Institute for Religion and Education

The mission of the Institute for Religion and Education is to promote the study of and education about Constitutionally appropriate treatment of religion in public schools and higher education in the areas of teaching, research, curriculum, and policy. It is the editorial home of the peer-reviewed journal, Religion & Education, published by Taylor and Francis and of the book series, Research on Religion and Education, published by Routledge. The Institute also sponsors activities and collaborates in projects in support of its mission.

Iowa Religious Literacy Project June 27-29, 2022

Iowa Religious Literacy Project

The IRE will host the Iowa Religious Literacy Project's 2022 Summer Seminar from June 27-29 at UNI. Are you an Iowa teacher interested in best practices for approaching religion in both the classroom and the curriculum? This workshop is for you! All participants will receive $250, complimentary meals and parking at UNI, as well as transportation to local religious sites. This event is sponsored by the Whiting Foundation and UNI's Department of Philosophy and World Religions.

The application cycle for the 2022 Summer Seminar has closed. Please contact Michael Graziano with questions about future opportunities.

Journal

journal

Religion & Education is a journal of analysis and comment with the purpose of advancing public understanding and dialogue on issues at the intersections of religion and education. These issues emerge in various venues; manuscripts are invited from work in any such arena: public or private education at K-12 or higher education institutions; non-school or community organizations and settings; and formal or informal organizations or groups with religion or spirituality as an integral part of their work. Articles are invited from diverse methodological approaches and theoretical and ideological perspectives. Some articles are solicited, but unsolicited articles are encouraged. Unsolicited manuscripts are put through a peer review process. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or publisher. This journal does not address the work of formal religious institutions including churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples. Rather, it focuses on the beliefs and values arising from all traditions as they come into contact with educational work in the public square. Further information about the journal can be found at Taylor & Francis Online.


Book Series

book series

The Routledge Research in Religion and Education series aims at advancing public understanding and dialogue on issues at the intersections of religion and education. These issues emerge in various venues and proposals are invited from work in any such arena: public or private education at K-12 or higher education institutions; non-school or community organizations and settings; and formal or informal organizations or groups with religion or spirituality as an integral part of their work. Book proposals are invited from diverse methodological approaches and theoretical and ideological perspectives. This series does not address the work of formal religious institutions including churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples. Rather, it focuses on the beliefs and values arising from all traditions as they come into contact with educational work in the public square. Further information about the book series can be found here.

 


Director

director

Michael Graziano is an Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). He's interested in the relationship between religion, law, and public education. On campus, Professor Graziano's classes include "Religion and Public Schools" and public education-themed sections of "Religions of the World. " With many UNI students preparing to become teachers, much of his teaching and service is geared toward working with these students on issues of religious literacy in their future classrooms. He began the "IRL Project," a community engagement program focused on religious literacy in Iowa public schools, with the support of a Whiting Foundation Public Engagement Seed Grant in 2020. UNI students and other community members interested in working with Professor Graziano are invited to contact him at michael.graziano@uni.edu


Senior Research Fellow

research fellow

Michael D. Waggoner, Ph.D., is Professor of Education Emeritus at the University of Northern Iowa where he taught in the Postsecondary Education: Student Affairs graduate program. His principal scholarly interests center on religion and spirituality in education. He is Editor for the peer-reviewed journal, Religion & Education. He is also Editor of the book series, Research in Religion and Education for Routledge Books. He is Past Chair of the Religion and Education Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association and is currently co-chair of the Religion in the Public Schools: International Perspectives Group of the American Academy of Religion. He is an invited member of the International Seminar on Religious Education and Values, an association of 240 scholars from 36 countries who study religion and education. His most recent books are Sacred and Secular Tensions in Higher Education published by Routledge, and Religion in the Public Schools: Negotiating the New Commons published by Rowman and Littlefield. Currently, he is co-editor for The Oxford Handbook on Religion and American Education to be published by Oxford University Press in 2016. Contact him at mike.waggoner@uni.edu.