Religious culture as a school subject

In Russia a new school subject has been introduced in order to facilitate educators in shaping the enculturation process of the autonomous student into the cumulative tradition. In this article the Russian societal and educational context is described and the concepts ‘religion’ and ‘culture’ are clarified. Together they build the concentric structural model in which a distinction is drawn between different layers representing various influential factors related to RE, not only in Russia but also in the western world. In our view this concentric structural model is constitutive for the new school subject of religious culture. The presentation of the model and its application is central in this article.     

Beyond the Bullet Points: Teaching the Bible in Norwegian Upper Secondary Religious Education

Abstract

This qualitative study examines semi-structured interviews with four Norwegian teachers to explore how they teach biblical texts in upper secondary religious education (RE). The theoretical framework combines one model from biblical hermeneutics with one from RE. The former differentiates between the worlds behind, in, and in front of the biblical text, the latter between the universal, common religious, and religion-specific dimensions of religious narratives. Chief findings: All teachers utilize examples from the reception history of the biblical texts; they thus extend Ricoeur’s notion of the world in front of the text. The common religious aspects of biblical texts are mostly overlooked.     

Religious education in state primary schools: the case of Catalonia (Spain)

In a pluricultural and multi-religious world, with high levels of social secularisation, the role of religious education in schools (especially in state-funded schools) has inundated political and academic debate throughout Europe, which is becoming increasingly more committed to integrating, non-confessional models. In this context, it is essential to analyse how religious education is managed in countries whose relationship between state and religion is still firmly rooted (as is the case of Spain), and what the action of schools and families is in contexts where confessional religion is maintained in schools. Based on a quantitative study of 380 representatives of primary school management teams, it is seen that one in four schools does not teach any type of religion, either due to a lack of demand from families or because the school chooses not to do so. In addition, the study shows the practical limitations of the confessional model to provide a response to the religious and secular diversity of our time, as the implementation of minority confessions is very scant while there is a primacy of the catholic confession in the religion subject.     

Religious education legislation in an atheist state: towards a typology and policy analysis for contemporary China

ABSTRACT

The rule of law presents a new path for understanding and handling religious affairs in contemporary China. The field of religious education is no exception and current legislation has to be improved so that China’s religious education can be further promoted. This research examines the legislation and legislative regulations governing China’s diversified and dynamic religious education, which includes professional religious studies, religious education embedded in ethnic education, missionary religious education, religious education included in general education, and education on religious policies and regulations. It argues that how to understand and implement the principle of separation of education and religion stands out as the core issue, as China requires a more dialectical and pluralistic religious education.     

Religious discrimination discourse in the mono-cultural school: the case of Poland

The article forms an analysis of the religious discrimination discourse in Polish public schools, with special attention paid to the culturally specific, Polish understanding of the notion of religious discrimination. The introductory part presents the concept of religious discrimination as present in anti-discriminatory policies. The following part outlines the Polish system of religious education and its relation to the religious discrimination. Studies on religious discrimination in Poland are presented and discussed. Important context is supplied by a presentation of two recent cases of religious discrimination in Polish public schools, and the actions undertaken by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Authors of the article point out the important influence of cultural context on the perception of religious discrimination. The attention is drawn to the seemingly homogenous environment of the Polish school and of the discriminative discourse used in political and social debates. The analysis shows that the presence of religion as a subject in Polish schools remains a cause of conflict between the religious and atheist citizens, a conflict in which concepts of religious discrimination and religious freedom are used as arguments by both sides.     

马克思主义论宗教信仰自由

马克思主义经典作家对宗教信仰自由问题，曾作出过大量论述。这些论述主要集中在这样两个问题上，即是否主张和主张什么样的宗教信仰自由？为什么？理由何在？对于第一个问题，马克思主义是主张宗教信仰自由的，主张完整的、平等的、相对的和纯正的宗教信仰自由。对于第二个问题，主张宗教信仰自由，符合马克思主义即辩证唯物主义、历史唯物主义和科学社会主义的基本原理；主张宗教信仰自由．必须同各种左的和右的错误思想作坚决斗争。马克思主义者和马克思主义政党应当勇于和善于继承、丰富和发展这些基本思想。     

皖江地区宗教文化略述

宗教文化是皖江历史文化的主要特色,也是皖江历史文化的价值所在。皖江宗教文化有以天柱山为中心的禅宗文化,以九华山为中心的地藏文化,以巢湖、芜湖和马鞍山为中心的道教文化,以及以沿江各大城市为中心的天主教、基督教和伊斯兰教文化。五大宗教按其宗教伦理来说,基本上可以分为三种,其中佛教解决的是人的生死问题,道教解决的是生命的超越问题,天主教、基督教和伊斯兰教可以合为一种,解决的是人的现世生存问题。这三种宗教伦理是皖江宗教文化的基本精神,也是皖江历史文化的基本内核,对皖江社会的发展势必产生深远的影响。     

汉代宗教结构的演变与意义

汉代本土宗教结构发生演变,佛教初步传入。汉代大部分时期宗教都显示出本土纯粹性,如天人合一、谶纬、西王母信仰、方士信仰等,随着佛教传入并与本土宗教融合,我国宗教发展的本土纯粹性被消解了。     

Bridging the gap between Religious Education and gifted education: theory and praxis in three secondary school programmes in Cambridgeshire

Religious Education (RE) has the potential to identify as gifted many students who might otherwise be missed. The findings discussed here are based on a study of Heads of Department in three very different secondary schools in Cambridgeshire, which investigated how their training and praxis affected the way they identified and challenged students gifted and talented in studying religion. Reasons are given for the gap between RE and gifted education, internationally, nationally and regionally. The lack of student challenge in much RE is identified and ways are suggested to extend and enrich all. Strategies are discussed for doubly exceptional students, with profound insights but poor written skills. Questioning the dominance of pragmatic approaches in the UK, the article suggests how the RE profession could develop a critical and theoretically informed approach to giftedness, with direct implications for classroom practices.     

The Future of Nursing: Implications for Childbirth Educators

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education discusses the Institute of Medicine’s 2011 report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, and its implications for childbirth educators. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.     

Religious education reform under the US military occupation: The interpretation of state Shinto in Japan and Nazism in Germany

This article discusses the treatment of religion in Japanese education in the post‐World War Two period. During the Allied Military Occupation, Japan adopted the principle of the separation of state and religion as a means to democratize the totalitarian, ethno‐nationalistic education system of pre‐1945. The case of Germany is also dealt with here for a comparison to explore how the similar purpose fitted in with the reform debates on the German education system during the Occupation. The purpose of this article is to trace the geneses of the current treatment of religion in Japan education. Thus, the prime interest of this article is not to discuss the argument that the demise of religious instruction might have created a basis for the decline of morality among children. Nor does the article address a question whether nor not emphasis on instruction in religion might cultivate a sense of national identity among the youth. Instead, this article tries to investigate historical backgrounds which, I argue, have helped taboo such discussions about the values and roles of religious education of these kinds in post‐war Japan.     

略论宗教信仰的心理功能

宗教信仰是人们对周围世界的态度和人们在特定情境中的一种特殊情感，宗教与心理之间有着密切的关系。本文通过东西方宗教与心理的关系，深入剖析了宗教信仰的积极与消极的心理功能。     

Contributing Factors to Earning Tenure Among Black Male Counselor Educators

The authors used a phenomenological research design and a critical race theory lens to examine interviews with 8 Black male counselor educators and learn what contributed to their earning tenure. Participants described requisite personal dispositions and institutional support as contributing factors. Recommendations include facilitating programmatic sociocultural awareness, assessing faculty experiences, and coordinating mentoring opportunities.     

图式理论对宗教文化负载词翻译的阐释

源自认知心理学的图式是用来说明人对客观事物的理解和认知过程。翻译作为文化与文化之间的交流就是译者文本理解图式的再表达。本文用图式理论对《聊斋志异》中的宗教文化负载词的翻译进行研究,从两种不同宗教文化背景下的图式构建对宗教文化负载词的翻译进行分析,证实图式理论对宗教文化负载词翻译的指导性作用。     

Critical Religious Education (CRE) in practice: evaluating the reception of an introductory scheme of work

Critical Religious Education (CRE) is a contemporary pedagogy of religious education developed by Andrew Wright and various colleagues over the past two decades. There has been widespread academic discourse about the pedagogy in theory but increasingly commentators have called for examples of it in practice. Over the past seven years a writing group associated with The Forum of Religious and Spiritual Education at King’s College London have been developing practical materials aimed at supporting teachers in embedding the pedagogy in practice. Of particular relevance to this paper is the development of an introductory scheme of work, aimed at year 7 students, which has been trialled in a number of schools in and around London. In 2013, focus group interviews took place in four of these schools in order to ascertain the reception that the materials had received. The data suggests a very positive response to the introductory scheme of work and the CRE approach in general, partially dispelling some criticisms levelled at it in academic discourse. The author has thus suggested that the approach and the work of the writing group need further exposure, especially in schools, at conferences and on initial teacher education programmes.     

略论宗教因素对道德的影响

在人类道德流变史上,宗教对其影响巨大,为道德与宗教教义的重合的履行注入了科学色彩的内驱。在内容上,对道德规范及价值予以神学性诠释;在思维上,使得社会主体对道德的认识、理解神性化与模式化;在实践上,它在强调人对神的“信”、“望”、“爱”的基础上突出道德义务、道德服从的必要性。     

试析彝族原始宗教舞蹈

彝族是一个能歌善舞的民族,原始宗教舞蹈艺术和其他文化艺术一样有着悠久的历史,原始舞蹈源于远古生产劳动、宗教祭典和其他社会生活的彝族舞蹈。从其所表现和反映的形式和内容考察看:彝族原始宗教舞蹈,起初最明显的是为了娱神、祈年或祛鬼,或期盼五谷丰收,祝愿灵魂安宁或人畜康泰,因之向神灵祈求。彝族先民原始宗教舞蹈已经不局限于自娱性,而是发展到具有一定技巧的可供观赏的表演性艺术。     

对于“宗教戏剧”概念的思考

在如何对我国古代有着强烈宗教色彩的戏剧进行界定和命名这一问题上,目前学术界主要存在着三种意见:"仪式戏剧"、"祭祀戏剧"和"宗教戏剧".无论是"仪式戏剧"还是"祭祀戏剧",在界定这类戏剧时都失之偏颇:强调了其宗教祭祀仪式功能而忽视了它们对于宗教义理和信仰的宣扬;强化了其宗教意义而在一定程度上抹杀了它们的艺术本质.而"宗教戏剧"概念,则避免这两方面的不足,既能正确地把握这类戏剧的艺术本质,又能全面地反映出它们所具有的宗教色彩.