Abstract
Across the globe, debate ensues on the nature and role of teaching religion in Catholic schools. There is confusion as to how this practice applies in today’s world. A variety of different and conflicting perspectives currently operate at every level of the church’s life – internationally, academically and pastorally. What criteria should guide the practice? What assumptions and presuppositions ought to guide the pedagogy? How does the teaching of religion fit into the particular mission and ethos of the school? Is it educationally compatible with the evangelical proclamation of the faith? Would this be a problem or a paradox? The chapter seeks to untangle and shed light on this debate.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Brueggemann, W. (1989). The legitimacy of a sectarian hermeneutic: 2 Kings 18–19. In M. C. Boys (Ed.), Education for citizenship and discipleship (pp. 3–34). New York: The Pilgrim Press.
Buchanan, M. T. (2005). Pedagogical drift: The evolution of new approaches and paradigms in religious education. Religious Education, 100(1), 20–35.
Congregation for Catholic Education. (1988). The religious dimension of education in a catholic school. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_19880407_catholic-school_en.html
Congregation for Catholic Education. (2009). Circular Letter to the Presidents of Bishops conferences on religious education in schools. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20090505_circ-insegn-relig_en.html
Congregation for the Clergy. (1997). General directory for catechesis. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference.
Franchi, L. (2011). St. Augustine, Catechesis and religious education today. Religious Education, 106(3), 299–311.
Franchi, L. (2013). Catechesis and religious education: A case study from Scotland. Religious Education, 108(5), 467–481.
Groome, T. (1980). Christian religious education: Sharing our story and vision. San Francisco: Harper and Row.
Groome, T. (2002). Religious education and Catechesis – No divorce for the children’s sake. The Furrow, 53(11), 587–596.
Groome, T. (2006). A shared praxis approach to religious education. In M. deSouza, K. Englbretson, G. Durka, R. Jackson, & A. McGrady (Eds.), International handbook of the religious, moral and spiritual dimensions in education, Part one (pp. 763–777). Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer.
Harris, M., & Moran, G. (1998). Reshaping religious education. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
Heidegger, M. (1971). On the way to language. New York: Harper and Row.
Hull, J. (2003). The blessings of secularity: Religious education in England and Wales. Journal of Religious Education, 51(3), 51–58.
Jackson, R. (2007). Religious education in Europe. Munster, Germany: Waxman.
Moran, G. (1989). Religious education as a second language. Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press.
Moran, G. (1997a). Religious education after Vatican II. In D. Efroymson & J. Raines (Eds.), Open Catholicism: The tradition at its best (pp. 151–166). Collegeville, PA: The Liturgical Press.
Moran, G. (1997b). Showing how: The act of teaching. Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International.
Rossiter, G. (1982). The need for a creative divorce between Catechesis and religious education in Catholic schools. Religious Education, 77(1), 21–43.
Rymarz, R. (2011). Catechesis and religious education in Canadian Catholic schools. Religious Education, 106(5), 537–549.
Scott, K. (2005). The schoolteacher’s dilemma: To teach religion or not to teach religion? In O. Brennan (Ed.), Critical issues in religious education (pp. 61–78). Dublin, Ireland: Veritas Publications.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2005). National directory for Catechesis. Washington, DC: United States Council of Catholic Bishops Publishing.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2008). Doctrinal elements of a curriculum framework for the development of catechetical materials for young people of high school age. Washington, DC: United States Council of Catholic Bishops Publishing.
Wittgenstein, L. (1953). Philosophical investigations. New York: Macmillan.
Wittgenstein, L. (1981). Tractatus Logico – Philosophicus. London: Rutledge and Kegan Paul. (Reprint of original 1921 ed.)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Scott, K. (2015). Problem or Paradox: Teaching the Catholic Religion in Catholic Schools. In: Buchanan, M., Gellel, AM. (eds) Global Perspectives on Catholic Religious Education in Schools. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20925-8_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20925-8_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20924-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20925-8
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)