Learning on Religion in the Modern European Education: new approaches to the teaching

Abstract

The article analyzes significant changes of the sociocultural and religious landscape in the modern post-secular Europe, which have led to the need of new approaches to religious education. According to the European Educational School’s Principles, religious education (confessional and non-confessional models) is an integral part of the curriculum. Religion is an ordinary, but a non-progression subject. In some European countries religious education is under a threat. There is an ambivalent process of the quest for multi-layered religious identities within the public schools of post-secular European countries. The author states that the traditional confessional model as a variant of catechesis is evolving to the system of multi-confessional religious education, Alternatives (Ethics, Ethics and Values, philosophy, citizenship), parallel mandatory courses about religion under Toledo principles (2007). Confessional religious education is teaching the religion in question. The author notes the growing role of the model of interreligious education IRE as a non-confessional academic Study of Religion for all students in the classroom. The most important international projects REDCo (Religion in Education. A Contribution to Dialogue or a Factor of Conflict in Transforming Societies of European Countries) and ENRECA network (The European Network for Religious Education through Contextual Approaches) show clear signs of the characteristics of interreligious education: teaching about is combined with teaching from the insider’s perspectives. Especially interesting are different options of the cooperative religious education and the model of intercultural religious education ICRE with a worldview as a key notion. The main goal of the IRE is working towards a public, rational discourse of religion against the privatization of religion, against displacing religion from educational institutions. The conclusion is made that the multi– disciplinary approach, based on Culture and Religious Studies, is capable to increase the quality of learning on religions.