皖南《目连戏》的宗教思想

目连戏是我国古代的一种戏剧,明清时期徽州祁门人郑之珍取当时民间流行的各种本子重新编撰成《目连救母劝善戏文》,开始在皖南民间演唱。戏中包含了丰富的宗教思想,主要有佛教的救度思想、道教的检察思想、阴间的审判思想以及民间的临终追荐与超度思想等,这些宗教思想通过戏剧的演唱与流传对皖南乃至江南社会都产生了重要的影响。     

内蒙古宗教改革与民族发展

喇嘛教在内蒙古地区有着广泛的群众基础,影响到政治、经济、文化等各个领域。以乌兰夫为首的共产党人为了解决蒙古民族全民信教所致的诸多社会问题进行了宗教改革。其重点是对喇嘛教的庙仓经济和上层喇嘛的生产资料进行社会主义改造,通过教育使喇嘛逐步转变为自食其力的劳动者,改造喇嘛庙中不合理的制度。内蒙古宗教改革是我党解决民族问题与宗教问题的典范。     

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.     

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.     

The extreme as the normal; binary teaching and negative identification in religious education lessons about Islam

ABSTRACT

This article examines how representations of Islam in the media influence religious education. Reporting from a case study of religious education in an upper secondary school in Norway, the article analyses the way aspects of Islam are approached and structured by ongoing media debates. Based on research into media coverage of Islam in Norway, the article argues that when teachers adopt the polarized structure of media debates, they also come to privilege the more extreme actors in their teaching. Although the debates commonly present opposing views in order to give a balanced representation of the issue, the observed lessons often revolve around the most controversial side of the debate. This happens through what is called binary teaching and negative identification. In this way, lessons aimed at nuancing what is seen as biased media coverage of Islam, favouring controversial issues and extremism, may come to revolve around these same issues. The article claims that religious education in some instances reinforces the strong focus on controversial issues prominent in media coverage, confirming the ‘normality’ of extremism in Islam.     

The Role of Religious Higher Education in the Training of Teachers of Russian ‘Orthodox Culture’1

This article provides an ethnographic account of the tensions arising from the different ways of building authority as teachers and the role of higher education in establishing teachers' legitimacy in Russia through the specific example of religious education. After state atheism was abandoned in 1991, an unprecedented demand for religious knowledge appeared in Russia, in particular in relation to Russian Orthodoxy. Since the Russian context of Orthodox education lacks shared standards, there is considerable latitude in the criteria determining norms and rules. Seeking to increase its influence, the Russian Orthodox Church aspires to have Orthodox catechism taught in a systematic way both in parishes and in secular schools. In practice, the Church is encouraging professional pedagogues to submit their curriculum proposals that would be suffused with Orthodoxy and at the same time be eligible for adoption in all settings and institutions. Thus, in order to educate teachers of religion, the Church has made available multiple, diverse sources of religious knowledge (self-learning, various courses offered by the eparchies, Spiritual Academies, and other institutions of higher education). But the legitimacy of these sources is often questioned, for instance by asking whether the institution that delivers diplomas of religious higher education has been granted formal state recognition. The teachers' quest for being acknowledged as competent technicians of religious education leads to competing claims for the authenticity of the sources of their training.     

Stress in international work: Stressors and coping strategies of RNGO international directors

This study examines how international directors in religiously-affiliated nongovernmental organizations (RNGOs) cope with workplace stress. Interviews were conducted with directors from eight RNGOs who oversee programs in seven international regions. Findings reveal they experience three major stressors: difficulties communicating with others abroad, lack of funds, and dealing with constant travel. Overall, directors encounter these unique stressors due to the international demands of RNGO work, including international travel, fundraising for international programs, and intercultural communication. Moreover, they cope with stressors by striving for physical/mental health, pursuing/providing education, putting family first, seeking support, facilitating stakeholder communication, and planning ahead. Directors rely on problem-centered and emotion-centered coping, but they also describe the beneficial outcomes of avoidance-centered coping. Since only a few directors use prayer as a coping strategy, RNGOs must recognize that employees rely on secular and spiritual coping when developing organizational practices and programs related to stress management.     

谈少林寺档案的组成及其历史文化地位(上)

少林寺档案文献具有极其重要的历史文化价值,但此前的相关研究较为缺乏.笔者在这里就其组成及在世界范围内的历史文化地位进行初步探讨,得出少林寺档案具有独一无二的历史文化价值这一结论,并从目前的少林寺档案馆建设这一实际问题出发,提出建设以少林寺档案文献馆为核心的"少林五馆"的建议,提升少林寺的文化影响力,使少林寺档案足以傲立...     

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。     

历史与信仰之间--重提汤用彤先生"同情之默应,心性之体会"的研究方法

宗教研究者大多囿于信仰主义或科学主义之限,而不能超拔其上来进行客观研究。文章重提汤用彤先生“同情之默应,心性之体会”的研究方法,以期引起人们的重视并探索架设历史与信仰之间的桥梁,希冀对宗教研究有所助益。