Highlights changes in the Catholic church over the past few decades that have broadened Catholic culture and made it more ambiguous for young Catholics. Describes ways to reach out to youth and involve them in social projects, volunteer ministries, religion teaching, nursing home visits, parish councils, choirs, and liturgical functions. (MAB)

Reviews attitudes toward art in the early Catholic Church, considering the ability of art to influence those who experience it. Highlights the spiritualism of the Russian painter, Wassily Kandinsky. Suggests ways in which today's religious institutions can use art as a form of outreach to bring greater meaning to members of their congregations.…

Discusses the saints and how they should be presented to students as individuals who did great works. Explains that saints were not created but recognized for their efforts. Presents a research and writing project, with nine research questions, to help students discover which saint has their talents and can function as a role model. Includes two…

Reports on the Archdiocese of Louisville's (Kentucky) mentoring program for directors of religious education (DREs), which provides an opportunity to become familiar with the standards for DRE ministry. Examines the five stages of the mentoring process: matchmaking, orientation, monthly meetings, concluding session of prayer and testimony, and…

In 'Religious Upbringing Reconsidered,' Michael Hand revisits the debate on the right of parents to give their children a religious upbringing in a liberal context. According to him, the logical difficulty lies in the fact that parents cannot both impart religious beliefs and avoid indoctrination. While Peter Gardner and Jim Mackenzie have…

In this article, the author talks about Jon Levisohn's discussion of "Visions of Jewish Education," which includes at least four valuable contributions. First, Levisohn offers an illuminating account of what a reader of the important book will find. Second, Levisohn draws attention to the ways in which the book will significantly enrich discourse…

This article is the author's reflection on forty years as a religious educator. Vocation reveals itself to be the distinctive life and work of an individual in so far as it contributes to the service of others in community and society. Vocation has both an individual and a social meaning; it can be viewed in religious or secular terms. It is…

George Bernard Shaw famously quipped that "a Catholic university is a contradiction in terms." While the party-line response to Shaw is that the term "Catholic university" is instead a tautology, those who work, study, and teach at such institutions often find themselves pondering Shaw's oxymoron, asking themselves: how are…

There is a growing agreement that the moral relativism or value neutral education of the 1970s has been a failure, and many groups and individuals are calling for values education to become part of school curriculum. This paper focuses on the administration of values education and discusses the public policy debate surrounding it. Several…

This informal study of the religious uses of television, based on direct on-site discussions with religious television producers, was undertaken in order to provide a broader base of understanding of current developments in the field, and to assess the viability of a television broadcast ministry for the United Methodist Church. Discussions with…

Develops an educational philosophy for Christian religious education as it touches the AIDS crisis. Grounded in Thomas Groome's "shared Christian praxis" model and directed toward religious educators, the philosophy contains five components: present action, critical reflection, dialog, story, and vision. Examines each component, stating…

Explores the problems associated with being a church school teacher, stating that they are often overlooked, taken for granted, and given minimal help in carrying out their tasks. Reports on the interviews of 19 Presbyterian church school teachers and makes suggestions for future research. Suggests more support of church school teachers to make…

Stresses the importance of community, addressing the difficulty of teaching it in today's individualistic society. Uses Ephesians 4:1-16 as a source for understanding the community and developing an appropriate pedagogy. States the goal as creating within the classroom the experience of the biblical understanding of the social self in community.…

Reviews mistaken approaches to spirituality and the relationship between modern spirituality and life styles prevalent in industrialized societies. Seeks to establish a connection between spirituality and justice, especially for those struggling toward discipleship in a consumer society. (GEA)

Discusses government proposals to do away with compulsory worship in British schools and speculates on the role and content of religious education without worship. Concludes that the study of religious phenomena and underlying principles (theology) may prove too superficial to provide a deep understanding of the significance of religion. (GEA)