College confusion...?

Question

I want to become a Bible class teacher for a public high school. In my state, they are seriously considering offering these classes as an elective in the future. What would I need to major and minor in? I was thinking of probably majoring in Religion and minoring in Education. Is that right? Also, what type of Education exactly would I minor in? Does it even matter? All the college sites I have looked at only have subject-specific courses such as Science Education or Early Childhood Education.

Thank you!

I know this probably sounds unconstitutional but check out this website:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/12/politics/main1613868.shtml

Answer 1

I would advise you to major in a traditional education field such as history or english and do a double major with religion or Bible studies. It is very likely that these type of classes may get outlawed in public schools by the courts, fair or not, so you will want something to fall back on. You could always teach at private religious schools of course, but those jobs are few and far between. Good luck with your career and I hope it works out for you.

Answer 2

Adam B has a very good point. The Supreme Court is likely to deem specifically "Bible classes" as unconstitutional, but there's a way that you can still teach religion in public and private schools:

A major in Religious Studies balances the teachings of ALL religions, not just one, and I remember it being a very beneficial class to my own personal studies in High School. Many of the larger colleges offer a Religious Studies major, and I'm sure you could talk with your academic advisor in college about meshing that with an Education track. Most programs will have some way of meshing their majors with Education majors even if it's just in Certification form.

Answer 3

Be very careful. Even if your state were to be allowed to offer such classes as an elective, almost no teachers get only to teach the electives of their choice. They would probably hire someone to teach English or Social Studies, who would then offer one or two sections of Bible (and it would probably have to be either a class in the Bible as literature, or a class in comparative religions) as part of a larger schedule. They will hire primarily for the larger schedule, not for an elective or two. Because you are thinking of preparing for this even though it does not yet exist, I suspect that you are a devoutly religious person. The fact is that you will never be able, in a public school, be able to present your religion in any kind of a persuasive manner. Any courses which might eventually be allowed would have to be completely nonsectarian and fact-based. This may not appeal to you.

If this is still something you want to do, you would probably want to get a degree in something which is currently in demand in your state, or you could get a degree in secondary education. You might be able to fit in a second major, or a minor, in Theology along with that.

Answer 4

Be very careful. It is likely that the Supreme Court would rule that such classes are illegal and would abolish them.

You'd need the same education classes that everyone else who wants to teach needs. This means taking specific credits required by your state licensing authority, not necessarily majoring in any specific department.

> I've seen similar stories. Unless you're planning to teach the Bible critically, including problems with the text, authorship issues, editing and compilation issues, and criticism of the ideas contained in the Bible, it is unlikely that a Bible class would pass muster. In order to satisfy the Constitutional bar, you must treat the Bible the same way as you would treat any other work of fiction. I don't believe the curriculum that these Christian organizations write would meet that standard.

Answer 5

You'll need to obtain secondary education certification to teach in a public high school. Usually a high school teacher majors in his or her subject and completes a generalized certification program for teaching grades 6/7 through 12.

If you are interested in designing your own program which would get your certification with an emphasis in religious education, I would suggest Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA. Rather than a "major," the school offers a "Program of Emphasis," which allows you to intelligently construct a self-chosen network of courses around a core of necessary classes. Both its religion and education departments are excellent!

Answer 6

I would major in theology and rather than minoring in Education, just take the necessary courses for teacher's liscensure in your state. I had a friend who actually did that. Good luck with your studies and God Bless! :)

Answer 7

Bible teachers are generally NOT found in PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Now, if you were to put together a POLITICAL sylabus on COMAPRATIVE RELIGIONS as they apply to GEOGRAPHY and POLITICS you might get some interest from LIBERAL school systems.

Answer 8

i would say theology unless you have a specific religion, try a private religious university