About the Religion and Education Collaborative

Who We Are

We are an interdisciplinary network of educators, students, and scholars who examine issues involving religion and education in the United States, Canada, and around the globe. The REC strives to bridge gaps between academic fields and educational arenas to promote research and initiatives on religious literacy education, relationships between religion and public schools, and other topics at the intersections of religion and schooling.

Membership

The membership of the Religion & Education Collaborative includes researchers, educators, graduate students, and others whose work intersects with the topics of religion and schooling. The Membership Directory provides a listing of current members who have consented to being included in the public directory.

The current membership represents over 20 U.S. states and Canadian provinces, as well as Norway, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands.

Our Goals

To connect and build relationships between educators, students, and scholars working on issues at the intersection of religion and education.
To foster ongoing dialogue between academic disciplines and between K-12 schools and higher education.
Support and encourage religious literacy education throughout the lifespan, in K-12 education, higher-education, and continuing public education.
Support and encourage academic research on religion and public education, intersections of religion and schooling, and other issues relating to religion and education.

Leadership

Kate Soules, PhD

Director

ksoules@religionanded.com

KateSoules.com

Callid Keefe-Perry, PhD

Assistant Director

callid.kp@bc.edu

CallidKeefePerry.com

History

The Religion & Education Collaborative was founded in 2016 by Kate E. Soules and Nathan C. Walker. The idea to form the REC originated from a conversation about the challenges of connecting with other people who were interested in the intersections of religion and education, especially as doctoral and early career scholars. Nate and Kate had both experienced the difficulties of sustaining conversations and collaborations when many of the people in the field worked primarily in education research or in religious studies, but not both. The REC was born of the desire to bridge gaps between these fields and create a space where both scholarly and social connections could be built outside of the constraints of geography, academic disciplines, or years of experiences. With support from the Religious Freedom Center, the REC held its first online meetings in the Summer of 2016 with an initial roster of approximately two dozen members.

Over the past five years, the REC has grown to over 125 members and continues to host regular online meetings. When possible, members also meet in-person at academic conferences and related events. In 2020, the REC received sponsorship from The Foundation for Religious Literacy, which has allowed us to expand our online presence and being to build additional supports for this thriving community.