Teaching Religious Education in the Midst of Diversity

Professor Peta Goldburg rsmProfessor of Religious Education

Associate Dean Catholic Identity and Partnerships Australian Catholic University

Global village now a reality

Diversity within and among religions not new

Balance our teaching so that it does not restrict the tradition nor relativise the tradition

Religion not a private matter

Religion is matter for public square

Religion is important cultural, social and political phenomenon

Teaching about religions is central to inter-cultural education

300,000 Aboriginal people, 600 language groups, many spiritualities

First Fleet: 8 -14 Jews Convicts: Anglicans, Catholics, Presbyterians,

Methodists, Congregationalists, Baptists 1850s Gold Rushes: Buddhists 1860s: Afghan Muslim camel drivers Post 1945: European immigrants Post 1960s: Asian, Middle Eastern immigrants

Religious Diversity in Australia

Religious symbols

Religious clothing

Ritual requirements – praying

Dietary requirements

Religious identity

Stephen Prothero

What, how, and why of religion

Critical Religious Literacy Mary Boys - self-critical scholarship

It does not refer “to one’s attitude toward the content, but to ways of thinking that enable us to recognise the assumptions and bias that we might impose” (Boys 2004, p. 150).

Religious Literacy

Recognition literacy

Reproduction literacy

Reflection literacy

3 phases

Paulo Freire – evaluate and critique received ideas

Ask:

◦ What view of knowledge am I presenting?

◦ What or whose knowledge is seen as valuable?

Critical pedagogy

1. Dialectical teacher-student relationship

2. Student agency

3. Student subject of learning rather than object of learning

4. Dialogic methodology

Empowerment

Think about what you have heard

◦ One point of interest

◦ One question

Buzz

Religious Education in the Catholic TraditionReligious Education Beyond the TraditionInter-religious Education & Engagement

Three components of RE

Sacred Texts ◦ (Old and New Testament; Christian Spiritual Writings &

Wisdom) Beliefs

◦ (Trinity: God, Jesus the Christ, Spirit; Human Existence; World Religions)

Church ◦ (Liturgy & Sacraments; People of God; Church History)

Christian Life ◦ (Moral Formation; Mission & Justice; Prayer & Spirituality)

Catholic Christianity

characterised by a deep religious self-understanding and a desire to learn from differences without adopting or absorbing the other

Textured Particularism

We need to know and be able to teach about the exterior diversity of religions and the interior complexity of religious traditions.

In learning about the religious other we develop the ability to enter another’s religious tradition without losing our own boundaries.

RE Beyond the Tradition

Sound knowledge of religion as a foundation for dialogue

Does not compare religions

Inter-religious Education & Engagement

How do we educate within our communities of faith so that people can engage with religious diversity and with the religious other?

Litmus Test

Religious literacy

Firm foundation in Catholic Christianity

Introduces students to major world religions

Foundation for inter-religious relations in religiously diverse world

New RE Curriculum P-12