Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores neoliberalism as a problem for democratic education. It discusses the background of neoliberalism and exposes the underlying concepts that led to its prominence through the 1980s and 1990s. The book examines the proposal that a more robust presence for religion in schools will "save America." It focuses on John Dewey's understanding of the religious and its function within a democratic society and public schooling. The book also explores Dewey's enigmatic claim that the teacher is a "prophet of the true God and the usherer in of the true kingdom of God." It sets out the task of the Deweyan prophetic teacher within neoliberal schooling. The book also examines the place of religion in public schools as a solution to the problem of neoliberal schooling.