Will You Talk With Me? Welcoming the Faithful and the Skeptical in an Undergraduate Religious Studies CourseCynthia Cameron (Rivier University)Research Interest Group. [
Paper] Catholic universities, indeed most religiously affiliated universities, find that religious belonging cannot be assumed and that many students are skeptical of faith. This challenges the religious studies instructor who assumes her task is to provide a summary of Christian faith. This paper argues for shifting the focus away from this approach and to one that engages students in dialogue about humanity’s core questions using texts from the Christian tradition. This pedagogical change can lead to more critical engagement and even to more curiosity about the Christian tradition.
Pedagogies of Difference: (secularized) Christian and Islamic PerspectivesAlper Alasag (Islam Kennis Centrum)Research Interest Group. [
Paper] Education is a key for the development of participative citizenship of children and youngsters. Education opens for individuals a world of different positioning and stimulates the development of an own authentic life orientation. Life orientation has a different point of reference for Christian and Islamic pedagogy. In this article Christian and Islamic religious education in an institution for secondary and for higher education will be compared according to their curriculum in the Netherlands regarding their approach of ‘the other’, taking into account the context of the plural Dutch society.
Worldview Literacy in Education: Advancing Mutual Understanding in Diverse SocietiesJohn Valk (University of New Brunswick)Mualla Selçuk (Ankara University)Research Interest Group. [
Paper] Diverse societies face increasing racial tension, social divide, religious illiteracy, and secularism. What role can education play in confronting these challenges? Universities generate scientific knowledge but less so the search for meaning. Worldview Studies encompasses both as views of life and ways of life. Exploring various worldviews becomes a search for meaning and a journey into knowing self and other. This paper engages multiple partners to develop teaching pedagogies, curricula and educational tools to enhance greater knowledge, awareness and understanding of various worldviews.
Keywords: (prevention of) radicalisation, catholic education, catholic studies, christian pedagogy., curriculum, difference, discussion pedagogy, diversity, higher education, internationl collaboration, islamic pedagogy, university pedagogy, worldview education.