Pub Date : 2024-03-16DOI: 10.1007/s40839-024-00222-7
Ehud Tsemach
This study describes the thinking strategies and epistemological stances of two Bible experts, who applied a literary and historical interpretive approach, respectively. A thinking-aloud protocols methodology was used as the two scholars read the same biblical story and verbalized their thoughts. The findings reveal intricate relationships between thinking strategies and interpretive approaches. The two scholars use similar thinking strategies, yet apply them within distinct epistemological stances and reading objectives. Both apply close reading; recall commentaries; syntactic and grammatical analysis. Both connect the story with other biblical texts. However, their reading goals differ. One applies strategies that deconstruct the biblical story to different sources and restore the Urtext. The other applies a reading approach that conceives the text as a unified literary work. He constructs possible meanings and messages from the story using literary criticism tools, relating to literary genres, and actualizing the ancient text. I discuss how these findings contribute to the literature about Bible scholarship and religious education and its pedagogical implications.
{"title":"How do experts read the Bible? Descriptions of literary and historical approaches to biblical interpretation using thinking-aloud protocols","authors":"Ehud Tsemach","doi":"10.1007/s40839-024-00222-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-024-00222-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study describes the thinking strategies and epistemological stances of two Bible experts, who applied a literary and historical interpretive approach, respectively. A thinking-aloud protocols methodology was used as the two scholars read the same biblical story and verbalized their thoughts. The findings reveal intricate relationships between thinking strategies and interpretive approaches. The two scholars use similar thinking strategies, yet apply them within distinct epistemological stances and reading objectives. Both apply close reading; recall commentaries; syntactic and grammatical analysis. Both connect the story with other biblical texts. However, their reading goals differ. One applies strategies that deconstruct the biblical story to different sources and restore the Urtext. The other applies a reading approach that conceives the text as a unified literary work. He constructs possible meanings and messages from the story using literary criticism tools, relating to literary genres, and actualizing the ancient text. I discuss how these findings contribute to the literature about Bible scholarship and religious education and its pedagogical implications.</p>","PeriodicalId":30871,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religious Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140152471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-02DOI: 10.1007/s40839-024-00221-8
Alison Johnson, Matthew H. Lee, Albert Cheng
Research shows that teacher quality is the most important school-related input correlated with student success. In religious private schools, teachers do not merely influence academic outcomes; they may also play a role in spiritual formation. Religious school administrators report that their faith informs their hiring decisions. However, little research has examined the ways that religious school administrators choose individuals to place in teaching positions. In this study, we use conjoint analysis to experimentally examine the hiring preferences of 170 Christian school administrators. We find that having modest (compared to below-average) academic achievement and qualifications or extensive (compared to limited) experience each increases a teacher candidate’s likelihood of being hired by 26 percentage points. Having strong (compared to modest) academics, being a graduate of a Christian (compared to secular) postsecondary institution, or being a graduate of the administrator’s K-12 school (compared to a different school) produces smaller effects.
{"title":"Which characteristics do religious school administrators value in teachers? Experimental evidence from the global Christian school sector","authors":"Alison Johnson, Matthew H. Lee, Albert Cheng","doi":"10.1007/s40839-024-00221-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-024-00221-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Research shows that teacher quality is the most important school-related input correlated with student success. In religious private schools, teachers do not merely influence academic outcomes; they may also play a role in spiritual formation. Religious school administrators report that their faith informs their hiring decisions. However, little research has examined the ways that religious school administrators choose individuals to place in teaching positions. In this study, we use conjoint analysis to experimentally examine the hiring preferences of 170 Christian school administrators. We find that having modest (compared to below-average) academic achievement and qualifications or extensive (compared to limited) experience each increases a teacher candidate’s likelihood of being hired by 26 percentage points. Having strong (compared to modest) academics, being a graduate of a Christian (compared to secular) postsecondary institution, or being a graduate of the administrator’s K-12 school (compared to a different school) produces smaller effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":30871,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religious Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140018478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-02DOI: 10.1007/s40839-024-00223-6
Peter Ivers
{"title":"On becoming wise together: learning and leading in the city","authors":"Peter Ivers","doi":"10.1007/s40839-024-00223-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-024-00223-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":30871,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religious Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140081357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-02DOI: 10.1007/s40839-024-00224-5
Abstract
The protection and regulation of religious expression present complex challenges. Blasphemy laws, which criminalize acts deemed disrespectful to religious beliefs, have been abolished in England, allowing for broader freedom of expression. However, concerns and discussions about blasphemy persist. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman (2023), has emphasized that there are no blasphemy laws in Great Britain and no obligation to show reverence towards any religion. Religious Education (RE) plays a crucial role in fostering understanding and tolerance of diverse religious traditions. It provides students with opportunities to develop critical thinking skills and engage in meaningful dialogue. However, certain aspects of critical thinking within RE may be perceived as provocative or blasphemous. This paper explores the ongoing debate on blasphemy laws in England, considering the evolving religious landscape and its implications for the teaching of RE. It aims to shed light on the complex dimensions of this discourse.
摘要 对宗教表达的保护和监管是一项复杂的挑战。亵渎法》将被视为不尊重宗教信仰的行为定为刑事犯罪,英国已废除该法,从而允许更广泛的表达自由。然而,有关亵渎的担忧和讨论依然存在。内政大臣苏埃拉-布拉夫曼(Suella Braverman,2023 年)强调,英国没有亵渎法,也没有义务对任何宗教表示敬畏。宗教教育(RE)在促进对不同宗教传统的理解和宽容方面发挥着至关重要的作用。它为学生提供了培养批判性思维能力和参与有意义对话的机会。然而,宗教教育中的某些批判性思维可能会被视为具有挑衅性或亵渎性。本文探讨了英国正在进行的有关亵渎法的辩论,考虑了不断演变的宗教景观及其对 RE 教学的影响。本文旨在阐明这一讨论的复杂层面。
{"title":"‘We don’t have blasphemy laws in England.’ What does this mean for RE?","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s40839-024-00224-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-024-00224-5","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>The protection and regulation of religious expression present complex challenges. Blasphemy laws, which criminalize acts deemed disrespectful to religious beliefs, have been abolished in England, allowing for broader freedom of expression. However, concerns and discussions about blasphemy persist. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman (2023), has emphasized that there are no blasphemy laws in Great Britain and no obligation to show reverence towards any religion. Religious Education (RE) plays a crucial role in fostering understanding and tolerance of diverse religious traditions. It provides students with opportunities to develop critical thinking skills and engage in meaningful dialogue. However, certain aspects of critical thinking within RE may be perceived as provocative or blasphemous. This paper explores the ongoing debate on blasphemy laws in England, considering the evolving religious landscape and its implications for the teaching of RE. It aims to shed light on the complex dimensions of this discourse.</p>","PeriodicalId":30871,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religious Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140018482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Living and working through the challenges of a pandemic offered a unique research opportunity to engage with some core questions about what really matters in Religious Education (RE) in countries across Europe. The What Covid Reveals to Religious Education Specialists research project sought to provide a reflective space for RE specialists, drawn from the board members of the European Forum for Teachers of Religious Education (EFTRE), to consider their experiences of RE during the Covid-19 pandemic and to begin to articulate what they might want in the future for RE in light of their experiences. Areas explored in the online qualitative survey included: challenging questions and issues, social unrest, student–teacher relationships, learning scenarios, valued dimensions in RE, opportunities for the future, and ‘ideal’ RE. Respondents were from sixteen of the twenty-two countries present on the EFTRE Board, offering their individual perspectives from Western, Northern, Central and Southern Europe. Using the tool ATLAS.ti, an inductive analytical approach was employed; a number of key group ‘themes’ emerged from the responses, which provided a basis for further analysis. This paper will present some of the main findings in dialogue with the focusing research stimulus question: What does Covid-19 reveal to RE specialists about their subject? The project is a European collaboration involving researchers from Austria, Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Wales.
{"title":"“Covid made me think about…” What really matters in RE: a European research project","authors":"Tania ap Siôn, Sandra Cullen, Sonja Danner, Bianca Kappelhoff, Eszter Kodácsy-Simon","doi":"10.1007/s40839-024-00225-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-024-00225-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Living and working through the challenges of a pandemic offered a unique research opportunity to engage with some core questions about what really matters in Religious Education (RE) in countries across Europe. The <i>What Covid Reveals to Religious Education Specialists</i> research project sought to provide a reflective space for RE specialists, drawn from the board members of the European Forum for Teachers of Religious Education (EFTRE), to consider their experiences of RE during the Covid-19 pandemic and to begin to articulate what they might want in the future for RE in light of their experiences. Areas explored in the online qualitative survey included: challenging questions and issues, social unrest, student–teacher relationships, learning scenarios, valued dimensions in RE, opportunities for the future, and ‘ideal’ RE. Respondents were from sixteen of the twenty-two countries present on the EFTRE Board, offering their individual perspectives from Western, Northern, Central and Southern Europe. Using the tool ATLAS.ti, an inductive analytical approach was employed; a number of key group ‘themes’ emerged from the responses, which provided a basis for further analysis. This paper will present some of the main findings in dialogue with the focusing research stimulus question: <i>What does Covid-19 reveal to RE specialists about their subject?</i> The project is a European collaboration involving researchers from Austria, Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Wales.</p>","PeriodicalId":30871,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religious Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140008977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-05DOI: 10.1007/s40839-023-00220-1
Abstract
As perspectives from the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky have made a substantial impact in the field of educational sciences, they have generated interest even in the field of religious education. To address some possible implications of Vygotskyan perspectives for religious education, this study focuses on Vygotsky’s notion of symbolic mediation, compared with perspectives from theological publications, interviews with religiously affiliated students as well as curricula and textbooks. Based on a comparison and discussion of these sources, the study argues that Vygotsky’s psychological perspective on symbolic mediation as key to human self-determination is not in conflict with theological and empirical approaches to religious symbols but that the latter display a wider variety of perspectives. It is argued that while religious education may benefit from Vygotskyan perspectives, a reflection is also needed on how to deal with the framing of religious symbols by varying theological positions and conflicting worldviews in different religious education settings.
{"title":"The ‘Gospel’ according to Vygotsky? Reflections on the role of symbolic mediation in religious education","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s40839-023-00220-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-023-00220-1","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>As perspectives from the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky have made a substantial impact in the field of educational sciences, they have generated interest even in the field of religious education. To address some possible implications of Vygotskyan perspectives for religious education, this study focuses on Vygotsky’s notion of symbolic mediation, compared with perspectives from theological publications, interviews with religiously affiliated students as well as curricula and textbooks. Based on a comparison and discussion of these sources, the study argues that Vygotsky’s psychological perspective on symbolic mediation as key to human self-determination is not in conflict with theological and empirical approaches to religious symbols but that the latter display a wider variety of perspectives. It is argued that while religious education may benefit from Vygotskyan perspectives, a reflection is also needed on how to deal with the framing of religious symbols by varying theological positions and conflicting worldviews in different religious education settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":30871,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religious Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139771421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-19DOI: 10.1007/s40839-023-00215-y
Ruth J. Wareham
England and Wales are now amongst the least religious countries in the world. According to Census data between 2011 and 2021, the number of people identifying as having ‘No Religion’ jumped by over 8 million, from 25% to 37%. Further, although there was a small upward shift in those identifying with minority religions, during the same period, the number of people identifying as Christian dropped by 5.5 million to 46.2% of the population. Wales is particularly irreligious. Here, 47% ticked ‘No Religion’ compared to 44% ‘Christian’. But even in Northern Ireland, where the majority still identify with a Christian denomination, the non-religious population has nearly doubled (from 10 to 17%) in the last decade. This surge in the non-religious will (and ought to) affect policy in a wide range of areas, but it is likely to be most profoundly felt in education; be that via reforms designed to better accommodate non-religious learners or attempts to reverse what is seen as a threatening trend by some religious groups and organisations. In this paper I explore the implications of this rapid demographic shift on religious education (RE). I argue that, while some may view the growth of the non-religious as a ‘death knell’ signalling the subject’s impending demise, it actually presents an unparalleled opportunity for revitalisation.
{"title":"Death knell or revival? Navigating religious education in the age of the non-religious","authors":"Ruth J. Wareham","doi":"10.1007/s40839-023-00215-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-023-00215-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p>England and Wales are now amongst the least religious countries in the world. According to Census data between 2011 and 2021, the number of people identifying as having ‘No Religion’ jumped by over 8 million, from 25% to 37%. Further, although there was a small upward shift in those identifying with minority religions, during the same period, the number of people identifying as Christian dropped by 5.5 million to 46.2% of the population. Wales is particularly irreligious. Here, 47% ticked ‘No Religion’ compared to 44% ‘Christian’. But even in Northern Ireland, where the majority still identify with a Christian denomination, the non-religious population has nearly doubled (from 10 to 17%) in the last decade. This surge in the non-religious will (and ought to) affect policy in a wide range of areas, but it is likely to be most profoundly felt in education; be that via reforms designed to better accommodate non-religious learners or attempts to reverse what is seen as a threatening trend by some religious groups and organisations. In this paper I explore the implications of this rapid demographic shift on religious education (RE). I argue that, while some may view the growth of the non-religious as a ‘death knell’ signalling the subject’s impending demise, it actually presents an unparalleled opportunity for revitalisation.</p>","PeriodicalId":30871,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religious Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138534711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-14DOI: 10.1007/s40839-023-00206-z
Ruth Flanagan
Abstract Divergence is not a new phenomenon in RE in England and Wales. A diverse range of aims and approaches have been promoted since RE provision became compulsory in 1944. Approaches include the phenomenological, interpretative, and dialogic with current debates centring around the benefits and challenges of a ‘worldviews approach’. There have been a range of responses to this approach, and implementation has been diverse. It may appear that at the heart of this divergence is confusion over the definition of the term 'worldview' and what this entails for teachers: adding content knowledge and diverse sources. However, this paper argues that the divergence is much more significantly rooted in the nature of ‘substantive knowledge’ and the power dynamics associated with who defines, selects and assesses the validity of substantive knowledge. In current research, I am testing the hypothesis that teachers’ personal worldviews influence their choice of substantive knowledge in RE. Through 142 questionnaires and 21 interviews, this power dynamic is being investigated. Employing Kelly’s (Kelly, Personal construct psychology, Norton, 1955) Personal Construct Theory illuminated teachers’ personal worldviews relating to substantive knowledge in RE. Through the completion and analysis of RepGrids, the teachers revealed they taught the ‘good’ aspects of religions and ignored the ‘bad’. They prized knowledge from lived experience above knowledge provided by religious institutions and some deemed online sources more useful than those from religious institutions. The power to define ‘substantive’ knowledge, once primarily in the hands of religious institutions, has dissipated to embrace definitions from teachers’ personal worldviews. Whilst enabling a diversity of beliefs to be covered, without examination, hegemonic power may risk the validity of the subject. What is needed, in the midst of this divergence, is not a battle for supremacy, and a rejection of one voice over the other, but an acknowledgement of the power dynamics in defining substantive knowledge in RE.
{"title":"Implementing Personal Construct Theory to explore divergent approaches to substantive knowledge in RE","authors":"Ruth Flanagan","doi":"10.1007/s40839-023-00206-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-023-00206-z","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Divergence is not a new phenomenon in RE in England and Wales. A diverse range of aims and approaches have been promoted since RE provision became compulsory in 1944. Approaches include the phenomenological, interpretative, and dialogic with current debates centring around the benefits and challenges of a ‘worldviews approach’. There have been a range of responses to this approach, and implementation has been diverse. It may appear that at the heart of this divergence is confusion over the definition of the term 'worldview' and what this entails for teachers: adding content knowledge and diverse sources. However, this paper argues that the divergence is much more significantly rooted in the nature of ‘substantive knowledge’ and the power dynamics associated with who defines, selects and assesses the validity of substantive knowledge. In current research, I am testing the hypothesis that teachers’ personal worldviews influence their choice of substantive knowledge in RE. Through 142 questionnaires and 21 interviews, this power dynamic is being investigated. Employing Kelly’s (Kelly, Personal construct psychology, Norton, 1955) Personal Construct Theory illuminated teachers’ personal worldviews relating to substantive knowledge in RE. Through the completion and analysis of RepGrids, the teachers revealed they taught the ‘good’ aspects of religions and ignored the ‘bad’. They prized knowledge from lived experience above knowledge provided by religious institutions and some deemed online sources more useful than those from religious institutions. The power to define ‘substantive’ knowledge, once primarily in the hands of religious institutions, has dissipated to embrace definitions from teachers’ personal worldviews. Whilst enabling a diversity of beliefs to be covered, without examination, hegemonic power may risk the validity of the subject. What is needed, in the midst of this divergence, is not a battle for supremacy, and a rejection of one voice over the other, but an acknowledgement of the power dynamics in defining substantive knowledge in RE.","PeriodicalId":30871,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religious Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134901432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-14DOI: 10.1007/s40839-023-00216-x
Sean Whittle
{"title":"The future shape of RE in England’s Catholic schools: an initial appraisal of the Religious Education Directory for England and Wales (2023)","authors":"Sean Whittle","doi":"10.1007/s40839-023-00216-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-023-00216-x","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":30871,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religious Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134901149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-10DOI: 10.1007/s40839-023-00213-0
Céline Benoit, Tim Hutchings
Abstract This paper calls for better integration between the fields of Theology and Religious Studies (TRS) and Religious Education (RE). Positive reform in RE requires integration between educational theory, policy, and practice, but we argue that the academic study of theology and religion is too often an overlooked partner in these conversations. The separation of TRS from RE is damaging at all levels of the curriculum, undermining the rigour and critical depth of school syllabi, cutting TRS and RE specialists off from valuable intellectual discussion, and leaving university departments unprepared to properly support student progression. This destructive divergence has long been observed (e.g. Cush in Br J Relig Educ 21:137–146, 1999), but this paper proposes that the emerging paradigm of Religion and Worldviews Education (RWE) has encouraged important progress. The advent of RWE has generated new interest among RE specialists in the theory and practice of multidisciplinary TRS. It has also created space for TRS academics from many fields to engage with teachers and policymakers in productive conversations. To illustrate this argument, we highlight some examples of good practice and suggest future work through which links might be strengthened.
摘要:本文呼吁神学与宗教研究(TRS)与宗教教育(RE)领域更好地整合。RE的积极改革需要教育理论、政策和实践之间的整合,但我们认为神学和宗教的学术研究在这些对话中往往是被忽视的伙伴。TRS与RE的分离对课程的各个层面都是有害的,破坏了学校教学大纲的严谨性和批判性深度,切断了TRS和RE专家参与有价值的智力讨论的机会,并使大学院系没有准备好适当地支持学生的进步。这种破坏性的分歧早已被观察到(例如,库什在Br J religious Educ 21:137-146, 1999),但本文提出,宗教与世界观教育(RWE)的新兴范式鼓励了重要的进展。RWE的出现引起了再生专家对多学科TRS理论和实践的新兴趣。它还为来自许多领域的TRS学者与教师和政策制定者进行富有成效的对话创造了空间。为了说明这一论点,我们强调了一些良好做法的例子,并建议今后的工作,通过这些工作可以加强联系。
{"title":"Who studies religion? Towards a better conversation between Theology, Religious Studies, and Religious Education","authors":"Céline Benoit, Tim Hutchings","doi":"10.1007/s40839-023-00213-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-023-00213-0","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper calls for better integration between the fields of Theology and Religious Studies (TRS) and Religious Education (RE). Positive reform in RE requires integration between educational theory, policy, and practice, but we argue that the academic study of theology and religion is too often an overlooked partner in these conversations. The separation of TRS from RE is damaging at all levels of the curriculum, undermining the rigour and critical depth of school syllabi, cutting TRS and RE specialists off from valuable intellectual discussion, and leaving university departments unprepared to properly support student progression. This destructive divergence has long been observed (e.g. Cush in Br J Relig Educ 21:137–146, 1999), but this paper proposes that the emerging paradigm of Religion and Worldviews Education (RWE) has encouraged important progress. The advent of RWE has generated new interest among RE specialists in the theory and practice of multidisciplinary TRS. It has also created space for TRS academics from many fields to engage with teachers and policymakers in productive conversations. To illustrate this argument, we highlight some examples of good practice and suggest future work through which links might be strengthened.","PeriodicalId":30871,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religious Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135136860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}