What About Transformative Religious Education?

Abstract

Religious education in the Compulsory School in Iceland has since 2013 been a part of the Social Studies National Curriculum Guide together with geography, history, sociology, life skills education and ethics. This was done among other things to remove walls between subjects in the school. In the general part of the Icelandic National Curriculum Guide we find a description of what is called six fundamental pillars of education that are to be mirrored in all school activities in kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools. The six fundamental pillars reflect the education policies in Iceland. The question is how these fundamental pillars influence the religious education in times of growing religious diversity. When looking at the discussion about some of the subjects included in Social Studies in the curriculum guide we find the concept “transformative education”. According to the discussion, transformative education aims to strengthen students’ democratic competence and critical thinking and help them to clarify their own values, as well as encouraging them to engage in individual or joint civil action to make the world a better place to live in. The question arises how far the school can go in encouraging students to take action in matters that might be seen as political or controversial. In the chapter changes in religious education in Iceland are taken as an example of religious education in post-secular times and discussed how it has become a part of social studies and how the social studies, including religious education, is connected to what is called the fundamental pillars of education in the Icelandic National Curriculum Guide. That leads to questions about approaches and objectives of social studies and of religious education and in that regard the question arises if so-called transformative education is possible in religious education.