About Kate
Dr. Kate Soules is an education researcher and curriculum developer specializing in religious literacy and teacher education. Her research examines the assessment and evaluation of religious literacy education, teacher professional learning about religion and the impacts of religious literacy for both students and educators. She is also interested in the representation of religion in young adult literature and the evolving definitions and conceptualizations of religious literacy.
Dr. Soules is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Religion and Education Collaborative (REC), an interdisciplinary network of scholars and practitioners working at the intersections of religion and schooling.
Dr. Soules consults as a researcher and curriculum specialist with organizations including the Aspen Institute’s Religion and Society Program, International Baccalaureate, the American Academy of Religion, Kaur Foundation, and others. She has developed and taught courses about religious literacy and religious liberty for students of all ages, from elementary school through adult professional development.
She was a 2019-2020 recipient of the Religious Literacy Fellowship from the Foundation for Religious Literacy. In 2021, she received the Emerging Scholar Award from the Religious and Education Special Interest Group at the American Education Research Association.
Selected Publications
Soules, K. & Pagnoni, G. (Forthcoming). Understanding Educator Motivations for Participating in Religious Literacy Professional Development. In A. Bodles, E. Bellows, E.E. Saylor, S. An, & L.B. Buchanan (Eds), Religion, the First Amendment, and Public Schools. Information Age Publishing
Soules, K. & Jafralie, S. (2021). Religious Literacy in Teacher Education, Religion & Education,
DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2021.1876497
Soules, K. (2020) Review: Contextual Considerations for Student-Centered Religious Education, Religion & Education, 47:2, 131-134,
DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2020.1745990
Marcus, B.P, Soules, K & Callaway, D. (2020) National Summit on Religion and Education: A White Paper. Religion & Education, 47:1, 2-18,
DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2020.1714403
Russo, C. J., Soules, K., Newman, A., & Douglass, S. L. (2018). Private Religious Schools. In M. D. Waggoner & N. C. Walker (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of religion and American education. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Gardner, G.S., Soules, K., & Valk , J. (2017) The Urgent Need for Teacher Preparation in Religious and Secular Worldview Education. Religious Education, 112(3), 242-254, DOI: 10.1080/00344087.2017.1309113
Recent Presentations
Soules, K. (November 2022) Does religious literacy education make any difference and how do we know? A review of evaluation and assessment practices in religious literacy education. Paper presentation at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado.
Celidwen, Y., Soules, K., Jones, R.P. (November 2022) Beyond the Academy: Pursuing Jobs Off of the Tenure Track. Panel Convened by the Applied Religious Studies Committee at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado.
Soules, K. (April 2021) No Singular Way: Developing More Complex Conceptions of Religion Following Professional Development About Religious Diversity. Roundtable presentation at the American Education Research Association Annual Meeting, Virtual Conference
Biondo, V., Moore, D., Pagnoni, G., Soules, K., Ibrahim, C., Earley, D. (November, 2020) Religious Literacy and K-12 Education: Opportunities for Successful Partnerships. Panel convened by the Committee on the Public Understanding of Religion at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, Virtual Conference.
Owens, E., Berglund, J., Grelle, B., Marcus, B., Sheena, M.K., Soules, K., Walker, N. (November 2019) Teaching About Religion in Public Schools: A Roundtable for K-12 Teachers and Teacher Educators. Panel Presentation at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Soules, K. (November 2019) A Change in Perspective: Turning from the Failures of Education about Religion in the United States to an Exploration of the Successes. Paper presented at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
“Religious Literacy for Educators, 2.0,” July 22, 2019. Invited talk at Religious Literacy for Educators professional development course, Naperville District 203, Illinois.
Soules, K. (April 2019) Combating Stereotypes through Direct Experiences: Impacts of Professional Development about Religious Diversity though Site Visits. Roundtable presentation at the American Education Research Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON, Canada.”
Current Projects
Religion & Society Program, Aspen Institute – Fellow for Religious Literacy and Evaluation (2022-Present)
Virtues in the Public Square (1791 Delegates and the Foundation for Religious Literacy) – Research Director (2022 – Present)
International Baccalaureate – World Religious Course: Core Developer and Curriculum Reviewer (2019 – Present)
Pedagogical Content Knowledge about Religion – A religious literacy framework and evaluation tool for educators
Education
2019
Boston College, Lynch School of Education
Doctor of Philosophy, Curriculum & Instruction
2014
Boston University, School of Theology
Master of Theological Studies (MTS)
2010
Wellesley College
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology
Additional Experience
American Academy of Religion – Religious Literacy Workshop Designer and Facilitator (2022)
Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum Institute, Washington D.C. – Instructor, Curriculum Designer, Evaluation Consultant (2017 – 2021)
Boston College, Office of Practicum Experiences & Teacher Induction, Chestnut Hill, MA – Pre-Practicum Program Supervisor (2016 – 2017)
Mother Caroline Academy, Dorchester, MA – Teaching Fellow (2010 – 2012)
Teaching
Boston College, Lynch School of Education, Chestnut Hill, MA
Undergraduate Level Courses:
Secondary Curriculum and Instruction (Spring 2018, Spring 2019)
Senior Inquiry Seminar (Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Spring 2019)
Teaching Social Studies and the Arts (Fall 2017, Spring 2018)
Graduate Level Courses:
Teaching Social Studies and the Arts (Fall 2018)
Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum Institute, Washington DC
Graduate Level Courses:
First Amendment Approaches to Religion and Public Schools (Blended Learning, Fall 2017), Co-Instructor with Lauren Herman, MDiv, JD
Histories of Religious Liberty in the United States (Online, Fall 2017), Co-Instructor with Eleesha Tucker, MA
