curriculum, in Religious Education, 8 : 5, 430-34, December, 1913; Athearn, W. S., Teachers for Week Day- Religious Schools, in Religious Education, June, 1916; Sanders, F. K., et al, Teaching the Bible in Colleges, in Religious Education, August, 1915.

3. What is the attitude of public-school leaders with reference to the need of instruction in morals and religion? Reference: Rugh, C. E., et al, The Essential Place of Religion in Education, published by National Education Association, Washington, D. C.

4. What is the attitude of the leading religious educators with reference to the teaching of religion in the public schools? References: Religious Instruction and Public Education, in Religious Education, 11 : 2, pages 181-2, April, 1916; The Church and the Public School in Religious Education, Bulletin No. 4, by Northern Baptist Convention.

5. What reasons can be given for insisting on religion as an essential factor in any scheme of moral education? References: Galloway, G., Principles of Religious Development, Chapter 8; Blackie, Moral Education, pages 57-91; Coe, Geo. A., Distinction between Morals and Religion, Religious Education, December, 1907; Coe, Geo. A., Moral Education in the Sunday School, Religious Education, October, 1913; MacCunn, The Making of Character, Chapter 4; Bagley, W. C, Educational Values, Chapters 3, 4 and 11; Calkins, A First Book in Psychology, Chapter 15; Religion and Morality, Can They Be Separated, Reliaious Education, Vol. 1, page 124.

6. What attempts have been made to provide systematic moral instruction in the public schools? References: Gould, F. J., and Sharp, F. C, Syllabus of Moral and Civic Instruction for the Grade Schools, Bulletin General Series No. 458 of the University of Wisconsin; Sharp and Neumann, A Course in Moral Education for the High Schools, Religious Education, Vol. 7, pages 653-80, February, 1913; Sharp, T. C., Success, a Course of Moral Instruction for the High School, Madison, Wis.; Arabaugh, Moral Education and Training with a Suggested Course of Study, Chapter 18, in Johnson, High School Education; the National Education Association Committee Course for Moral Instruction in High Schools, published in Religious Education, 7 : 6, pages 681-691, February, 1913. This report is also published in the volume of Addresses and Proceedings of the National Education Association, San Francisco, 1911, pages 342-419.

III. THE EDUCATIONAL ARCH MUST BE COMPLETED

It is becoming increasingly evident that we cannot maintain a Christian democracy unless We maintain a system of efficient Christian schools. The price of our religious liberty is the sum required for the building of a system of church schools which will parallel our system of public schools and be equally efficient. We do not have in this country a system of public education, we have only a system of public schools. But this system of schools does not work with the whole child. It is but one half of an educational arch; we must complete the arch by building a system of church schools closely coordinated with the public schools. These two systems of schools, — one supported by the state, with secular leadership, the other supported by the church, with religious leadership — will form the only system of education that a country can have in which the church and the state are apart.

Like the secular schools this system of church schools will consist of three parts, one dealing with a system of schools for all of the people; one dealing with teacher-training schools; and one dealing with supervision. (See drawing on page 2.)

1. A System of Church Schools for the Masses This system will include the following divisions :

1. Elementary schools, including the present Cradle Roll, Beginners', Primary and Junior departments of the graded church school.

2. Secondary schools, including the Intermediate and part of the Senior grades of the graded church school.

3. Religious day schools. Coordinate with the graded church schools must be a system of closely graded religious day schools.

4. Adult department of the church school, providing a rich elective program to meet the needs of the adult members of the local parish.

5. The Church College. Standard colleges of Liberal Arts which give religion the same curriculum rating as science, language, history, etc., closely articulating with the church schools below as well as with the public secondary schools. 6. Graduate Schools of Religion. There must be great graduate Christian universities for professional and research work in religion.

2. A System of Schools for the Training of Teachers and Supervisors for Church Schools This system will include:

1. Teacher-training classes in local churches.

2. Community training schools.

3. Training schools for special groups. District, state or national training schools.

4. Departments of religious education in

church colleges.

5. Graduate schools of religious education, for research, laboratory and demonstration purposes.

S. A System of Educational Supervision

This will involve denominational and non-denominational supervision. In the interests of progress and unhampered academic freedom there must be a strictly non-denominational supervising agency. At the present time there is much conflict among the various existing organizations of religious education.

Chapter IV of this volume discusses methods of coordinating these agencies.

The completing of the three parts of this system of church schools is the present task of the church. Many educators are at work on various parts of this system of schools. Graded curricula, teacher-training courses, departments of religious education in colleges, week-day religious schools, etc., are evidences of the development of something new. What is now most needed is the construction of a blue print to guide future development, the unification and crystallization of ideas regarding the big, general outlines of the system, and a division of labor under guidance of some competent, representative commission. The people of the churches must visualize this system of church schools. Some educational prophet must appear in each religious communion and in each community and inspire the people to the building of this system of schools. The times demand a Horace Mann in the field of religious education, with a nation-wide campaign of agitation and information in the interest of this new system of church schools.

Questions:

1. What steps are being taken towards placing the church school on a dignified and scientific educational basis? References: Meyer, H. H., The Graded Sunday School in Principle and Practice; Athearn, W. S., The Church School; Hutchins, Graded Social Service in the Sunday School; Hartshome, H., Worship in the Sunday School; Evans, H. F., The Sunday School Building and Its Equipment; The Constructive Series of Sunday School Text Books, by the University of Chicago Press; The Completely Graded Series, by Charles Scribner's Sons; and the graded courses published by the leading denominational publishing houses. Coe, Geo. A., Education in Religion and Morals; and Cope, Henry F., The Modern Sunday School and Its Present Task.

2. What place has religion in the curriculum of a church college? References: Kent, C. F., The Bible and the College Curriculum, in Religious Education, 8:5, pages 453-58; Athearn, W. S., Religion in the Curriculum, Religious Education, 8 : 5, pages 430-34, December, 1913. See also a series of articles by Kent, Wood, Wild, Weigle, Alton, Fowler, Peritz, and Stearns on various aspects of this question published in Religious Education, Vol. 10 : 4, August, 1915.

3. What has a local church a legitimate right to expect of graduates of the church college which it supports? What specific function does a church college perform which cannot be performed by a state college?

4. To what extent are churches employing trained directors of religious education for the educational work of the local church? References: Cope, H. F., Employed Directors of Religious Education, Religious Education, 10:3, April, 1915; Boocock, W. H., A New Profession, pamphlet for free distribution, The Pilgrim Press, Boston. For a detailed statement of the work of a director of Religious Education see Religious Education, August, 1913.

5. From what source is the church to secure trained leaders for its educational work? References: Commission report on Religious Education as a Profession, in Religious Education, October, 1915; Committee Report on Teacher Training Standards, Religious Education, December, 1914; Committee Report on Training Religious Leaders, Religious Education, 10 : 5, April, 1915; Athearn, W. S., Teachers for Week Day Religious Schools, Religious Education, 11 : 3, June, 1916.

6. What relation does a community training school have to a city system of religious education? References: Athearn, W. S., The City Institute for Religious Teachers, Chapter II; First Annual Announcement of the Maiden (Mass.) School of Religious Education, pages 6, 7.

7. Enumerate the agencies, national and local, now attempting to supervise or promote educational plans for the children and youth of this country. Do these agencies overlap? Is there needed work which none are attempting to do? Can you see need of correlation in the interest of economy and efficiency? When, where and how do you think a local community should begin the correlation?

IV. THE TWO SYSTEMS MUST BE CLOSELY CORRELATED

Education is a unified process. The laws of the mind demand the close correlation of the secular and the church schools. The two halves of the arch must be brought together so that 1 and 1' (see page 2) become parts of a closely coordinated system. The curricula, methods of teaching, plan of gradation, etc., must articulate so perfectly that unified educational progress will be possible.

Pioneer attempts at the correlation of the two systems of schools are the Gary Plan of week day religious schools ; the Greeley Plan ; the Colorado Plan; the North Dakota Plan; and a number of other plans of Bible Study credit for work done under church auspices. This subject is discussed at length in the following chapter.

V. CONCRETE DEMONSTRATIONS

OF THIS PLAN

MUST BE MADE IN

TYPICAL COMMUNITIES

It must be demonstrated that the plan will work before it can be promoted successfully.

Trained leaders must put the theories to the acid test of practical application. People must behold with their eyes and be convinced by demonstration as well as by logic. Patiently, through a series of years, the people should develop a community system of religious education which will be closely correlated with the system of public schools of the community. This would involve the following elements :

1. A community board of religious education, analogous to the board of education of the public schools. This board would be responsible to a large representative community council which in turn would report to the religious bodies of the community.

2. A community superintendent of religious education.

3. A community training school for religious leaders, including provision for observation and practice teaching.

4. A system of week day religious schools.

5. Sunday schools in local churches.

6. Church vacation schools.

This system is outlined in detail in Chapter III.

VI. SUMMARY

The American children will be educated in the public schools. Religion will not be taught in the American public schools. The church and the home must teach religion to the American people if it is to be taught to them at all. This will require the establishing of a system of church schools which will parallel the public schools all the way from the kindergarten to the university. These two systems of schools must be closely coordinated in the interest of a unified educational program, which will guarantee to every child both intelligence and godliness. Before this dual system of schools can be universally adopted concrete demonstrations must be made in typical communities, and great religious educators must be developed who will both inspire and guide the people in the erection of an efficient system of church schools which will be coextensive with the system of public schools. Great armies of freemen may make the world safe for democracy, but it is the task of the schools to make democracy safe for the world. Democracy will not be safe for the world until democracies learn how to make secular and religious education efficient and universal.