Online education, when done well, combines the use of technology to provide feedback to a degree and intensity that replicates the tutorial system that Newman preferred. Well-moderated discussion boards, adaptive learning technology, rapid grading with resubmission, and collaborative documents can mimic a measure of the Oxbridge…

"Catechesis of the Good Shepherd" and "Godly Play" are the two best known variants of Montessori style Religious Education programmes. While they have much in common, there are also obvious differences. This article offers a brief outline of the distinctive features of each programme, including some analysis of their…

Regardless of what method is chosen for formal religious education, the fundamental principle of all catechetical activity in the Catholic Church is fidelity to the Word of God and the concrete needs of the faithful. This article will argue, however, that fidelity to the Word of God falls short of the requirements of the Catholic Church in the…

This article examines why liberation theology needs to be a core resource in religious education settings, especially in Catholic secondary schools. It will first touch on key tenets of liberation theology and the reasons why it was silenced and underused. It will then analyse poverty in the Jewish tradition as an interfaith resource and…

This article explores debates about the public role of religion in a secular context. Drawing on the work of critical theorist, Jurgen Habermas, this article claims that the United States requires a viable public sphere in which religious and secular voices can learn from each other. Highlighting the work of the Lane Center for Catholic Studies…

In this article, the author begins by talking about power and his early vocational discernment. He continues by sharing his ongoing vocational discernment and religious education for liberation. Over the past twenty years the author has worked for a Catholic diocese and two Catholic universities. He has also done significant volunteer work in…

The organizers of the conference on Renewing Mission and Identity in Business Education invited me to offer a description of the efforts made at the University of Dayton to institutionalize its Catholic identity. Until 2006, when I left Dayton to begin leading full-time the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern…

A key concept in contemporary Catholic educational discourse makes a distinction between religious education and catechesis. This distinction is based on the assumptions of faith commitment on the part of catechesis and the focus on cognitive outcomes on the part of religious education. Many official documents on Canadian Catholic school…

This is the second in a series of four papers which seeks to articulate theologically and practically the consequences of the ecclesial identity of the Catholic school. The series is based on the principle that the "marks" of the Church--one, holy, catholic, and apostolic--are also marks of the Catholic school, since the Catholic school is within…

In the way of Catholic Education, young people are engaged to experience God. Although the authors' reflections are written from the Catholic faith perspective, they feel the suggestions offered for educators to engage the human spirit could be extended to various faith communities or audiences. These suggestions were coalesced from their personal…

This article presents responses from Thomas C. Hunt, James L. Heft, S.M., and Ronald J. Nuzzi to the report of the Notre Dame Task Force on Catholic Education's (2006), "Making God Known, Loved and Served: The Future of Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in the United States." Hunt analyzes the 12 recommendations offered by Notre…

This document discusses the authors' preparation for 100th Anniversary Celebration of The Religious Education Association (REA). A brief overview of the authors' involvement in religious education is summarized. Through preparation for this meeting, the author was invited to facilitate a workshop on "Faith and Culture." 30 women from Kenya,…

Discusses changes in Catholic religious education since the second Vatican Council. Addresses the contribution of classroom instruction to young people's religious education and identifies some aspects of shared praxis and appropriation of the faith tradition. States that improvement of religious education requires an upgrading of its role in the…

Outlines an immersion-apprenticeship training model to teach ministers to respond to the needs of young people. Outlines a four-stage process: (1) immersion in youth culture; (2) apprenticeship with a professional youth minister; (3) internship experiences; and (4) commissioning. (DMM)

The author explains the background and content of "Catechesi Tradendae," Pope John Paul II's pastoral letter of October 25, 1979, on the goals and methods of Catholic religious education. (SJL)