Religion Education and ‘weak’ Religious Education: Common Concerns

Abstract

As a response to the increasing plurality of the student population, there have been several shifts in religious education over the past decades. After a brief sketch of these shifts, particular attention will be given to ‘weak’ religious education and to religion education. In order to do so, attention is amongst others given to the principle of neutrality and to several critiques on this concept. Subsequently, we will focus on several common concerns in religion education as well as in weak religious education: the need for religious literacy, the importance of (interreligious) dialogue, identity formation, and socialization. In order to comply with these concerns in differ­ent school types and in religion education as well as in (weak) religious education classes, the development of a common curriculum for religion and worldviews could be an interesting option. We will have a closer look at such a curriculum, which is at present in an advanced stage in the Netherlands, and which could inspire other nations as well.