Religious Literacy in Teacher Education

Abstract

Abstract This article explores two questions: What is religious literacy in the context of teacher education? and Why does teacher education matter for the promotion of religious literacy? The current absence of attention to religious literacy in pre-service education for both generalist and specialist teachers in United States and Canada, particularly Quebec, has implications for educators’ abilities to prepare young people for citizenship in religiously diverse societies. A unique form of religious literacy for educators is described in the Pedagogical Content Knowledge about Religion framework. Equipping religiously literate educators is a first step in fostering a religiously literate public.