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Abstract

Released time is an arrangement through which students are excused from public schools during regular hours to participate in devotional lessons. South Carolina has become the center of operations for a movement of evangelical Christians to expand proselytizing released time programs throughout the United States. As a result of the movement’s lobbying efforts, in 2006 South Carolina became the first state to enact legislation allowing public schools to award graduation credits for participation in released time courses. Ohio recently adopted legislation modeled after South Carolina’s, and other states are presently considering similar bills. In response to these developments, this normative case study evaluates the appropriateness of granting public school credits for released time courses in a pluralist, democratic society.

Keywords

Credit evangelical normative case study public school released time South Carolina

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Evangelical released time for religious education in South Carolina: A normative case study

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