Religion and Education: a Study of the Interrelationship Between Fundamentalism and Education in Contemporary America Lanny R
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works May 1985 Religion and Education: A Study of the Interrelationship Between Fundamentalism and Education in Contemporary America Lanny R. Bowers East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Other Education Commons Recommended Citation Bowers, Lanny R., "Religion and Education: A Study of the Interrelationship Between Fundamentalism and Education in Contemporary America" (1985). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2639. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2639 This Dissertation - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS Tliis reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us Tor microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques Is provided to help clarify markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark, it is an indication of either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, duplicate copy, or copyrighted materials that should not have been filmed. For blurred pages, a good image of the page can be found in the adjacent frame. If copyrighted materials were deleted, a target note will appear listing the pages in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part of the material being photographed, a definite method of "sectioning" the material has been followed. It is customary to begin filming at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. If necessary, sectioning is continued again—beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For illustrations that cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by xerographic means, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and inserted into your xerographic copy. These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. University. Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 6514725 Bowers, Lanny Ross RELIGION AND EDUCATION: A STUDY OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FUNDAMENTALISM AND EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA Bast Tennessee State University Ed.D. 1985 University Microfilms International300 N. Zesb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark V . 1. Glossy photographs or _____pages 2. Colored illustrations, paper or______ print 3. Photographs with dark background_____ 4. Illustrations are poor copy______ 5. Pages with black marks, not original______ copy 6. Print shows through as there Is text on both sides_______ of page 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several________ pages 8. Print exceeds margin requirements______ 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost_______ In spine 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct_______ print 11. Page(s)___________lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s)___________seem to be missing In numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages num bered . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages______ 15. Dissertation contains pages with print at a slant, filmed as received. 16. Other________________________________________________________________________ University Microfilms International RELIGION AND EDUCATION: A STUDY OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FUNDAMENTALISM AND EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Supervision and Administration East Tennessee State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Lanny R. Bowers May 1985 APPROVAL This Is to certify that the Graduate Committee of LANNY ROSS BOWERS met on the 26th day of Harch 1985 The committee read and examined his dissertation, supervised his defense of It in an oral examination, and decided to recommend that his study be submitted to the Graduate Council and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education. dhalt■flan. Graduate Committee Signed on behalf of the Graduate Council Associate Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies 11 ABSTRACT RELIGION AND EDUCATION: A STUDY OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FUNDAMENTALISM AND EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA by Lanny R. Bowers Problem. The problem of this study was to ascertain the extent that education has become a focus of attack by fundamentalist groups during the past two decades in America. Design. The study was designed to consist of five chapters: an Introduction, a Review of Related Literature, Methods and Procedures, Presentation of Data and Analysis of Research Questions, and Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations. An attempt was made to present a compilation of the literature published relating religious fundamentalism to education in the United States. In Chapter 2, the attempt was to provide a historical overview of the literature to provide a definitive statement on the development of relationships between Church and State and their appendages. Specifically, the literature of the 1970s and 1980s were presented to establish resurgent attitudes and patterns. In Chapter A, each of four basic questions pertaining to the phenomenon was analyzed. There were: (a) Which societal factors have been historically associated with a rise in fundamentalism? (b) How has the role of the media Influenced fundamentalist movements in shaping their focus of attack? (c) Why is the educational system so crucial a subject for directing social change?, and (d) Are there parallels between the Neo-Fundamentalist movement and other political movements? In Chapter 5, tentative conclusions were drawn based upon the observations. Conclusions. It was concluded that rapidly changing social, cultural, and technological conditions in society causes a concurrent flux in social institutions resulting in various reactionary trends. Rising pluralism, insecurity and frustration, feelings of Individual powerlessness, institutionalization and Increasing secularism all give rise to reactionary religious thought. The use of modern media as an instrument of division and conquest by fundamentalists is basic to their attack. The media is used to network all fundamentalists and neutralize those individuals, corporations, political parties, and groups declared in opposition to fundamentalist beliefs. iii iv The educational system has been Increasingly attacked by the fundamentalists due to a perceived-or constructed conflict of purpose, variant emphasis of subject matter, the end goals of the system, and the school's visibility. Finally, there is a substantial similarity between all social movements that pursue varying degrees of totalitarianism in their development of a national fervor, use of propaganda and force prejudice, deception, and hatred for opposing ideas. DEDICATION This study Is dedicated to my mother, Mrs. Norma Jean Bowers ACKNOWLEDGMENT I would like to thank my wife, Marilyn and my daughter, Michelle for their patience and support through this ordeal. A special thanks Is extended to all the folks at the store: Bo, Roy, Myra, Randy, Bob, and Bondy for their patient and understanding support. I am thankful for a committee that was nothing but supportive and helpful in providing guidance, advice, critique, and prompt response. Without their open communication this cask may have proved far more difficult and unpleasant. Dr. Gem K. Grenlnger, Dr. William Evernden, Dr. J. Howard Bowers, Dr. William Acuff, and Dr. Roger Ilecht are all deserving of appreciation. A special thanks to Dr. Charles Burkett for his support and for standing by me through the many trials and tribulations that popped up along the way. The cooperation of my employer, Walters State Community College, made my residence requirements possible, A special thanks for their support is acknowledged. Finally, a special thanks to my typist, Madaline Jenkins, who was more than just a typist to me. Thank all of you for your aid, comfort, and assistance. vi CONTENTS Page APPROVAL ....................................................... il ABSTRACT ...................................................... iii DEDICATION ................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGMENT ............................................... vi Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................... 1 The Problem...........................