Pub Date : 2024-01-09DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231153
Annalena Sieveke
Assessing and supporting are, in addition to teaching, educating and innovating, core competencies of teaching professionals. Particularly in the field of didactics of mathematics and educational sciences an increased interest in the conceptualization of diagnostic competencies of teachers has emerged in recent years. In contrast, research on diagnostic competencies of RE teachers is still limited to few conceptual approaches (Reis, 2018, 194) and requires further investigation.
This contribution sharpens domain-specific challenges of diagnostic competencies of RE teachers based on the concept of formative Assessment. In view of current research findings of educational sciences challenges of assessment in RE such as the epistemological structure of religious knowledge in assessment tasks and questions to elicit student thinking and RE teachers’ professional reflection in formative assessment processes are discussed.
除了教学、教育和创新之外,评估和支持也是教学专业人员的核心能力。近年来,数学和教育科学教学领域对教师诊断能力概念化的兴趣日益浓厚。相比之下,对 RE 教师诊断能力的研究仍局限于少数几种概念方法(Reis, 2018, 194),还需要进一步的研究。根据当前教育科学的研究成果,讨论了宗教教育评估所面临的挑战,如评估任务中宗教知识的认识论结构、激发学生思考的问题以及宗教教育教师在形成性评估过程中的专业反思。
{"title":"Diagnostic Competencies of Religious Education Teachers – Requirements and Challenges","authors":"Annalena Sieveke","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231153","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231153","url":null,"abstract":"<p><em>Assessing</em> and <em>supporting</em> are, in addition to teaching, educating and innovating, core competencies of teaching professionals. Particularly in the field of didactics of mathematics and educational sciences an increased interest in the conceptualization of diagnostic competencies of teachers has emerged in recent years. In contrast, research on diagnostic competencies of <span style=\"font-variant: small-caps;\">RE</span> teachers is still limited to few conceptual approaches (Reis, 2018, 194) and requires further investigation.</p><p>This contribution sharpens domain-specific challenges of diagnostic competencies of <span style=\"font-variant: small-caps;\">RE</span> teachers based on the concept of formative Assessment. In view of current research findings of educational sciences challenges of assessment in <span style=\"font-variant: small-caps;\">RE</span> such as the epistemological structure of religious knowledge in assessment tasks and questions to elicit student thinking and <span style=\"font-variant: small-caps;\">RE</span> teachers’ professional reflection in formative assessment processes are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":"144 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139408150","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 : 2023-11-03DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231141
Francis-Vincent Anthony
Abstract During the past six decades, there has been an ever-growing awareness of the global ecological crisis threatening human survival. Concern for the future of human life has led to the necessity of upholding environmental rights and sustainable development. As in the case of other human rights, obligations of the state that derive from these need to be complemented by civic engagements, and sustained by shared values in the societal sphere. The question that we raise is if religions can play a significant role in favouring environmental rights, civil engagements and environmental care, given that in varied ways religious traditions appeal to the interdependence of divine-human-cosmic realities. The empirical research that we undertook in the multi-religious context of Tamil Nadu, India, seeks to verify if the religious identity of the senior secondary school students and college students has some influence on their attitude towards environmental obligations, engagements and care. The results show that senior school students are highly sensitive to state’s obligations and civil engagements, but their religious affiliation does not seem to influence it. Instead, college students manifest strong agreement to environmental care, with Hindus displaying higher sensitivity. Besides, variables such as transformative function of religion, religious pluralism, human dignity, and empathy have favourable association with environmental care for Christians, Muslims and Hindus. We conclude with a discussion on the implications of the predictors for eco-education.
{"title":"Religion, Ecology and Human Flourishing","authors":"Francis-Vincent Anthony","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231141","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract During the past six decades, there has been an ever-growing awareness of the global ecological crisis threatening human survival. Concern for the future of human life has led to the necessity of upholding environmental rights and sustainable development. As in the case of other human rights, obligations of the state that derive from these need to be complemented by civic engagements, and sustained by shared values in the societal sphere. The question that we raise is if religions can play a significant role in favouring environmental rights, civil engagements and environmental care, given that in varied ways religious traditions appeal to the interdependence of divine-human-cosmic realities. The empirical research that we undertook in the multi-religious context of Tamil Nadu, India, seeks to verify if the religious identity of the senior secondary school students and college students has some influence on their attitude towards environmental obligations, engagements and care. The results show that senior school students are highly sensitive to state’s obligations and civil engagements, but their religious affiliation does not seem to influence it. Instead, college students manifest strong agreement to environmental care, with Hindus displaying higher sensitivity. Besides, variables such as transformative function of religion, religious pluralism, human dignity, and empathy have favourable association with environmental care for Christians, Muslims and Hindus. We conclude with a discussion on the implications of the predictors for eco-education.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":"22 3","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135874031","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 : 2023-11-03DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231145
Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam
Abstract The paper seeks to draw the contours of an “Eco-Theo-Logy” in the context of the unprecedented crisis of our Common Home and with special reference to Laudato Si’ , Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on creation care. An “eco” theology would begin with the sense of awe and gratitude for Earth, our unique common planetary home blessed with the gift of life, and listen attentively to the growing “cry of the Earth and of the poor” ( Laudato Si’ , 49). Secondly, it seeks to articulate anew the theological understanding of an ‘in-carnate’ God, a God who enters human and cosmic vicissitudes and manifests in the pangs of creation. It also strives to a religious vision of the natural world as the “Gospel of creation”. Thirdly, it’s time to re-imagine the logos component of an eco-theo-logy, embracing an integral and relational approach, raising a prophetic theological voice in the face of profound inequalities and injustices that exist in our one common household, and adopting a decisively practice/action orientation.
{"title":"Towards an ‘Eco-Theo-Logy’","authors":"Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231145","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The paper seeks to draw the contours of an “Eco-Theo-Logy” in the context of the unprecedented crisis of our Common Home and with special reference to Laudato Si’ , Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on creation care. An “eco” theology would begin with the sense of awe and gratitude for Earth, our unique common planetary home blessed with the gift of life, and listen attentively to the growing “cry of the Earth and of the poor” ( Laudato Si’ , 49). Secondly, it seeks to articulate anew the theological understanding of an ‘in-carnate’ God, a God who enters human and cosmic vicissitudes and manifests in the pangs of creation. It also strives to a religious vision of the natural world as the “Gospel of creation”. Thirdly, it’s time to re-imagine the logos component of an eco-theo-logy, embracing an integral and relational approach, raising a prophetic theological voice in the face of profound inequalities and injustices that exist in our one common household, and adopting a decisively practice/action orientation.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":"22 2","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135874032","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 : 2023-11-03DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20230361
Francis-Vincent Anthony, Lluis Oviedo
{"title":"Religion, Ecology and Human Flourishing: Institutional and Personal Dimensions of Religiosity and Current Societal Challenges","authors":"Francis-Vincent Anthony, Lluis Oviedo","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20230361","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20230361","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":"22 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135874033","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 : 2023-09-08DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231159
Franziska M. Trefzer, Manfred L. Pirner
Abstract This paper explicates the conceptual background, design and first results of the empirical research project “ The Rights of the Child and the School Subject of Religious Education ” that aims to integrate children’s rights into RE as well as into RE teacher education with a design-based research ( DBR ) approach. It starts by claiming a central significance of human rights for humanity and social cohesion in society and the world and therefore also for school education. It continues to clarify the relationship between human rights values and religious values and argues for a special potential and obligation of RE for promoting human rights and children’s rights – which is to date only partly fulfilled in German RE . Building upon this, the sub-project “ Human Rights Education for Religious Educators ” ( HRE4RE ) is introduced. This research demonstrates that it is necessary to establish human rights and children’s rights education for student teachers of RE , in order for them to be able to adequately integrate children’s rights perspectives into school culture as well as into RE for generations to come.
{"title":"Human Rights Education and Religious Education: Design-based Research on Integrating HRE into RE Teacher Education","authors":"Franziska M. Trefzer, Manfred L. Pirner","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231159","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper explicates the conceptual background, design and first results of the empirical research project “ The Rights of the Child and the School Subject of Religious Education ” that aims to integrate children’s rights into RE as well as into RE teacher education with a design-based research ( DBR ) approach. It starts by claiming a central significance of human rights for humanity and social cohesion in society and the world and therefore also for school education. It continues to clarify the relationship between human rights values and religious values and argues for a special potential and obligation of RE for promoting human rights and children’s rights – which is to date only partly fulfilled in German RE . Building upon this, the sub-project “ Human Rights Education for Religious Educators ” ( HRE4RE ) is introduced. This research demonstrates that it is necessary to establish human rights and children’s rights education for student teachers of RE , in order for them to be able to adequately integrate children’s rights perspectives into school culture as well as into RE for generations to come.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":"46 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136361793","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 : 2023-09-07DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231170
A. Village
This paper tests whether or not psychological type preferences predicted the extent of liberal versus conservative attitudes towards a range of controversial moral issues among 3,515 clergy and laity from the Church of England who took part in the 2013 Church Times survey. Summated rating scales were produced from Likert items related to four different issues: same-sex relationships, the ordination of women, divorce and remarriage, and cohabitation. After allowing for general theological stance, psychological type preferences for sensing over intuition and thinking over feeling were significantly associated with more conservative attitudes. For theological liberals, sensing types had slightly more conservative moral attitudes, on average, than did intuitive types, but there was no difference among theological conservatives. For theological conservatives, thinking types had slightly more conservative moral attitudes, on average, than did feeling types, but there was no difference among theological liberals.
{"title":"Debated issues in the Church of England: The Roles of Theology and Psychology","authors":"A. Village","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231170","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000This paper tests whether or not psychological type preferences predicted the extent of liberal versus conservative attitudes towards a range of controversial moral issues among 3,515 clergy and laity from the Church of England who took part in the 2013 Church Times survey. Summated rating scales were produced from Likert items related to four different issues: same-sex relationships, the ordination of women, divorce and remarriage, and cohabitation. After allowing for general theological stance, psychological type preferences for sensing over intuition and thinking over feeling were significantly associated with more conservative attitudes. For theological liberals, sensing types had slightly more conservative moral attitudes, on average, than did intuitive types, but there was no difference among theological conservatives. For theological conservatives, thinking types had slightly more conservative moral attitudes, on average, than did feeling types, but there was no difference among theological liberals.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49395806","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 : 2023-08-29DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231147
Jan-Hendrik Herbst
In the public debate, it is often argued that RE is important because it promotes social cohesion. In the academic debate, however, this position is controversial because, firstly, this goal is associated with a politicization of RE and, secondly, empirical evidence on whether or how RE causes this effect seems to be lacking. In this article, I argue first that cohesion is an adequate subgoal of RE, assuming a social rather than a state-political understanding of cohesion. Second, I refer to international studies on teaching controversial issues (CIs), which show that students can learn participation, tolerance, and common good orientation through high-quality exploration of CIs in class. However, due to methodological difficulties and negative side effects, the discussion of CIs in RE cannot be assumed to be a magic bullet for achieving cohesion. For instance, uncertainties and ambiguities accompany forms of dissent in the classroom, which may lead to authoritarian dispositions and political intolerance. In addition, there are particular challenges for inclusive and especially denominational RE in terms of teachers, issues, students, and external factors.
{"title":"Is Discussing Controversial Issues in RE a Magic Bullet to Promote Social Cohesion? Mapping Opportunities and Challenges Based on Previous Research","authors":"Jan-Hendrik Herbst","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231147","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000In the public debate, it is often argued that RE is important because it promotes social cohesion. In the academic debate, however, this position is controversial because, firstly, this goal is associated with a politicization of RE and, secondly, empirical evidence on whether or how RE causes this effect seems to be lacking. In this article, I argue first that cohesion is an adequate subgoal of RE, assuming a social rather than a state-political understanding of cohesion. Second, I refer to international studies on teaching controversial issues (CIs), which show that students can learn participation, tolerance, and common good orientation through high-quality exploration of CIs in class. However, due to methodological difficulties and negative side effects, the discussion of CIs in RE cannot be assumed to be a magic bullet for achieving cohesion. For instance, uncertainties and ambiguities accompany forms of dissent in the classroom, which may lead to authoritarian dispositions and political intolerance. In addition, there are particular challenges for inclusive and especially denominational RE in terms of teachers, issues, students, and external factors.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46950149","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 : 2023-08-29DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231162
Marjukka Laiho
This study asks: “How do young adults theologise?” It explores creative processes of navigating a gap or a wound experienced by Finnish young adults’ between their personal beliefs and values and the Lutheran religious tradition. The dramatic religious decline and change among young adults has been shown in many studies. Here, the situation is explored through co-theologising with young adults. Based on narrative-discursive analysis of reflexive interviews, the study depicts three modes of theologising: 1) Cognitive theologising explores faith expressed in words, 2) Affective theologising focuses on the power of sensing and feeling, and 3) Practical theologising looks at the human potential and capacity to act. The aim of these modes is not to bridge the gap or heal the wound but to describe and understand it. In the end, these ‘acts of theologising’ are put together, pointing to novel methodological approaches embracing uncertainty and doubt, such as holistic theologising.
{"title":"Young Adults Doing Lived Theology: Three Modes of Theologising","authors":"Marjukka Laiho","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231162","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000This study asks: “How do young adults theologise?” It explores creative processes of navigating a gap or a wound experienced by Finnish young adults’ between their personal beliefs and values and the Lutheran religious tradition. The dramatic religious decline and change among young adults has been shown in many studies. Here, the situation is explored through co-theologising with young adults. Based on narrative-discursive analysis of reflexive interviews, the study depicts three modes of theologising: 1) Cognitive theologising explores faith expressed in words, 2) Affective theologising focuses on the power of sensing and feeling, and 3) Practical theologising looks at the human potential and capacity to act. The aim of these modes is not to bridge the gap or heal the wound but to describe and understand it. In the end, these ‘acts of theologising’ are put together, pointing to novel methodological approaches embracing uncertainty and doubt, such as holistic theologising.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48696010","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 : 2023-07-31DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231156
Ine Bratsvedal
Like the rest of Norwegian society, Norwegian kindergartens are becoming increasingly diverse in terms of religion. This is also reflected in the governing documents of kindergartens, which state that they should work with religion. This article explores to what extent Christmas in kindergartens is adapted to include Muslim children in the group. The article is based on interviews with six kindergarten teachers conducted between 2020 and 2022. Perspectives related to inclusion, freedom of religion, and previous research are used as a starting point to discuss the findings. The article highlights that adaptations of Christmas traditions are largely focused on ensuring that all children have the opportunity to participate in activities without being seen as practicing a specific religion. There is minimal focus on adapting the content to better suit a multireligious group of children.
{"title":"Christmas in Norwegian Kindergartens: How Are Muslim Children Included?","authors":"Ine Bratsvedal","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231156","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Like the rest of Norwegian society, Norwegian kindergartens are becoming increasingly diverse in terms of religion. This is also reflected in the governing documents of kindergartens, which state that they should work with religion. This article explores to what extent Christmas in kindergartens is adapted to include Muslim children in the group. The article is based on interviews with six kindergarten teachers conducted between 2020 and 2022. Perspectives related to inclusion, freedom of religion, and previous research are used as a starting point to discuss the findings. The article highlights that adaptations of Christmas traditions are largely focused on ensuring that all children have the opportunity to participate in activities without being seen as practicing a specific religion. There is minimal focus on adapting the content to better suit a multireligious group of children.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42490740","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}