Professor of Political Science Emile Lester offered comments to the Friendly Atheist blog on proposed Texas social studies textbooks, which are being criticized for “exaggerating Judeo-Christian influence on the nation’s founding,” featuring “incomplete — and often inaccurate — account of religions other than Christianity,” using “outdated — and possibly offensive — anthropological categories and racial terminology in describing African civilizations” and one textbook included “a biased — verging on offensive — treatment of affirmative action.” 

Emile Lester, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, summarized his report this way: He called the texts a “triumph of ideology over ideals.” 

The standards and the textbooks will combine to make Texas students’ “knowledge of American history a casualty of the culture wars,” Lester wrote. Read more.

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Emile Lester recently appeared on “With Good Reason” on WVTF Radio IQ. This pre-election episode featured Lester discussing his new book on Arthur Schlesinger Jr., the foremost presidential historian of the 20th century. Over the course of his career, Schlesinger won two Pulitzer prizes and was a close friend and advisor to former president, John F. Kennedy. Lester says Schlesinger’s work can teach us a lot about what makes a successful liberal presidency. Listen here.

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Emile Lester is featured on the University of Michigan Publishing’s four-part podcast mini-series, Dialogues in Democracy: In Conversation. His most recent book, Liberalism and Leadership: The Irony of Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., was published by University of Michigan Press. His episode, which airs starting on Oct. 29, also features Richard Waterman, Carol L. Silva and Hank Jenkins-Smith, authors of The Presidential Expectations Gap.

Dr. Lester will also appear on the With Good Reason public radio show in an episode that airs starting Oct. 31, entitled “Presidential Leadership.” Description: Arthur Schlesinger was the foremost presidential historian of the 20th century. Over the course of his career, he won two Pulitzer prizes and was a close friend and advisor to former president, John F. Kennedy. Emile Lester (University of Mary Washington) says Schelsinger’s work can teach us a lot about what makes a successful liberal presidency.

With Good Reason airs Sundays at 2 p.m. on Fredericksburg’s Radio IQ 88.3 Digital and at various times throughout the week on stations across Virginia and the United States. Check the website for show times.

Associate Professor of Political Science Emile Lester served on a panel for a discussion titled “Religious Literacy in Public Schools: What to Teach and How” at the Newseum’s Religious Freedom Center in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, July 9. Hosted by The Religious Freedom Center and National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), the panel coincided with the publication of “Teaching about Religion in the Social Studies Classroom,” a new resource from NCSS.

About the Book: The study of religion is essential for understanding the past and present, and critical for global citizenship in a religiously diverse country and world. This book provides advice, recommendations and resources to help social studies educators know what to teach about religion and how to do it.