In this article, the author looks back on her journey of teaching, framing it as a privileged fulfillment of the call as a means of inviting others' reflection on the meanings of the teaching vocation. She builds on this framework with personal stories focused on two aspects of teaching from which she has learned much: the pivotal role of…

This article explores the implications of funding increasing numbers of religious schools on the children of minority communities. It argues that handing responsibility for schooling to religious bodies undermines transparency, democracy and accountability in educational provision. Far from promoting "inclusion" as the Government claims,…

This article argues that we live in a culturally, politically and religiously diverse society and that faith schools are the "product", rather than the "cause", of this diversity. As an easy target for those with fears about social cohesion, faith schools are being "scapegoated". (Contains 4 notes.)

Argues for a multi-faith religious education in primary schools that goes beyond merely teaching facts about many religions to providing insights into the lives of believers in different faiths. Discusses benefits to inter-faith communication and understanding and suggests content and method selection for achieving this educational goal.…

Describes imagination as the cognitive faculty that mediates a person's relationship with God. Discusses imagination's integrative function and its realm of pure possibility which facilitates openness to God. States that only through imagination grounded in God's spirit can humankind hope to perceive, with increasing degrees of clarity, God's…

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…

This paper locates Paulo Freire within the prophetic tradition of the Christian Church and seeks to examine the basis of his thinking from this perspective. The paper includes four parts: (1) the social context of Freire's work; (2) development and modernization; (3) the place of education; and (4) a concluding discussion. (JOW)

Examines religious values in children's fiction since 1790 as a means of placing the present and contemporary anxieties in the perspective of a tradition of anxiety and failure. (SRT)

Five prescriptions for evangelism are offered from five different schools of thought in educational psychology. Since understanding and the integration of truth are a central theme in evangelism, how do humans process truth? This paper constructs hypothetical evangelistic scenarios according to behaviorist, cognitive processing, interactivist,…

Spiritual living demands growth, and spiritual development has many parallels with human development. Ministers who are knowledgeable of the various stages are best prepared to assist and optimize spiritual growth. The primary benefit of nurturing believers through developmental stages is assured spiritual health and maturity in the context of a…

This paper considers the British thinker C.S. Lewis as a "forensic figure," defining "forensic" in the sense of public discussion and debate. The paper relates that, long before Lewis emerged as a public persuader, he learned to hold his own in private exchanges with William T. Kirkpatrick, his tutor from 1914-1917, and in…

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)

Examines the opposition to the 1902 Education Act in England and discusses its history and political and educational consequences. The Act provided national secondary education and supported the voluntary schools. Distinctive denominational teaching was permitted in voluntary schools. (RM)

The author makes a case for Catholic education as the heart of Catholic schools, refuting arguments that this approach is too narrowly sectarian, too insular, and counterproductive to the ecumenical movement. He advocates challenging young people with the message of Catholicism and making the school a Christian community of service. (Author/SJL)

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)