Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/19pdf/19-267_1an2.pdf
Page Number: 23

Cite as:  591 U. S. ____ (2020) 

19 

Opinion of the Court 

wide array of faith traditions.  In the Catholic tradition, re-
ligious education is “ ‘intimately bound up with the whole of 
the Church’s life.’ ”  Catechism of the Catholic Church 8 (2d 
ed.  2016).  Under  canon  law,  local  bishops  must  satisfy 
themselves that “those who are designated teachers of reli-
gious instruction in schools . . . are outstanding in correct
doctrine, the witness of a Christian life, and teaching skill.”
Code of Canon Law, Canon 804, §2 (Eng. transl. 1998).

Similarly,  Protestant  churches,  from  the  earliest  settle-
ments in this country, viewed education as a religious obli-
gation.  A core belief of the Puritans was that education was 
essential to thwart the “chief project of that old deluder, Sa-
tan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures.”13 
Thus,  in  1647,  the  Massachusetts  General  Court  passed
what has been called the Old Deluder Satan Act requiring
every sizable town to establish a school.14  Most of the oldest 
educational institutions in this country were originally es-
tablished by or affiliated with churches, and in recent years, 
non-denominational  Christian  schools  have  proliferated
with  the  aim  of  inculcating  Biblical  values  in  their  stu-
dents.15  Many such schools expressly set themselves apart 
from  public  schools  that  they  believe  do  not  reflect  their
values.16 

Religious education is a matter of central importance in 

—————— 

13 Old Deluder Satan Act of 1647, in The Laws and Liberties of Massa-

chusetts 47 (M. Farrand ed. 1929). 

14 Ibid. 
15 See P. Parsons, Inside America’s Christian Schools (1987); see also
Association  of  Christian  Schools  International,  Why  Christian  School-
ing?, https://www.acsi.org/membership/why-christian-schooling; Association
of Classical Christian Schools, What is CCE?, https://classicalchristian.org/ 
what-is-cce/?v=a44707111a05. 

16 R.  Dreher,  The  Benedict  Option  146,  155,  160  (2017);  see,  e.g.,  J. 
Ekeland  &  B.  Walton,  Discover  Christian  Schools:  Ten  Differences, 
https : / / discoverchristianschools.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/DCS_
TenDifferences.pdf.