Rethinking Religious Education and Plurality: Issues in Diversity and Pedagogy

As Western society becomes increasingly multicultural in character, schools must reassess the provision of religious education and look at how they might adapt in order to accommodate students' diverse experiences of plurality. This book offers a critical view of approaches to the treatment of different religions in contemporary education, in order to devise approaches to teaching and learning and to formulate policies and procedures that are fair and just to all. Beginning with a contextual overview of the religious, social and cultural changes of the past fifty years, the book goes on to illuminate and assess six different responses to the challenges posed by religious plurality in schools. Conclusions are drawn from the various positions explored in this book, identifying what the character of religious education should be, how it should be taught and addressing the issues raised for policy, practice and research. Rethinking Religious Education and Plurality argues for a plural approach to education and will be a valuable resource for students and researchers studying courses in religious education as well as teachers, education advisers and policy makers.

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction: Religious Education in the Context of Plurality 2. Religious and Cultural Heritage 3. State Funding for Religious Schools? 4. A Postmodernist Approach to Religious Education 5. Religious Education as Religious Literacy 6. Interpretive Approaches to Religious Education 7. Dialogical Approaches to Religious Education 8. Religious Education's Contribution to Intercultural Education, Citizenship Education and Values Education 9. The Relevance of Research to Religious Education 10. Towards a Pluralistic Religious Education

About the Author :
Robert Jackson is Professor at the University of Warwick's Institute of Education.

Review :
'This powerful book clearly fulfils the promise of its title. It offers a highly interesting, succinct and well-written analysis of the question how religious education should respond to the challenges of social, cultural, and religious plurality in the UK but also, to some degree, in other countries. ' - Professor Friedrich Schweitzer, University of Tübingen, Germany 'The book is an excellent review of Religious Education in Britian and should be read by RE teachers and those involved in RE policy. It is accessible and concise and is priced very reasonable price given its scope . It should be a core text for students in initial teacher training.' - R. A. Bowie, Senior Lecturer in Religious Education, Canterbury Christ Church University College, UK 'This is a rich and readable book which sustains a debate about complex and politically sensitive issues. It will provide students and teachers with a clear and critical overview of the contributions and constraints of diverse pedagogies to Religious Education and stimulate discussion about social pluralism.' - Lynne Broadbent, British Journal of Educational Studies 'This is an innovative and inspirational contribution which gets to the heart of the issues and focuses on the most important question, 'how shall we respond to plurality?'...I can only commend this book as one of the most important discussions of religious education of recent times.' - Journal of Education and Christian Belief