From the mid-1960s, the teaching force in Catholic schools in Ireland that for so long had been composed primarily of members of religious orders began to change as a large number returned to the secular world and recruitment levels dropped rapidly. Concurrently there was an outpouring of order-focused hagiographic works. During the 1980s, a range…

This paper highlights contemplative pedagogy as an educational approach with a demonstrated capacity to facilitate unification within the individual and among different people. The early parts of the paper present a biblically-rooted analysis of the human dynamics that impede peaceful coexistence and a discussion of the ways educators can…

Christian universities are obligated by their mission to confront the climate crisis as the pressing existential issue of our time. In his encyclical Laudato Si', Pope Francis calls for the ecological conversion of the church and all of humanity. Ecological conversion entails an existential shift from a relationship with the earth marked by…

More and more, Dutch adolescents are no longer affiliated with or involved in institutionalised religious world views. This development raises questions on how religion is treated and taught in secondary schools in the Netherlands. In order to reconsider religious education within these schools, closer insights into this particular, growing, group…

This paper analyses the context, emergence, organisation and curriculum of the school subject known as 'Culture of Religions' ("Kultura religija"), which is given as an example of good practice in the Toledo Guiding Principles of the Organization for Security and Clarity in Europe (OSCE). It was designed, piloted and to a certain extent…

New models for prison ministry are crucial during the current era of mass incarceration in America--a time when the potential reach of prison ministries can grow as the population of incarcerated individuals grows. In this article, I lift up one prison ministry in New Jersey as an example of how Christian evangelicals who are engaged in…

This article aims to argue that worldview is a useful concept in religious education because of its encompassing character. In the first part of the article three essential characteristics of "worldview" are distinguished: "worldview" includes religious and secular views; a distinction between organized and personal worldviews…

This book is ideal for both new and experienced teachers at all grade levels, for Catholic school teachers and for catechists at a parish school of religion. The author gives specific tips on what to say and do, illustrated by examples and strategies culled from her years of teaching.

The aim of this study is to gain empirical knowledge about how the Bible functions in the context of Protestant Christian primary schools in the Netherlands. It presents the results of an empirical explorative and qualitative study on the perceptions of teachers and school administrators (directors and internal supervisors) on the goals of Bible…

As part of a multi-year project within a network of Cambodian Christian schools, researchers facilitated training with the purpose of strengthening learner-centered education. To support teachers to grow beyond previous training, leaders ensured that the structure of the training was carefully aligned with intended outcomes. Informed by…

In which ways do curricula recognize existential questions of compulsory school students, and what direction is given regarding how to address them? By asking these two questions, this study analyses syllabi for the school subject of religion education and its equivalents in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and in the two German regions of Bavaria and…

Throughout history religion has influenced the behavior of adherents, however, little research has been completed determining how these religious beliefs result in changes in academic achievement. This research study, on the relationship between religious affiliation and academic achievement, is constructed on the theory that religious teachings…

Papers in this journal on Bernard Lonergan by Brendan Carmody (2011) and on Karl Rahner by Sean Whittle (2014) have considered their significance for a philosophy of Catholic education. They were stars in the Catholic intellectual firmament in the mid-to-late twentieth century, acknowledged for their command of the longstanding Catholic traditions…

This paper contributes to the discussion on how morality may be uncertain when life orientation changes, for instance, from religious belief to spirituality. Accepting the 'subjectivation' thesis as a key concept in understanding the contemporary world, the spiritual realm is treated as a site on which the subjective turn has made a tremendous…

Scholars of Religion Education (RE) have promoted a non-confessional approach to the teaching of religions that explores and examines the religious history of humankind, with due attention paid to its complexity and plurality. In this promotion, the public representation of religion and its impact on RE has not received sufficient attention. An…