In a society where religion often either dominates the discourse or disappears entirely from public education, how can we create space for students to think critically—and compassionately—about religious diversity, power, and belonging? What does it look like to challenge Christian supremacy in education without replacing it with another orthodoxy?

Today’s guest is Dr. Sachi Edwards, a lecturer in the Sociology Department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She’s an educator, scholar, and advocate whose research spans religious diversity, intercultural communication, and the de-imperialization of global education systems. Her work confronts how seemingly “secular” educational environments often carry the legacies of Christian colonial values, including assumptions about individualism, capitalism, and nuclear family structures.

In this episode, Dr. Edwards invites us to question the foundations of how we define “religion” in the classroom—and what gets lost when we teach it as a matter of belief systems alone. From her early experiences as a student first encountering Buddhism in academic texts to her current role as a professor guiding complex discussions in higher education, Sachi offers insight into how religion is lived, embodied, and entangled with culture. We explore why omitting religion from diversity conversations reinforces dominant norms, how curiosity can replace condemnation in contentious classrooms, and how educators might imagine an approach to religious literacy that is historically grounded, community-responsive, and fundamentally about human connection. If you've ever wondered how to navigate religion thoughtfully in educational settings, this conversation is essential listening.