Religious Education, what it IS…….NOT!!

CREATING AN AWARENESS THROUGH SYSTEMATIC UNDERSTANDING

WHAT IS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION?

WHY IS RE IMPORTANT?Religion and belief systems inform our

values and are reflected in what we say and how we behave.

RE provoke challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about GOD, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong, and what it means to be HUMAN!

WHY IS RE IMPORTANT?It develop people’s knowledge

and understanding of other principal religions and religious traditions, thereby promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society.

It contributes to spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development.

WHY IS RE IMPORTANT?It contributes to personal

development and well being It offers the opportunity for

personal reflection thereby deepening the understanding of the significance of religion in the lives of others.

It makes a wholesome contribution to community cohesion

WHAT IT IS…….NOT!!!It is…..NOT indoctrination

It is…. NOT bible knowledge

It is…..NOT the bundling of religious fact

It is…..NOT a none SUBJECT

RAISING AWARENESSFactors contributing to changes in RE: >Theological ChangesPaul Tilich & Dietrich Bonhoeffer called for a

‘religionless’ Christianity.Bultmann – demythologization of the New

Testament. >Educational Changes Institutional changes and the rise of a

technology >Social Changes Social and political upheavals of the 1960s and

70s

RAISING AWARENESSTitles given to RE and

implications: > Religious Instructions > Scriptures > Divinity > Religious Knowledge

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES TO TEACHING RE

PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH

INTERPRETIVE APPROACH

DIALOGICAL APPROACH

SYSTEMATIC APPROACH

LIFE THEMES/THEMATIC APPROACH

RAISING AWARENESSRE is a complete Social Science RE is important as any other core

subject It encompasses ALL content areas

EXCLUDING none! It is a lived experience and should

NOT be dissected It influences all aspects of life E.g.:

cartoons paw-paw bears, Avatar.

RAISING AWARENESSIt provides the opportunity to

walk into other people’s experience

UNLIKE other content areas, there is a LEGAL framework for the teaching of RE in schools

> Freedom of thought, conscience and RELIGION is the MOST fundamental HUMAN RIGHT!