Suchergebnisse

The article analyses a new perspective to the religious factor in the public sphere on the example of religious education in public schools, suggested by the international Research Project Atlas of Religious or Belief Minorities Rights in the EU. The author underlines the high level of the theoretical, methodological and practical research of the Project Atlas. The article aims to outline the main trends, innovations and perspectives of the religious education in public schools, using the results and recommendations of the Project Atlas. To achieve this goal, the author examines 4 clusters: the diversity of models of the religious education, how R/B education is provided, the right to be exempted from the R/B instruction, manifestation of Religion/Belief at school: religious symbols, religious holidays, dietary requirements. It is revealed that the recommended approach to provide all minorities the right to teach their religions and beliefs in public schools creates new issues in the context of multiculturalism in terms of the legal status and practical curriculum. The author emphasises the benefits of the non-confessional model proposed by Culture and Religion Studies, within which cultural and religious diversity can be maintained and can flourish for the common good.

The article analyzes significant changes of the sociocultural and religious landscape in the modern post-secular Europe, which have led to the need of new approaches to religious education. According to the European Educational School's Principles, religious education (confessional and non-confessional models) is an integral part of the curriculum. Religion is an ordinary, but a non-progression subject. In some European countries religious education is under a threat. There is an ambivalent process of the quest for multi-layered religious identities within the public schools of post-secular European countries. The author states that the traditional confessional model as a variant of catechesis is evolving to the system of multi-confessional religious education, Alternatives (Ethics, Ethics and Values, philosophy, citizenship), parallel mandatory courses about religion under Toledo principles (2007). Confessional religious education is teaching the religion in question. The author notes the growing role of the model of interreligious education IRE as a non-confessional academic Study of Religion for all students in the classroom. The most important international projects REDCo (Religion in Education. A Contribution to Dialogue or a Factor of Conflict in Transforming Societies of European Countries) and ENRECA network (The European Network for Religious Education through Contextual Approaches) show clear signs of the characteristics of interreligious education: teaching about is combined with teaching from the insider's perspectives. Especially interesting are different options of the cooperative religious education and the model of intercultural religious education ICRE with a worldview as a key notion. The main goal of the IRE is working towards a public, rational discourse of religion against the privatization of religion, against displacing religion from educational institutions. The conclusion is made that the multi– disciplinary approach, based on Culture and Religious Studies, is capable to increase the quality of learning on religions.