Beyond Belief: Epistemic Evaluation of Religious Experiences

In this response, the author argues that to include religion as a subject of study without treating it as a possible contender of truth by evaluating religious claims in a public manner unfairly prejudges their epistemic status and is patronizing to the variety of religious worldviews; it also disrespects the institution of public schooling by making light of its responsibility to explore questions of truth based on relevant evidence. The alternative view that I propose insists that genuine respect is achieved neither through inclusion or exclusion per se, but by offering students opportunities to subject religious claims and experiences to rigorous epistemic analysis. In this approach, religion is treated as a contender for truth, and students are helped, in this arena as in others, to develop habits of mind and skills that will enable them to become reasonable, thoughtful, and autonomous thinkers.