Saints & Citizens Project

Saints & Citizens was a two-year project (1999-2001) that compared and critically assessed the effectiveness of civic education programs in a carefully chosen and widely representative sample of Christian organizations and churches. The project was conducted by the Center for Public Justice and The Center for Christian Studies at Gordon College.

Report: The first fruits of this project are available in a report entitled At a Political Crossroads: Christian Civic Education and the Future of the American Polity. Download a PDF here (180 pages) or purchase it from our bookstore for $20.

Catalog: A second part of the project involved the first major survey and assessment of civic education programs among diverse Christian organizations around the country. The survey asked each organization to describe itself with respect to the following purposes, methods, and outputs: 1) Civic Education Efforts, 2) Target Audience, 3) Methods, Techniques Used, 4) Publications, 5) Centrality of this Aspect to Overall Work, and 6) Contact. The study was funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Following are the organizations/programs surveyed:

Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
Alban Institute/ Indianapolis Center for Congregations
Allen A.M.E. Christian School
Allen A.M.E. Church
Allen A.M.E. Neighborhood Preservation and Development Corporation
America's Christian Heritage Week Ministry
American Anglican Council
American Center for Law and Justice
American Christian History Institute (A.C.H.I.)
American Friends Service Committee
American Studies Program
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Association of Christian Schools International
Bethel New Life
Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston
Boston Ten-Point Coalition (Ella J. Baker House)
Bread for the World/Bread for the World Institute
Call to Renewal
Campaign for Human Development
Carl F.H. Henry Center for Christian Leadership
Catholic Charities, USA
Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Schools of Seattle Archdiocese (Blanchett HS, Seattle Prep School, O'Dea HS, JFK Memorial HS)
Center for Christian Statemanship
Center for Reclaiming America
Christian Coaltion
Christian Legal Society
Christian Schools International
Christians Supporting Community Organizing (CSCO)
Church of the Brethren Washington Office
Citizens for Community Values
Concerned Women for America
Congress of National Black Churches
D.A.R.T. (Direct Action and Research Training)
Eagle Forum
Elm City Congregations Organized
Episcopal Public Policy Network
Ethics and Public Policy Center - Evangelicals in Civic Life
Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Evangelicals for Social Action
Faith Factor (Interdenominational Theological Center)
Faithful Citizenship - U.S. Catholic Conference
Focus on the Family (Public Policy Division)
Focus on the Family Institute
Foundation for American Christian Education (F.A.C.E.)
General Board of Church and Society
Good News
Industrial Areas Foundation and affiliated organizations
Institute on Religion and Democracy
Interfaith Alliance
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Office of Government Information
Lutheran Office for Government Affairs
Mars Hill Audio
Membership of Christian attorneys
Mennonite Central Committee, U.S. Washington Office
Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools (M.A.N.S.)
National Association of Christian Educators/Citizens for Excellence in Education
National Association of Evangelicals Office of Government Affairs
National Catholic Educational Association
National Council of Churches Washington Office
National Ministeries Office of Government Relations
National Religious Broadcasters Legislative Action Center
Network: National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Nueva Esperanza
Peace and Justice Committee of the Mennonite Church
Peter Marshall Ministries
Repairing the Breach
Sojourners
The New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm
The Providence Foundation
The Trinity Forum
The Trinity Forum Academy
The WallBuilders
The Wilberforce Forum
The Witherspoon Fellowship
Traditional Values Coalition
Urban Family Counsel
Worldview Weekend/ The American Family Policy Institute

Other Civic Education Resources

1. National Public Radio series: "Citizen Student" (on how young Americans learn about citizenship)

Learning to Vote (Part 1) (11/5/02):

http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/civics/young_vote.html

Bringing the First Amendment into the Classroom (Part 2) (12/06/02): The notions of freedom, democracy and free speech are sometimes difficult for adults to comprehend and express. NPR's Neva Grant visits a group of eighth-graders trying to make sense of the First Amendment. http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_868662.html

Civics Lessons Beyond the Classroom (Part 3) (01/07/03): Many high school programs encourage students to volunteer in their community, reaching out beyond their classrooms. But NPR's Nancy Solomon reports that some experts worry the programs are sending an incomplete message about citizenship. http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_905341.html

Teaching Patriotism in Time of War: Educators Approach Loyalty to Country in Different Ways (Part 4) (2/7/03):
Educators disagree about whether or how to teach young Americans to love their country. And that debate can get particularly sharp during a time of war. In this fourth part of a Morning Edition series on citizenship, NPR's Madeleine Brand visits two eighth grade history classes -- one in Concord, Mass., the other in West Milford, New Jersey. We hear students and teachers debate the question: can you be against a possible war in Iraq but still call yourself a patriot? http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_957688.html

See also the companion piece by Margot Adler at: http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=983595 and a "Justice Talking" debate entitled "Civics Education: Patriotism or Skepticism?" with renowned historian Howard Zinn and Peter Gibbon: http://www.justicetalking.org/viewprogram.asp?progID=393

2. Center for Civic Education: http://www.civiced.org/

3. Civnet: http://www.civnet.org/

Attached Files

SaintsandCitizensReport.pdf

Center Speakers on Civic Education

Please contact the Center (toll-free 1-866-CPJUSTICE) to ask about having someone from the Center speak to your church, school, or other group about civic education or a related topic.