Mystagogy has long been known as a catechesis to help the newly initiated deepen their understanding of sacramental experiences. In the ancient world, mystagogy was the way in which elders, that is mystagogues, helped candidates to identify and reflect on the hidden mysteries within their experience and the practices of their community.…

A hermeneutic-communicative model of religious education is proposed which is grounded in a Christian anthropology. The human person is presented as a 'fragile hermeneutical space'--consisting of a radical openness to reality, an essential indeterminateness and an ability to transcend his or her own reality. This means that people have an inbuilt…

In 2006 and then, seven years later in 2013, a small scaled research project was carried out into Christian children's developing perspectives as they encounter sacred text from the context of their home lives (Worsley in Br J Relig Educ 28(3):247-257, 2006, Br J Relig Educ 35(1):55-71, 2013). Fourteen years on in 2020, these same children and…

The spiritual formation of teachers in Church-based schools is of great importance but doesn't always receive the attention it deserves. In the 1920s and 30s, the British writer in spirituality, Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941), gave three Addresses to teachers and one lecture at Oxford University, discussing the teacher's spiritual life, and the…

Research shows that teacher quality is the most important school-related input correlated with student success. In religious private schools, teachers do not merely influence academic outcomes; they may also play a role in spiritual formation. Religious school administrators report that their faith informs their hiring decisions. However, little…

This systematic quantitative literature review explores the use of story in early childhood religious education to inform the research question "What are the pedagogical benefits of using story in religious education in the early years of primary school?" Searches were conducted across multiple databases and individual journals for…

Institutions of faith can no longer assume students of faith, and institutions of faith can no longer assume that a survey of the Old and New Testaments in today's college curriculum will provide the necessary elements to develop, sustain, and nurture biblical literacy in students. Nor can it be assumed that this antiquated model will equip…