Religious Education in Italy: themes and problems1. Historical facts concerning Catholic Religious Education

In retracing the history of Religious Education in Italy1, it is important to take into account several thematic key points, such as the relationship between the State and the Church2, religious freedom in education3, teaching freedom4 and the paradigm of a secular way of life which gradually established5 and which range from the liberal catholic secularism of the XIX century to the later secularization processes, in search of a positive, competent, and up to date secularism6.In the framework of current and future school reforms, planned in every country of the EU, Religious Education has been included in an overall process of renovation, with results which sometimes differ greatly from Country to Country; in some cases this subject has a cognitive role, in others it has ethical and civic duties, and there is no doubt that there is a strong distinction between a confessional teaching of religion and a cultural teaching about religion7. An important and widely accepted objective is to educate a culturally and religiously

1 See the following chapters: La laicità della scuola in Italia in F. De Giorgi, Laicità europea. Processi storici, categorie, ambiti, Morcelliana, Brescia 2007, pp. 147-186; E. Butturini, La religione a scuola. Dall’Unità ad oggi, Querianiana, Brescia 1987; E. Catarsi (edited by), L’insegnamento della religione nella scuola italiana, Franco Angeli, Milano 1989. I shall also refer to the article written by A. Famà: L’insegnamento della religione cattolica nelle scuole pubbliche: un lungo cammino, August 2004, http://www.olir.it/areetematiche/69/index.php. I shall employ the CRE acronym to reference Catholic Religious Education (insegnamento della religione cattolica).2 A. C. Jemolo, Le problème de la laicité en Italie, in A. Audibert (ed.), La laicité, PUF, Paris, 1960, pp. 445-480. F. Traniello, Clericalismo e laicismo nell’età contemporanea, in F. Traniello, La città dell’uomo. Cattolici, partito e Stato nella storia d’Italia, Il Mulino, Bologna 1990, pp. 15-47. S. Prisco, Laicità. Un percorso di riflessione, Giappichelli, Torino 2009.3 G. Tognon, Stato e Chiesa sull’educazione: in confronto decisivo per la storia dell’Italia contemporanea , in M. Sangalli (ed.) Chiesa e scuola. Percorsi di storia dell’educazione tra il XII e XX secolo, Cantagalli, Siena 2000, pp. 187-243. R. Fornaca, La politica scolastica della Chiesa. Dal Risorgimento al dibattito contemporaneo, Carocci, Roma 2000.4 A. Ferrari, Libertà scolastiche e laicità dello Stato in Italia e Francia, Giappichelli, Torino 2002; S. Ventura, La scuola tra Stato e Chiesa. La regolamentazione della scuola privata in Italia e in Francia, Maggioli, Rimini 1998.5 See F. De Giorgi, Laicità europea..., pp. 147-186, concerning the models of secularism which have characterized the relationship between Italian schools, Catholic religion and the Church, identifying the focal point of this essay.6 R. Debray, L'enseignement du fait religieux dans l'école laïque. Rapport au Ministre de l'Education nationale, Odile Jacob, Paris 2002.7 M. Grimmit, What can I do in RE? A consideration of the place of religion in the curriculum, McCrimmons, Essex 1973. M. Grimmit , Religious Education and Human Development. The relationship between studying Religions & personal, social & moral Education, McCrimmons, Great Wakering 1987. M. Grimmit, Pedagogies of Religious Education, McCrimmons, Great Wakering 2000.

heterogeneous school-attending population concerning the nature of a multi-religion world8.

1.1 Religion in the Italian educational system (XIX century-1929)

An essential moment in this process can be identified without a doubt in the 1929 Concordat, thanks to which the education of Catholic religion was extended to both the secondary and high school curricula. Article 36 of Act No. 810, dated 27th May 1929, states that Italy considers the teaching of the Christian doctrine, in the

form received by the Catholic tradition, to be the foundation and crowning achievement of public

education. It thus consents Religious Education in public elementary schools to be continued in secondary schools, in compliance with forthcoming curricula to be established by the Holy See and the Government; this subject will be taught by lay teachers, priests or religious figures, which have been approved by the ecclesiastical authority and also with the help of lay teachers who have earned a certificate issued by the Ordinary of the Diocese. Withdrawal of the certificate by the Ordinary of the Diocese deprives the teacher of the ability to teach. Textbooks are only those approved by the ecclesiastical authority. The idea for this kind of education was of a confessional nature: a catechetical education to be imparted according to the educational view of the Catholic school. Royal Decree No. 289, dated 28th February 1930, allowed those children whose parents expressly requested it to the school head master to be exempted from religious education. It was allowed for certain accepted religions (ex lege No. 1159 dated 1929) to introduce non-catholic education.

1.2 Teaching religion in Republican Italy school

Concerning the teaching of religion, the political environment which had radically changed with the passage to a Republic and with the adoption of constitutional regulations did not change the established agreements: in Italian schools, the usual hour of religion as catechetical education, a compulsory discipline from which parents were allowed to withdraw their children, 8 For updates and in depth studies of the more widespread models in Europe, please refer to European Religious Education News, a tri-monthly multilingual newsletter edited by Flavio Pajer (freely available by making a request at: fpajer@lasalle.org). By the same author, also see F. Pajer (ed.), L’insegnamento delle scienze religiose in Europa, in «Religioni e società», XV/2(2000), pp. 3-126. and F. Pajer, Quale sapere religioso nella scuola pubblica?. Dall’orizzonte europeo al caso Italia, in « Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica», IV/2(2009).

continued for several decades after 1946.It was only in the ‘60s that is started to appear necessary to identify and implement choices which could establish a new relationship between school and religion, which would take into account heretofore unheard examples of cultural and religious pluralism, thus acknowledging the presence of children coming from families with different views or practices concerning religion. An epistemological analysis on the subject accompanied the discussion, as can be easily inferred by the number of published papers, studies and even new text books which offered alternative paths and methods for approaching the religious issue. Discussions which were held in the late ‘70s were crucial, and they would pave the way for the turning point in 1984: different points of view discussed and collided, sometimes expressing positions which could not find a common ground.

During this time, the 1984 Concordat9 signed by Bettino Craxi and by the secretary cardinal of the Vatican, Agostino Casaroli, established a non-compulsory confessional hour of Catholic religion, no longer intended as catechetical education, but rather as a cultural approach to the religious phenomenon from a Catholic point of view10. It was also established that Catholicism was no longer the only religion in the Italian State and, with respect towards the right to freedom of conscience and towards parents’ educational responsibility, it was guaranteed that every student of every kind of schooling level or type could choose to attend the hour of catholic religion or not11.

9 The 1984 Concordat amends the 1929 Concordat and voids art. 1 of the 1929 Patti Lateranensi, concerning the confessional nature of the Italian State.10 Also, please see the opinion of M. Guasco, Chiesa e Cattolicesimo in Italia (1945-2000), EDB, Bologna 2001, pp. 135-136. S. Ferrari (ed.), Concordato e Costituzione. Gli accordi del 1984 tra Italia e Santa Sede, Il Mulino, Bologna 1985. A. Talamanca (ed.), La revisione del Concordato nelle discussioni parlamentari, Cedam, Padova 1988. The positions of Catholic oriented educationalists are collected in L'insegnamento della religione cattolica nella scuola secondaria superiore, Atti del XXV Convegno di Scholé, La Scuola, Brescia 1987. Also, please see the dossier edited by the «Quaderni di diritto e politica ecclesiastica» XII/1(2004), featuring papers, twenty years after the Concordat, by F. Margiotta Broglio, A. Melloni, E. Pace, C. Cardia, R. Astorri, G. Bouchard, M. Tedeschi, G. Cimbalo.11 The cults which are currently permitted in Italy are partially regulated by an Agreement (Intesa) with the State; concerning the latter case in these agreements the status is as follows: agreements were signed with the Waldensian Church on 21st February, 1984 and on 25th January, 1996, with the Assemblies with the Lord in Italy on 29th December, 1996, Act No. 516 dated 22nd November, 1988 approved the agreements of 29th December, 1986 and, again on 6th November 1996, with the Unione Comunità Ebraiche in Italia (UCEI – Union of Jewish Communities in Italy). Agreements with the UCEBI, Unione Cristiana Evangelica Battista d’Italia – Union of Christian Evangelic Baptists in Italy, were signed on 29th March, 1993 and approved with Act No. 116 dated 12th

Ever since, the teaching of Catholic religion in public schools, of every level and type, is imparted in compliance with the doctrine of the Church and in respect of the students’ freedom of conscience, by teachers who have been considered suitable by the religious authority and have been assigned, in full agreement, by the school authority.In kindergartens and elementary schools, this subject can be taught by a class teacher who has been considered to be suitable by the religious authority and who agrees to teach it.An agreement between the appropriate school authority and the CEI - Conferenza Epicopale Italiana (Italian Episcopal Conference) has established: the curricula for the various types and levels of the public schools; the ways in which said subject is organised, including the way it is positioned within the frame of the other lessons; the criteria for choosing textbooks; the professional profiles for choosing the teachers.

Currently, the curricula for the hour of religion are established for each level and type of school by

the Ministry subject to an agreement with the CEI, in the understanding that it is the latter who has

the competence to define their conformity with the doctrine of the Church.

Kindergarten is assigned a yearly total of 60 hours (one and a half hours per week), elementary school is assigned two hours of CRE per week while I and II level secondary school are assigned one hour of CRE per week. Catholic schools of every level and type were assigned additional hours, in compliance with the Educational Offer Plan established by each school. Alternatively to the CRE, the regulation provides for several options: an alternative activity established by the school itself which should, as suggested by the 1986 Ministry Circulars, Nos. 128, 129, 131, and 131, address topics concerning ethics, values, tolerance and peace. This activity should be imparted by any teacher who is, at the time, available. Another option is tutoring (revision, in-depth studying) or, for high school, a study activity without the presence of any teacher, within the school premises; lastly, a very April, 1996 and with the CELI, Chiesa Evangelica Luterana in Italia – Lutheran Evangelic Church in Italy, on 20th April, 1993, approved with Act No. 520 dated 29th November, 1995, while agreements were signed, but are not yet approved, on 4th April, 2007 concerning the Apostolic Church in Italy, the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses, the Holy Archdioceses in Italy and the Exarchate for Southern Italy, UBI – Italian Buddhist Union), the Italian Hindu Union; Source: www.governo.it/Presidenza/USRI/confessioni/intese_indice.html#2.

used option is the early exit from school (or delayed entry).As for grading, instead of marks and examinations, the teacher drafts a special report for the student’s parents, which is attached to the regular school report card concerning the interest with which the student is following the subject and the benefit which he or she is gaining from it. As for the teachers, the criteria necessary to be able to teach this subject are established by the Agreement between the Italian State and the Catholic Church, according to which in kindergarten and elementary schools CRE can be taught by section or class teachers which the religious authority has deemed to be suitable. It is possible for laymen and deacons, priests and religious people possessing the

necessary qualification (diploma issued by an institute for religious sciences recognized by the CEI)

to teach religion.

Since 2003, after having passed an open competition (written and oral test concerning general teaching and training techniques), 70% of the teachers are hired permanently; all religion teachers possess not only a duty assignment paper, like other teachers, but also a special warrant issued by the local Bishop who recognises their suitability to teach; it should be noted that in the last years this activity has more and more taken an interest with laymen and women rather than religious people.2. Current debates on CREThe last decades have seen many occasions for debate concerning this hour12: there have been seminars, conferences and petitions13. For example, in March 1998 the debate was newly rekindled when a Commission appointed by Minister Berlinguer issued a list of essential fields of knowledge which should characterize compulsory education; many underlined the marginality given to Religious Education. However, the indications given by these initiatives have been often dismissed, as in the case of the 2001 protocol issued by the Ministry 12 Two recent investigations are: Alessandro Castegnaro, Osservatorio Socio-religioso Triveneto, Apprendere la religione. L’alfabetizzazione religiosa degli studenti che si avvalgono dell’insegnamento della religione cattolica, EDB, Bologna 2009. Conferenza episcopale italiana, Servizio nazionale per l’Irc (ed.), L’insegnamento della religione risorsa per l’Europa. Atti della ricerca del Consiglio delle conferenze episcopali d’Europa, Elledici, Leumann, Torino 2008, CD-rom version available also in English. 13 The final draft of the report for the Colloquio interuniversitario Società multiculturale, scuola italiana e cultura religiosa (Roma, 23 maggio 2003); the documented drafted by the Gruppo di Vallombrosa called Scuola pubblica e cultura religiosa in una società pluralista e multiculturale (Vallombrosa, settembre 2005); N. Pagano, Per una “storia delle religioni”. Un’alternativa laica all’ora di religione nella scuola pubblica , Claudiana, Torino 2006. Si veda anche A. Gonzàlez-Varas Ibanez, Confessioni religiose, diritto e scuola pubblica in Italia. Insegnamento, culto e simbologia religiosa nelle scuole pubbliche, CLUEB, Bologna 2005, to see the study performed by a Spanish jurisconsult concerning the Italian situation.

for Education along with the Biblia association, which provided for curricula seeking to promote biblical culture in school, or like the law proposal concerning the “regulations on freedom and abrogation of laws concerning permitted cults”,

approved during the Berlusconi legislation in March 2002 which also established that schools could

freely organise complementary activities addressing the religious phenomena within the framework

of alternative education activities14. Several situations have been more difficult to handle, as in

March 2006 when the Ucoii (Unione delle comunità e delle organizzazioni islamiche d’Italia –

Union of Islamic communities and organizations in Italy) asked, against the indications written in

the Manifesto dell’Islam d’Italia (Italian Islam Program), the establishment of Islamic religion

education in Italy15.

Concerning the current debate, a complex episode dating from the summer of 2009 should be

highlighted concerning the importance given to the hour of Religious Education for the

accumulation of school credits for the high school final examination and the importance, strongly

endorsed by the Italian Ministry for Education, of Catholic education16. Following a heated

controversy as result of the decision made by the European Court of Strasbourg which, having been

raised by an Italian citizen, stated the illegitimacy of the crucifix in classrooms of public schools 17,

the final news came when the request for an hour of Islamic religion study was made, which did not

yield any change. To introduce in both public and private schools an hour of Islamic religious

studies, either optional or in alternative to Catholic studies, is the proposal made by the vice

minister for Economic Development Adolfo Urso: "Islam should be taught by qualified Italian

teachers, perhaps even by an Imam on the condition, though, that they possess the correct pre-

requisites and they be registered in an appropriate Register". The Ucoii would rather prefer that

Koran education continued to be imparted by the religious communities.

3. History of Religions in Italian high schools. Thoughts and good practice

Besides a rather heated public debate concerning Catholic Religious Education, there are several experiments which were implemented to establish different paths for religious education.14 See S. Giombi, Insegnare religione a scuola, in «Il Mulino» 4 luglio – agosto (2006), pp. 735-744, p. 741.15 S. Giombi, Insegnare religione a scuola, p. 742.16 Mc Giorda, Il “caso” Italia: storia, attualità, progetti, in «SMSR», 2010, in press.17 «The crucifix, which is impossible to dismiss in a school classroom – as can be read in the decree written by the Strasbourg judges – could be easily interpreted by students of all ages as a religious symbol. Thus, they would feel as though they were being educated in an environment which was marked by a specific religion». All of this, the document continues «could be encouraging for religious students, but annoying for students who follow other religions, especially if they belong to religious minorities or if they are atheists». Furthermore, the Court «fails to understand how the showcasing, in public school classrooms, of a symbol which can be reasonably associated with Catholicism, could be employed to transmit educational pluralism which is essential to preserve a democratic society in the way it has been conceived by the European Convention for Human Rights, a pluralism which was recognized by the Italian Constitutional Court».”

Let us take the operative definition, given by A. Brelich, an Italian historian of religions from the past century, concerning History of Religions: it is an autonomous subject, dealing with its own irreducible problems and with its own irreducible methods, rooted in the knowledge and interpretation of those institutions, beliefs, actions, behaviours and organizations through whose creation, preservation and amendments in relation to new institutions, single human societies attempt to regulate and protect their own position in a world believed to be mainly non-human, assigning values to what is perceived to be of existential importance and including them into human relationships18. Raffaele Pettazzoni’s approach introduced and endorsed the fact that these historical and religious studies should become a matter for debate not only in the academic circuit, but should be extended to more open environments. He tried to spread interest to a wider public, based on new social needs and more sincere humanistic values; according to the scholar, it was precisely the secondary school which would have constituted the most suitable environment for this attempt, not withstanding the fact that, in relationship to this proposed objective, the specific circumstances did not allow it to succeed19.

There have been several attempts which were carried out in this direction in several secondary

schools during these last few years, and they are the result of the ongoing debate concerning the

importance of Religious Education. I shall now take into account a number of exemplary cases,

which will become the focal point around which to establish a more general discussion aiming to

plan religious and historical education.

3.1. History of Religions in the Waldensian Liceo in Torre Pellice

The project carried out by the Waldensian Liceo in Torre Pellice, the only Waldensian high school

in Italy with three separate curricula, European, Scientific, Classical, has without a doubt a long and

solid tradition. The exceptional nature of a Waldensian high school located in Val Pellice is well

suited to a geographical area which is known for the history of a local protestant minority which has

18 A. Brelich, Introduzione alla storia delle religioni, Ateneo, Roma 1965, p. 66.19 R. Pettazzoni, La Chiesa e la vita religiosa in Italia, in V. Gorresio (ed.), Stato e Chiesa, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1957, pp. 45-68, spec. 47-49; G. Piccaluga, Gli studi storico religiosi e la scuola secondaria, in A. Saggioro (ed.), Più problemi che soluzioni. Documenti per una didattica storico-religiosa, EURoma, Roma 1998, pp. 39-54; exsp. 53.

always been connected with European history. It was established in 1831 in order to answer the

needs of Waldensian families who wished their children to have an education, but which, because

of a strong religious intolerance, were not allowed to attend normal schools; it was structured

according to the model of English schools as required by the Anglican priest W. S. Gilly who

played an active role in organizing the college. By the late 1800s the college became a state-

recognized liceo classico, featuring the same rights and duties of a public school and is currently

managed by a committee assigned by the Waldensian Table, supported by an educational scientific

Committee.

Ever since 1984 the five year study course has integrated a course in History of Religions, therefore

a necessary subject for all students, and including specific assessment marks. With the first project

two subjects have been introduced: History of Religions and Local History. Both have been

considered to be complementary subjects to general history, and have thus been made compulsory

and in turn accepted by the families, both Waldensian and non-Waldensian, believers and non-

believers. Specifically, the Local History course was a course in historical methods starting from the examination of the history of the local valleys, thanks to the possibility of using the Historical Archive and the Library of the Società di Studi Valdesi (Waldensian Society of Studies), easily accessible since they are located next to the school. Studying the history of the valleys often invades the field of the history of Christian religion and specifically requires to study Waldensian religion, with the added bonus that Waldensian history is tightly bound to both the history of Piemonte and of protestant Europe, from Switzerland to Holland to England to Germany, the latter hosting many Waldensian colonies since the 1600s. History of Religions has proven to be a unique experience and has allowed the students to learn the history, the developments and the thematic contents of several great religions. From the year 2000 the schedule requires one hour a week for one term, adding up to about 15 hours each year. The course, which

features a historical approach and integrates the normal course of history, aims to teach the principal

founding elements of the ancient religions of the Mediterranean (specifically Greco-roman religion,

through a prosopography presentation of the gods of creation and the Olympian gods) and of the

religions of the present-day world; there are presentations of the Bible and the Koran and the

students are introduced, in compliance with the comparison method, to the common themes which

present-day religions have to deal with. The course aims to allow the students to learn about the

main differences between religions, to learn about the relationship between religion and culture of

people throughout history. This pluralistic and secular outlook has given the opportunity that these

topics are often educational and complementary to other subjects which are taught in school, thus

resulting in being, undoubtedly, interdisciplinary.

3.2 History of Religions in the Liceo Sociale in Torino

The last experience in chronological order is the course in History of Religions which I am

currently teaching at the Istituto Sociale in Torino. It is a specific subject whose objectives are both

cognitive and educational, structured upon a well defined and precise cultural content and it

employs a scientific method; thus, the hour has a well defined autonomy within the educational

curriculum which the school offers its students. All classes in liceo scientifico and liceo classico

have a mandatory hour, every week, in History of Religions. The pedagogical approach in relation

to the ‘fundamentals’ concerning the subjective religious experience and the historical religious

phenomenon should seek to educate individuals capable to establish dialogue and social co-

existence among different cultures and beliefs: the ‘religious’ must be recognized and metabolized

as the central dimension in all cultures, as a cultural product and as an object of historical analysis,

but also as the carrier of knowledge, as one of the keys for interpreting human history20.

The course was activated in 2008/2009, thanks to an agreement between the Laurea Specialistica

Course in Religious Sciences, at the University of Torino and the above mentioned school. The

Laurea Course Committee expressed its satisfaction with the course and decided unanimously to

assign between one and three university credits for those who positively attended the History of

Religions course and obtained the certification issued by the school21.

The objective we are trying to seek with the establishment of a course in History of Religions, as an

educational and cultural approach to the religious phenomenon, considered in its actual expressions,

is believed to be of paramount importance in developing a kind of knowledge and a kind of

awareness able to draw on that knowledge, aiming at educating an active citizen capable to create

relationships and dialogue in contexts of social pluralism.

It was a matter of planning a school course which, in its subject matter, was able to take into account the way religious phenomena appear in relation to

20 F. Pajer, Gestire la transizione dell’Irc verso un nuovo profilo scientifico ed educativo della cultura religiosa, in R. De Vita-F. Berti-L. Nasi (ed.), Ugualmente diversi: culture,religioni, diritti, Franco Angeli, Milano 2007, pp. 220-234.21 The Assembly was convened on 23rd March, 2009 by the president of the Corso di Laurea, Prof. Claudio Gianotto, full professor in History of Christianity at the University of Torino. The excerpt pertaining the cooperation with the Istituto Sociale states the level of satisfaction after a long discussion.

their anthropological, sociological, historical, psychological aspects, the specific aspects of religions concerning their effective richness in values, with special care given to their fundamental books, the necessary educational and teaching aspects in relation to the various age groups of the students, in cooperation with the other school subjects. The framework of the contents of the subject requires certain priority criteria in choosing the

programme, guided by pedagogical and school requirements. They are as follow:

- preference given to the great current world religions, rather than to ancient religions;

- preference given to those religions which have had and currently have a greater impact on

Western civilization (mainly, but not exclusively, monotheisms);

- preference given to those contents which might become functional for the existential quest

of an adolescent, in relation to human and social values.

- the subject provides for grades and marks which will be submitted to the assessment of

progress and will be recorded in the students’ personal report cards.

The proposed programme is intended for a five year period in which objectives and contents will

have to be balanced year by year along the entire course; given the current lack of a textbook which

would be suitable for students ranging between 15 and 19, we thought to supply documents drafted

by myself or taken from other texts:

I year What is religion?; The religious situation in the post-secular contemporary world; Some

key concepts: religion; religious; holy/profane; pure/impure; rite/myth; symbol; A first

approach to the concept of ‘holy book’ (the holy book as a code)

II year The Jewish world; Hebrew Canon; Religions in the Classic world; Early Christianity;

Jesus, Messiah and Prophet; the Gospels

III year The Islamic world; the Koran; Western world and Eastern world: the complexity of

Christianities, especially the various and differing interpretations of the Bible; A small

case-study: History of the Society of Jesus (Compagnia di Gesù)

IV year Religions in the Eastern part of the world (Hinduisms and Buddhism); Reading of a few

excerpts from Hindu and Buddhist texts; Religions in the world and in Italy today: an

overview

V year The sciences of religions; Searching for a History of Religions; Religions and the world

of today: thematic focal points and challenges in the III millennium; an example: the

Bible and ethics; Religions and violence; Religions and politics; fundamentalisms

However, since the 2008/2009 school year was the first year, I chose to begin with a programme

which was the same for all classes, seeking to provide students who were dealing with these issues

for the first time with the conceptual and linguistic tools necessary to understand the subject.

By means of an assessment test I could see the normal and expected gaps, and also the foregone

religious prejudices of the students concerning religions and history established, therefore I

proceeded, during the first lessons, to map out, from a historical and religious point of view, the

religions of the modern world, and I spent a few hours on the debatable definition of ‘religion’

itself.

Dealing with religious pluralism has offered the chance to develop the issue of cultural encounters

and differences, of interaction and integration within multicultural societies, and it has been useful

to stimulate the students in a desire to know before judging or expressing an opinion regarding

something which was previously unknown, as in the case of different cultures and religions.

A second series of lessons addressed the concept of the religious ‘symbol’, and included an analysis

of symbols from today’s most widespread religions, based on the number of worshippers, territorial

expansion and identity autonomy.

In one class of liceo scientifico I addressed a topic based on the recent book by B. Salvarani22,

concerning religious issues as shown in the Simpsons cartoon; this was achieved by watching 10

selected episodes, followed by a discussion regarding the specific religious issues which had been

addressed. This experiment gave the chance to present the religion and the religious by means of a

very simple medium – a cartoon – which is watched and much appreciated by children and

adolescents.

A third part, which was addressed by means of role playing during the first two years23 and of

classroom lessons and work groups during the final three years, sought to provide some data

concerning fundamental categories in order to approach the great present-day religions (historical

information, holy books, founder, precepts of behaviour, prayers, trends, life-death cycle,

22 B. Salvarani, Da Bart a Barth. Per una teologia all’altezza dei Simpson, Claudiana, Torino 2008.23 The method and regulations concerning the “tournament” were inspired by reading S. Keshavjee, Il Re, il saggio e il Buffone. Il Gran Torneo delle religioni, Einaudi, Torino 2000.

festivities).

In developing and carrying out this hour of History of Religions, I believed that it would be useful

to address at least three needs: first of all the path, to be followed in compliance with the

programme developed and presented at the beginning of the school year to colleagues and students;

but there are also important moments of cooperation with other subjects, seeking to offer in depth

views and integration among subjects which allow to address and develop side topics which differ

from mainstream path. History of Religions is certainly an autonomous subject, but it also services

other subjects, and thus is able to, and must, establish interdisciplinary points of exchange in order

to address in a more suitable manner parts of the programme of other subjects which, sometimes

due to time and other practical constraints, are carried out in a hurry and in a hasty manner. Finally,

there is also the possibility for ‘links’ with current events, which are necessary to understand if they

are to become not only reason for discussion among students, but also a moment of education and

development of a critical and more mature conscience: this third and final component is based on

the belief that reading and interpreting the present through certain categories offered by History of

Religions is one of the more useful tools for ‘citizenship education’ and for active and responsible

‘political participation’.

During 2009/2010, the second year of this experiment, I began to address the topics as listed in the

previously mentioned programme, according to year; the objective is to reap the fruits of one year

of work during which the students will have learned fundamental elements thanks to which they

will have become able to move comfortably in a subject like History of Religions, at least as far as

terminology, key concepts and methods are concerned.

4. A few final considerations

Retracing the history of religious education in its institutional and alternative forms leads us to

formulate several considerations concerning its intended education and the status of historical and

religious subjects in Italian schools and universities where History of Religions and Religious

Studies are taught and where should be trained all whose duty it is to pass knowledge to school

students. For this reason, it would be useful to perform a survey focusing on the ‘state of health’ of

the History of Religions course in Italian universities, taking into account the past history, current

status and future outlook for this subject, perhaps even on a European scale.

Concerning the various educational and learning models for religion and religions in Europe, the

experiences I have described are good pratices and compliant with school autonomy, but

nevertheless decidedly few and episodic: the most pressing issue in Italy is the fact that in most

schools it is not possible for those students not attending CRE to attend an hour of alternative

activity, due to economic reasons, resulting in the lack of funds with which to structure an

alternative lesson and to the lack of availability or training of the teaching staff. It is for these

reasons that those experiments which have been activated up to now are an extra-ordinary

opportunity to introduce an alternative lesson in History of Religions in Italian schools. These are

the medium and long term objectives towards which we should endeavour, confirming current

experimentations and endorsing the possibilities to activate other historical and religious

educational programmes.

In the framework of standing regulations, given the inadequacy of religious education in our

country, it is advisable to activate new tools able to improve and increase the knowledge concerning

religious issues: education towards religions, scientific research concerning the religious

phenomena is, from a cognitive point of view, a fundamental tool for educating towards global

citizenship. Religious and historical illiteracy are widespread and continue to be an impediment to

the development of a culture implicating responsible citizenship; on the other hand a correct

education concerning religious phenomena and religion might prove to be beneficial for social,

intercultural and interreligious education values.

In essence and in compliance with the added protocol to the 1984 Concordat, it would be advisable

to re-structure in a more solid manner, from methods and contents point of view, the existing

educational program concerning religion, following the approval of suitable programmes and the

widespread use of textbooks assessed by experts in history of Christianity and other religions. It

might be possible, as it occurs in France, to introduce within other subjects topics which address the

‘religious’ category, and exploit the elements provided by religious sciences, in order to supply the

teachers with tools suitable for the construction of a competent secularism, intended as a common

value for the future generations of citizens.