Phenomenological Approach to Religious Education in Multireligious Societies

Abstract

In modern societies, religious education is seen as serving secular-oriented social goals, such as creating understanding and tolerance between people of different faiths. However, religious organisations and institutions that wish to provide religious education see it as meaningful only if it promotes a faith and helps the individual to become religious. According to this explanation, from the perspective of religious education, the aim of education is to promote and strengthen religious faith and thus to develop the moral and spiritual sensitivity of students. Indeed, religions, to some extent, demand a special commitment. According to this commitment, religious people are expected to remain faithful to their beliefs and perhaps even to spread their religion. In a pluralistic democratic society, however, believers are also expected to live together with other faiths without causing conflict. The moral teachings of most religions are noble and good, but differences in doctrine or religious practice can still lead to conflict in society. From this point of view, the idea of religious education poses few difficulties when society is homogeneous in terms of the religion believed, or when the majority of the population has formalised its adherence to any religion that the State has declared as a source of legitimacy. However, in a society where such a consensus cannot be achieved, a solution has been found in the form of the exclusion of religion from public schools. It is therefore the contention of this paper that a phenomenological approach to religious education is one of the ideal ways of developing students' understanding of the plurality of beliefs in society and of the nature of faith and of the religious dimension of human existence in societies where there is a diversity of religions and belief groups, regardless of religious background.

Keywords

• Pluralist Religious Education
• Phenomenological Approach in Religious Education
• Sociology of Education

Çok-Dinli Toplumların Din Eğitim ve Öğretiminde Fenomenolojik Yaklaşım

Abstract

Modern toplumlarda din eğitimi farklı inançlara sahip olanlar arasında anlayış ve hoşgörü yaratmak gibi seküler eğilimli sosyal amaçlara hizmet etmekle ilgili görülür. Fakat din eğitimini vermek isteyen dini örgüt ve organizasyonlar, din eğitimini sadece bir inancı teşvik ettiği ve bireyin dindarlaşmasını sağladığı taktirde anlamlı görürler. Bu açıklamaya göre dini eğitim başlığıyla kabul edilecek perspektifte eğitimin amacı dini inancı desteklemek ve güçlendirmek, böylece öğrencilerin ahlaki ve manevi duyarlılıklarını geliştirmektir. Nitekim dinler, bir dereceye kadar, özel bir bağlılık talep eder. Bu bağlılığa göre dindar insanların kendi inançlarına sadık kalmaları, hatta belki de dinlerini yaymaları beklenir. Ancak çoğulcu demokratik bir toplumda inananların aynı zamanda çatışmaya neden olmadan diğer inançlarla birlikte yaşamaları beklenir. Çoğu dinin ahlaki öğretileri asil ve iyidir, ancak doktrin veya dini uygulamalardaki farklılıklar yine de toplumda çatışmaya yol açabilir. Bu açıdan değerlendirildiğinde Din eğitim fikri, toplumda inanılan din konusunda homojen yapıya sahip olunduğunda ya da nüfusun çoğunluğunun Devletin, meşruiyet kaynağı olarak ilan ettiği herhangi bir dine bağlılığını resmileştirdiği durumlarda çok az zorluk çıkarmaktadır. Ancak, böyle bir konsensüsün sağlanamadığı bir toplumda, dinin devlet okullarından dışlanması şeklinde bir çözüm bulunmuştur. Fakat ikinci dünya savaşı sonrası dönemde Avrupa’da özellikle İngiltere’de din eğitiminin okullarda müfredata dahil edilmesi adına yeni yaklaşımlar geliştirilmeye çalışılmıştır. Bu yaklaşımlar içinde fenomenolojik din eğitimi yaklaşımı özellikle dikkat çekmektedir. Din eğitimine fenomenolojik yaklaşımda temel tez, kültürel çoğulculuk ve kişisel özerklik idealinin altında yatan temel ilkelerle uyumlu verilecek din eğitiminin modern toplumlarda din odaklı çatışmaya çözüm sağlayacağıdır. Dolayısıyla bu makalenin konusu, din eğitimine yönelik fenomenolojik yaklaşımın, hangi dini kökenden gelirse gelsin farklı din ve inanç gruplarının olduğu toplumlarda eğitim alan öğrencilerin, toplumdaki inançların çoğulluğuna ilişkin anlayışlarını geliştirmenin ve onları inancın doğasına ve insan varoluşunun dini boyutuna ilişkin bir anlayışa ulaştırmanın ideal yollarından biri olduğu tezini eleştirel yönden ele almaktır.

Keywords

• Çoğulcu Din Eğitimi
• Din Eğitiminde Fenomenolojik Yaklaşım
• Eğitimi Sosyolojisi

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