Pub Date : 2022-01-02DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2022.2041344
Wilhelm Kardemark
Abstract This article analyzes online educational material about religion from the Swedish web service SO-rummet (“The social science room”). The study takes its point of departure in perspectives associated with “critical religion” and “religious literacy.” The analysis shows that the material introduces religion in an interiorizing and sui generis manner. Problems associated with this understanding of religion and its educational implications are discussed. The author points out that the material generally introduces information learners are supposed to reproduce while it rarely gives information that could be used to analyze or reflect upon religion in a meaningful way.
本文分析了瑞典网络服务SO-rummet(“the social science room”)提供的有关宗教的在线教材。这项研究的出发点是与“批判宗教”和“宗教素养”相关的观点。分析表明,该材料以一种内化的、自成一体的方式介绍了宗教。本文讨论了与这种对宗教的理解及其教育意义相关的问题。作者指出,这些材料通常介绍了学习者应该复制的信息,而很少提供可用于有意义地分析或反思宗教的信息。
{"title":"New Media—New Perspectives? “Religion” in Swedish Online Teaching Materials","authors":"Wilhelm Kardemark","doi":"10.1080/15507394.2022.2041344","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2022.2041344","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article analyzes online educational material about religion from the Swedish web service SO-rummet (“The social science room”). The study takes its point of departure in perspectives associated with “critical religion” and “religious literacy.” The analysis shows that the material introduces religion in an interiorizing and sui generis manner. Problems associated with this understanding of religion and its educational implications are discussed. The author points out that the material generally introduces information learners are supposed to reproduce while it rarely gives information that could be used to analyze or reflect upon religion in a meaningful way.","PeriodicalId":43359,"journal":{"name":"Religion & Education","volume":"49 1","pages":"42 - 60"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43788720","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 : 2021-12-20DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2021.2009304
Kaisa Viinikka, Martin Ubani, Tuuli Lipiäinen
Abstract This study compares quantitatively the perceptions of Finnish pre-service and in-service religious education (RE) teachers concerning future skills needed in the context of RE. The data consists of questionnaires (N = 157) collected from RE student teachers (n = 74) and practicing RE teachers (n = 83). Three groups of respondents were formed: students, established teachers and teachers in the induction phase. The perceptions of twenty-first century skills of the three groups were analyzed using the SPSS program. On the basis of the results, the different groups all saw different interaction-related skills as key skills for an RE teacher. Consideration of social issues and diversity in the context of RE was also seen as important. Religious literacy and the use of technology were anticipated to be emphasized in the future. In addition, critical thinking was interpreted as relevant in the context of RE. By contrast, for example, productivity and leadership were perceived as less relevant parts of religious education.
{"title":"Religious Education as a 21st Century Practice: A Quantitative Study of the Perceptions of In-Service and Pre-Service Teachers Concerning New Learning Skills","authors":"Kaisa Viinikka, Martin Ubani, Tuuli Lipiäinen","doi":"10.1080/15507394.2021.2009304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2021.2009304","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study compares quantitatively the perceptions of Finnish pre-service and in-service religious education (RE) teachers concerning future skills needed in the context of RE. The data consists of questionnaires (N = 157) collected from RE student teachers (n = 74) and practicing RE teachers (n = 83). Three groups of respondents were formed: students, established teachers and teachers in the induction phase. The perceptions of twenty-first century skills of the three groups were analyzed using the SPSS program. On the basis of the results, the different groups all saw different interaction-related skills as key skills for an RE teacher. Consideration of social issues and diversity in the context of RE was also seen as important. Religious literacy and the use of technology were anticipated to be emphasized in the future. In addition, critical thinking was interpreted as relevant in the context of RE. By contrast, for example, productivity and leadership were perceived as less relevant parts of religious education.","PeriodicalId":43359,"journal":{"name":"Religion & Education","volume":"49 1","pages":"1 - 22"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46450789","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 : 2021-12-14DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2021.2009303
J. Nelson, Yue Yang
Abstract This article analyses the implementation of a policy that introduced the teaching of world religions in religious education in Northern Ireland. Using a policy implementation evaluation framework informed by strategic action field (SAF) theory we assess the effectiveness of the policy intervention by exploring teachers’ descriptions of their practice. We discover that there is evidence of teacher buy-in to the policy, but very significant variation in the quality of implementation and reasons for this are explored. It is concluded that the policy evaluation tool developed here is likely to have value in assessing the implementation of curriculum policy in other contexts.
{"title":"World Religions in Religious Education in Northern Ireland: A Policy Implementation Analysis using Strategic Action Field Theory","authors":"J. Nelson, Yue Yang","doi":"10.1080/15507394.2021.2009303","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2021.2009303","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article analyses the implementation of a policy that introduced the teaching of world religions in religious education in Northern Ireland. Using a policy implementation evaluation framework informed by strategic action field (SAF) theory we assess the effectiveness of the policy intervention by exploring teachers’ descriptions of their practice. We discover that there is evidence of teacher buy-in to the policy, but very significant variation in the quality of implementation and reasons for this are explored. It is concluded that the policy evaluation tool developed here is likely to have value in assessing the implementation of curriculum policy in other contexts.","PeriodicalId":43359,"journal":{"name":"Religion & Education","volume":"49 1","pages":"61 - 81"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43185162","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 : 2021-12-13DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2021.2013699
M. Mackay
Abstract Religion is often taught as a topic within culture and scholars have increasingly argued alongside J. Z. Smith’s position that religion cannot be taught as a thing-in-itself. This essay not only challenges that assumption, but it also addresses how religion can be taught and understood as a nonhuman entity outside of thought and in-itself. Within the developing literature about material religion, this essay will use Graham Harman’s object-oriented ontology to theorize about learning how one might teach religion as an agentic thing-in-itself. Harman’s unique speculative philosophy enables teaching to embrace material religion and things as agents, while creating a framework of assemblages and a social ontology to express the modern academic nature of “religion.” This is an argument for teaching religion as religion, while emphasizing diversity, pluralism, and the nonhuman world of religion.
{"title":"Teaching Religion Within an Object-Oriented Ontology","authors":"M. Mackay","doi":"10.1080/15507394.2021.2013699","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2021.2013699","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Religion is often taught as a topic within culture and scholars have increasingly argued alongside J. Z. Smith’s position that religion cannot be taught as a thing-in-itself. This essay not only challenges that assumption, but it also addresses how religion can be taught and understood as a nonhuman entity outside of thought and in-itself. Within the developing literature about material religion, this essay will use Graham Harman’s object-oriented ontology to theorize about learning how one might teach religion as an agentic thing-in-itself. Harman’s unique speculative philosophy enables teaching to embrace material religion and things as agents, while creating a framework of assemblages and a social ontology to express the modern academic nature of “religion.” This is an argument for teaching religion as religion, while emphasizing diversity, pluralism, and the nonhuman world of religion.","PeriodicalId":43359,"journal":{"name":"Religion & Education","volume":"49 1","pages":"82 - 103"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47194930","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 : 2021-12-10DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2021.2011583
Stephanie T. Chan
Abstract Research shows that White conservative Protestants’ individualistic views impede their pursuit of structural solutions to social injustice. When introduced to a structural perspective through a sociology course, what religio-cultural tools do conservative Protestant students use to interpret the impact of social factors on their lives? Through an analysis of student reflections, I found that the primary way they made sense of social factors was through a lens of divine control, and this did not vary by social location. A secondary way was viewing them as unfair, a view that was more common among advantaged students than disadvantaged students.
{"title":"“Part of God’s Plan for My Life”: How Conservative Protestant Students Make Sense of Social Forces and Social Inequality","authors":"Stephanie T. Chan","doi":"10.1080/15507394.2021.2011583","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2021.2011583","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Research shows that White conservative Protestants’ individualistic views impede their pursuit of structural solutions to social injustice. When introduced to a structural perspective through a sociology course, what religio-cultural tools do conservative Protestant students use to interpret the impact of social factors on their lives? Through an analysis of student reflections, I found that the primary way they made sense of social factors was through a lens of divine control, and this did not vary by social location. A secondary way was viewing them as unfair, a view that was more common among advantaged students than disadvantaged students.","PeriodicalId":43359,"journal":{"name":"Religion & Education","volume":"49 1","pages":"23 - 41"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42666320","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 : 2021-12-08DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2021.2009305
Genti Kruja
Abstract Public awareness on perceiving religious dialogue as a determinant of conflict prevention and social peace building in intercultural and multi-religious societies is increasing day by day. For a long time, the debate over religion was characterized by the idea that the increasing secularism of Western societies would lead to a gradual withdrawal of religion from public space. However, the last decade, returned religion in public discussion as a determinant of peace building. Regardless of the variety of how this discussion unfolds in European countries, the study of the impact of “religion” on intercultural dialogue and on tensions and social conflicts seems to be becoming increasingly important. Meanwhile education and religious education is an important element for shaping the critical skills of future citizens, for intercultural dialogue and for peace building as well. This research focuses on contribution of the different religious communities’ education system for promoting of the peace building in Albania multi-religious society. An explorative research methodology is implemented to achieve this aim through collecting primary and secondary data. Documents and studies in the field of religious education were collected from Central State Archive for the pre-communist period and data from the current schools of different religious communities in Albania were evaluated. The study brings to attention the Albanian case, where religious education had in the past and has currently a decisive impact on interfaith harmony. Religious communities have dozens of schools and four universities, where thousands of students’ study and their graduates constitute a vital part of the society. Education plays an essential role in intercultural understanding, in favor of coexistence and tolerance and the contribution of these schools to society is enormous as they are strengthening interfaith dialogue and its transmission to young people. In addition to the collaboration between the three theologies, cooperation is also increasing between universities, which despite being founded by religious communities, have in general and other secular departments of various academic fields.
{"title":"Interfaith Harmony through Education System of Religious Communities","authors":"Genti Kruja","doi":"10.1080/15507394.2021.2009305","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2021.2009305","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Public awareness on perceiving religious dialogue as a determinant of conflict prevention and social peace building in intercultural and multi-religious societies is increasing day by day. For a long time, the debate over religion was characterized by the idea that the increasing secularism of Western societies would lead to a gradual withdrawal of religion from public space. However, the last decade, returned religion in public discussion as a determinant of peace building. Regardless of the variety of how this discussion unfolds in European countries, the study of the impact of “religion” on intercultural dialogue and on tensions and social conflicts seems to be becoming increasingly important. Meanwhile education and religious education is an important element for shaping the critical skills of future citizens, for intercultural dialogue and for peace building as well. This research focuses on contribution of the different religious communities’ education system for promoting of the peace building in Albania multi-religious society. An explorative research methodology is implemented to achieve this aim through collecting primary and secondary data. Documents and studies in the field of religious education were collected from Central State Archive for the pre-communist period and data from the current schools of different religious communities in Albania were evaluated. The study brings to attention the Albanian case, where religious education had in the past and has currently a decisive impact on interfaith harmony. Religious communities have dozens of schools and four universities, where thousands of students’ study and their graduates constitute a vital part of the society. Education plays an essential role in intercultural understanding, in favor of coexistence and tolerance and the contribution of these schools to society is enormous as they are strengthening interfaith dialogue and its transmission to young people. In addition to the collaboration between the three theologies, cooperation is also increasing between universities, which despite being founded by religious communities, have in general and other secular departments of various academic fields.","PeriodicalId":43359,"journal":{"name":"Religion & Education","volume":"49 1","pages":"104 - 117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48777987","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 : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2021.2006545
S. Miedema
Abstract In this postlude, I meta-reflect on the six articles of this special issue. All authors of the research collective have taken the methodology which Oddrun Bråten has developed for comparative studies as a kind of methodological starting point for their own research. My searchlight are two connected questions. Are the comparative methodologies used fruitful in grasping adequately the past and present interrelationships of religion and education in a particular context? How to avoid that traditional views, policies and practices will hinder a clear sight on the actual facts-of-a-case?
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Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2021.2006540
L. Franken
{"title":"Religion and Education. The Forgotten Dimensions of Religious Education?","authors":"L. Franken","doi":"10.1080/15507394.2021.2006540","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2021.2006540","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":43359,"journal":{"name":"Religion & Education","volume":"48 1","pages":"496 - 498"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49192041","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 : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2021.2006546
N. H. Korsvoll, Inge Andersland, J. Doney
These are the final three volumes to complete the ambitious project to map the status quo and the status quaestionis of religious education across Europe. Each volume is devoted to a region, and within each, contributions by different authors present the situation in each country. This triple publication from 2020 presents Eastern Europe (Vol. 4), Southeastern Europe (Vol. 5), and Southern Europe (Vol. 6). Since the volumes appear together and belong to the same project, we have chosen to write this review together, based on Jonathan Doney’s (JD) reading of Volume 4, Inge Andersland’s (IA) reading of Volume 5, and Nils H. Korsvoll’s (NK) reading of Volume 6. In what follows, we address (a) overall aims and impact, (b) key issues and regional variance, and (c) the books’ sections regarding challenges and desiderata are given special attention. We do this by first giving a joint introduction and then offering a dialogical discussion between the three reviewers where our observations are based on the respective volume that we have been assigned. Lastly, we each recommend three chapters from each book that especially interested us. The volumes are part of the Religious Education at Schools in Europe (REL-EDU) project, which was launched at two symposia held in Vienna in 2011–2012. There the assembled scholars drew up a common outline of 13 key issues, addressing the social, political, and legal framing of religious education (RE), content and conceptions of RE, religion and diversity outside RE, and teaching and research in religious didactics. The thirteen key issues provide a common structure across the chapters and all the volumes in the series, facilitating comparison and their use as reference works. The editors regret the delay in publishing these three final volumes—the first three volumes appeared in 2014–2015—but have produced a complete and well-rounded series that will surely be a useful introduction and reference work for RE in Europe.
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Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/15507394.2021.2006541
Abdurrahman Hendek
{"title":"Islamic Religious Education in Europe: A Comparative Study","authors":"Abdurrahman Hendek","doi":"10.1080/15507394.2021.2006541","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2021.2006541","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":43359,"journal":{"name":"Religion & Education","volume":"48 1","pages":"499 - 501"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49154051","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}