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Lesson Plans


Re: Christian Art?

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
KatCascio
Mon, 11 Mar 1996 11:19:55 -0500

Samantha,
It seems to me that we're missing an awful lot of history and culture if
we're not allowed to teach ABOUT such things. We (The Southeast Center for
Education in the Arts) are actually running into problems with a
multi-disciplinary unit on Ancient Greece we're developing because teachers
say they can't teach Greek myths because they are religious. I'm not sure
what concept of the past today's students will have without some of these
foundations. Granted, I wouldn't want a religion pushed on students as THE
way to live but I'm not opposed to their being exposed to world religions.

I gave a tour last year of the FACE OF THE GODS: ART AND ALTARS OF AFRICA
AND THE AFRICAN-AMERICAS at the museum in Montgomery, Alabama where I worked
as part of the education department. The artist of one altar used common
Christian symbols to represent gods from their own religion. I asked the
kids if they recognized the sculpture in the center of the woman in the blue
robe and no one even had a guess. Here is an instance when knowing something
ABOUT Christianity would have served the students well.

Kathryn Cascio, Assistant Director
The Southeast Institute for Education in the Visual Arts