Exploring Religious Education: Catholic Religious Education in an Intercultural Europe

Description

With great change comes great challenge. One of the major challenges facing European citizens is living in an intercultural and interreligious society. This book explores how Catholic religious education has developed a discourse of inclusion and respect for otherness while simultaneously recognising the distinctive challenges and identity of the Catholic faith tradition. Post 9/11, many European governments appreciate that religion must be taken seriously at a political and legislative level. Significant developments indicate that religion and religious education are not marginal to social, legislative and educational endeavours in Europe. This book profiles some new initiatives in intercultural and interfaith education that place religious education firmly at the heart of Europe. Religious traditions, with their emphasis on shared values, social responsibility and the common good, contribute to inter-faith cooperation and inter-religious dialogue and have something very positive to offer todays Europe.

ABOUT THE EDITORS

Anne Hession is a lecturer in religious education at St Patricks College, Dublin. Dr Patricia Kieran lectures in religious education at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. They are the authors of Exploring Theology: Making Sense of the Catholic Tradition (Veritas, 2007) and Children, Catholicism and Religious Education (Veritas, 2005).