Religious belief and education for spirituality after the Enlightenment: The vision of Elmer Thiessen

The ethos of the Enlightenment placed religious and spiritual concerns in a private sphere, while politics became a public concern. In this vein, many American educators, including John Dewey, have vigorously insisted that pu blic schools remain free from religion while inculcating a common civic vir tue. Recently, however, educational theorists and practitioners influenced by Dewey have worried about the public's lack of spiritual intelligence and have asked how democracy and spirituality might be reconciled within schoo ls. I approach this question through an examination of Elmer Thiessen's "Te aching for Commitment: Liberal Education, Indoctrination, and Christian Nur ture" (1993). While not a follower of Dewey, Thiessen's work raises importa nt questions for those who follow Dewey and who are concerned with the rela tionship between democracy and spirituality.