'Why can't you just eat pork?' Teachers' perspectives on criticism of religion in Norwegian religious education

Over the last 20 years, religious education in Norway has received massive public and academic attention, due in part to clashing opinions regarding the role of such education in a generally secular society. As a result, the subject's name and curricula have been changed or modified several tim...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Authors: Hammer, Aina (Author) ; Schanke, Åge J. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Springer [2018]
In: Journal of Religious Education
Year: 2018, Volume: 66, Issue: 2, Pages: 151-164
RelBib Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
AH Religious education
BJ Islam
KBE Northern Europe; Scandinavia
Further subjects:B intercultural competence
B Religious Education
B criticism of religion
B Prejudice
B Stereotypes
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
Volltext (Resolving-System)
Description
Summary:Over the last 20 years, religious education in Norway has received massive public and academic attention, due in part to clashing opinions regarding the role of such education in a generally secular society. As a result, the subject's name and curricula have been changed or modified several times. Currently, the curricula for 'Knowledge of Christianity, Religion, Philosophies of Life and Ethics' (abbreviated in Norwegian as KRLE) states the teaching must be critical. This empirical study examines how teachers themselves interpret this requirement. We particularly emphasise the role of criticism of religion, including both the teachers' planned teaching about criticism of religion and the criticism spontaneously uttered by students. The findings demonstrate students' criticism of religion often is of a moral, secular or ridiculing character, and is frequently based on prejudice, stereotypes, generalisations or essentialist notions. This article discusses how teachers can use students' spontaneously uttered criticism of religion as a starting point to develop intercultural competence through education.
ISSN:2199-4625
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of Religious Education
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s40839-018-0063-y