This paper argues that, notwithstanding a few major exceptions, the modern commitment to studying educational thinking and practice in premodern Jewish societies has not been particularly intense, despite widespread agreement as to the importance of education in premodern Jewish life. Some suggestions for this lacuna are discussed in this article.…

Every researcher must make some fundamental questions. A researcher's questions should include the following: (1) What is the nature of the reality that I wish to study? (2) How will I know it? (3) What must I do to know it? (4) Who am I? (5) Where is God in this? and (6) For religious educators--How does my research lead to a world of peace and…

In the face of the globalizing tendencies of our times, religious communities will depend on the appropriations and reinterpretations of traditions in constant dialogue with increasingly diverse cultural groups. Religious communities that want to respond to the challenge of cultural pluralism cannot hold to the idea of religion as something…

Contrary to the view that socialization ought to precede education, in this article the author suggests that social and emotional dimensions are always present in religious, educational, moral, and aesthetic collective experience. In educational settings, socialization is part of the intentional process of creating a community of learners and is…

Finding mentors who will both support and challenge a teacher to grow is key to that teacher's ability to claim his or her calling as one who teaches and empowers others to join in their faith journeys as life-long learners. The author believes that religious educators must continually hone their skills to read the contexts where they teach as…

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…

Many cults focus on luring gifted and creative adolescents into joining their groups. Filling the vacuum of religious education by offering youth the chance to serve and a source to contact in times of crisis could neutralize the effects of the cults. (CL)

Describes the author's experiences during a week spent in a Zen monastery in Japan living the life of a monk. (Author/CK)

This article is based on the assumption that we need to rethink processes of faith formation in order to meet the need for deeper meaning and authentic relationship within U.S. culture. The author argues that an intentional, effective, and life-giving ecology of faith formation within the communion of a faith community is necessary. Elements of an…

In his highly regarded book on moral philosophy, "After Virtue" (1984), Alasdair MacIntyre offered a concept of tradition that explained both the past's claim upon the present and the present's availability for change, though he had not yet recognized and developed the theological implications of his work. A living tradition, in his terms, is a…

This article presents the author's response to Joseph Reimer's essay titled, "Beyond More Jews Doing Jewish: Clarifying the Goals of Informal Jewish Education." Joseph Reimer states that the challenge for informal education is to move beyond socialization to clarify and achieve "deeper" educational goals. Distinguishing between…

There are enduring features to the human condition and to Christian faith, and thus to the challenge of integrating these two. In this article, the author shares learned wisdom with beginning religious educators. He emphasizes seven important aspects of religious education: (1) Attending to one's own growth toward holiness of life; (2) Being clear…

In this paper, the author states that, as a religious educator, she has come to believe that insufficient attention has been given to the formative influence of religious studies as an academic discipline on the faith lives of undergraduates. She describes the activity of faith as that which brings together the interrelated dimensions of human…

In this article, the author discusses the influence of conversations in the shaping of a person's life. He shares how some of the voices he heard early in his life, specifically those of his mother and his local pastor, had a profound impact on his life. These were conversations that taught him the value of doing the best that he could and of the…

This article argues that of the various approaches taken in state education internationally, the inclusion of a discrete academic subject dealing with religious traditions and spiritual or secular alternatives is the most effective way of addressing religious plurality in education. It examines the increasing presence of religion in public…