Catholic schools continue to be a popular choice for parents, including many who do not profess the Catholic faith. One of the distinguishing features of Catholic schools is the importance they ascribe to Religious Education (RE). This volume draws together researchers from Ireland and the UK to bring into focus the complex range of issues around the teaching of RE. Within the public sphere, there is considerable discussion about the role of education in passing on and engaging with religious matters. The essays gathered here make an important contribution to an ongoing debate about the place of RE in Catholic schools within pluralist societies.
Given that almost all Catholic schools are publicly funded, the questions explored in this volume are not only of interest to advocates of Catholic education and those involved in researching and teaching RE, but are also relevant and topical for Irish and British society more widely.
Given that almost all Catholic schools are publicly funded, the questions explored in this volume are not only of interest to advocates of Catholic education and those involved in researching and teaching RE, but are also relevant and topical for Irish and British society more widely.
«Anyone who thinks research in Catholic schools and religious education is monochrome, intellectually narrow or unchanging will be surprised by this volume. It attests to the rapidly changing UK and Ireland contexts, along with a broadening and deepening of insights from scholars working in diverse research disciplines. This excellent collection significantly contributes to the growing body of scholarship that is rediscovering the centrality of Scripture for the education of the child. It shows how encounters with the Word in schools are an intellectual adventure to be nurtured by scholarship, as well as a site of personal spiritual development and an opportunity for all children to be enriched.» (Robert A. Bowie, Director of the National Institute of Christian Education Research, Canterbury Christ Church University)