Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 4, 2023
František Štěch (interviewer) Hubertus Roebben (interviewee) František Štěch (henceforth FŠ): Dea... more František Štěch (interviewer) Hubertus Roebben (interviewee) František Štěch (henceforth FŠ): Dear Professor, dear Bert, we have been friends for more than a decade now, so I will call you Bert as I am used to. I hope readers of the Theology and Philosophy of Education (TAPE) journal will understand. First, let me thank you, that you kindly agreed to give this interview for an emerging international journal providing a platform for theologians as well as philosophers who are interested in education (including selfeducation) to share their research. In relation to that, my first question is: "What do you think, is there a space for such a journal in contemporary European academia?" To Have a Right to a Brave and Safe Space the TAPE journal such rich encounters when being "on the road" of theology and philosophy of education in Europe.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 4, 2023
In this interdisciplinary paper we explore ways in which medieval mystical theology can inspire r... more In this interdisciplinary paper we explore ways in which medieval mystical theology can inspire religious education teachers in their work in the classroom. One of the major challenges to them is to (help to) understand the tension between religious literacy and religious experience. By using an experiential and imaginative rather than a rational theology, based on the work of the mystics, we hope to clarify this tension. Firstly, we describe the "hermeneutical storm": a metaphor to understand the complexity of the religious learning process in the context of friction between worlds. Teachers bear witness and need to stand firm at the centre of this clash. Secondly, we present medieval mysticism as a frame of reference to deal with this situation that challenges the modern urge for rational control. We discuss the historical context of the democratization of mystical theology, the multiple genres and the imaginative language mystics use to guide their students during their personal development, exemplified by Hadewijch's mystical experience as an interplay between Love and Reason. This imaginative theology can offer contemporary religious education teachers insight into the "hidden presence of God" when faced with hermeneutical storms in the classroom and can help them in clarifying the tension between religious literacy and experience.
In this paper, a conversation is initiated about the relationship between religious education (RE... more In this paper, a conversation is initiated about the relationship between religious education (RE) and comparative theology (CT). It is the first time that these are both addressed explicitly in an international academic discourse. The authors are colleagues in a university setting of RE teacher education and are both involved in local RE research programs. Our approach is theological, and our shared interest is the existential lifeworld of children and young people. Firstly, we wish to bring RE and CT into conversation with each other, based on five common characteristics. Secondly, we describe how this conversation can possibly stimulate discussion on new pathways of intercultural encounters in the RE classroom, and this not only from a German (mainly confessional) perspective but also in light of other forms of non-confessional RE. After a (1) contextualization of RE in Germany, the authors describe (2) five central features of contemporary RE, followed by (3) five CT observations, connecting to these features. In (4), the relationship between the two is discussed as common ground for intercultural encounters and as a promising praxis and research field awaiting further development.
Learning to be faithful to the signs of the times on your way in daily life: that seems to be the... more Learning to be faithful to the signs of the times on your way in daily life: that seems to be the central task of the Christian in line with the teachings of Vatican II. But what vision do we need to remain spiritually 'at home on that road'? How can the gospel illuminate the journey of the faithful, especially of young adults, in a scattered world? How can they (learn to) make sustainable decisions in contexts of politics, economy, society, culture and religion? Christians are convinced that every era has to formulate and to live out its own interpretation of the gospel. But the question remains: how can we be sure that the right spirit, the spirit of discernment, is guiding us in this effort? In order to clarify this issue a 'narthical' approach to the church as a learning community is presented in this essay. It invites the reader to reframe radically his/her pedagogy (and theology!) of religious experience.
This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or sy... more This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
Those who travel, move through time and space. This can also be said for those who learn: you und... more Those who travel, move through time and space. This can also be said for those who learn: you undertake a mental learning route and you are on your way to new insights. Moreover, a good learning process is adventurous, just like a good journey. On the road you can get the ...
In our contribution a non-essentialist concept of culture is outlined in which continuity and cha... more In our contribution a non-essentialist concept of culture is outlined in which continuity and change both have their legitimate place. This is combined with the notion of 'schemata repertoire' that can highlight the externalizing, objectifying and internalizing dimensions of culture, and which immediately points to intercultural aspects of religious education. Then follows the question what this view on culture implies for the concept of tradition? The fruitfulness of our approach is exemplary shown with a report on a summer camp with young adults. Finally the relationship between culture and tradition is dealt with along a Peircean, abductive line of interpretation as another way of conceptualization. According to the Dutch religious anthropologist André Droogers (2001), the very concept of culture can ontologically and epistemologically be dealt with in an essentialist and a non-essentialist way. Roughly speaking this means that in the first paradigm culture is the more or less closed ensemble of customs and habits. In the second paradigm, on the other hand, culture is conceptualized as the general dynamic human potential of meaning giving to the experienced reality and embodies both change and continuity. Droogers is inspired by and is following here the train of thought of Berger and Luckmann in their already seminal work in the field of sociology of knowledge, The Social Construction of Reality (1966Reality ( /1972)), and characterizes culture as 'construction of reality'. The implication is that i) culture is made by humankind, ii) but is also an entity sui generis, and iii) that culture shapes humankind and determines it. In this description culture seemingly contains contradictory elements, because humankind externalises, objectifies and internalizes culture. Externalizing and internalizing persons
In this article the method of Scriptural Reasoning (SR), a textbased approach to interreligious d... more In this article the method of Scriptural Reasoning (SR), a textbased approach to interreligious dialogue between participants of the three Abrahamic religions, was implemented for a teacher education setting at a German university. Not only students with an outspoken religious conviction but also agnostic and atheist students, preparing themselves to become teachers in public schools, were invited into the conversation. The article documents and discusses the qualitative-empirical research in which the SR meetings were embedded. The aim of the article is not to create a hermeneutical theory for SR but rather to explore how SR as a method, with its specific learning tool of text-work, can be turned into a broader didactical model which can be transferred to other learning environments and which can in the long run provide empirical evidence on successful teacher education in multireligious and multi-worldview societies and schools.
Global Perspectives on Catholic Religious Education in Schools, 2019
In understanding religions and worldviews today, every effort to do so is necessarily biased, sit... more In understanding religions and worldviews today, every effort to do so is necessarily biased, situated in time and space, and shaped by the very context of the beholder. Both the researcher of Religious Education (RE) and the people in the local RE classroom, teachers and students, rely on limited resources and insights. No one can grasp the complete picture of RE today. In this chapter the European challenges to RE are reconsidered with a theological lens. The human search for transcendence should be at the heart of RE and this can be radicalized and accelerated through a hermeneutical-irritative reading and learning of the Catholic tradition.
Ελληνική Περιοδική Έκδοση για τη Θρησκευτική Εκπαίδευση (ΕλΘΕ)/Greek Journal of Religious Education (GjRE), 2018
΄Ολες οι απόψεις και οι ιδέες που εκφράζονται στην έκδοση είναι απόψεις και ιδέες των συγγραφέων ... more ΄Ολες οι απόψεις και οι ιδέες που εκφράζονται στην έκδοση είναι απόψεις και ιδέες των συγγραφέων και όχι του εκδότη (Πανελλήνιος Θεολογικός Σύνδεσμος ΚΑΙΡΟΣ-για την αναβάθμιση της θρησκευτικής εκπαίδευσης). / The opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors and not of the publisher (KAIROS-Greek Theological Association for the improvement of the Religious Education). Το άρθρο μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για έρευνα, διδασκαλία και ιδιωτική μελέτη. Απαγορεύεται ρητά η αναπαραγωγή, η αναδιανομή, η πώληση, η εκμετάλλευση ή η διανομή του άρθρου, μέρους ή όλου, σε οποιαδήποτε μορφή και σε οποιονδήποτε. / This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, licensing or distribution in any form to anyone is forbidden.
The REA [Religious Education Association] offers to workers of every faith opportunity to meet fo... more The REA [Religious Education Association] offers to workers of every faith opportunity to meet for free discussion each speaking for himself alone and not as a representative of any institution of interest. The Association is the only organization that provides such a "clearing house for thought." Its central objective is to make of itself a fellowship of men and women working at a common task, regardless of race or inherited faith. 1
Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something ma... more Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. (Václav Havel) Religious Education
In a modern society, social cohesion cannot flourish without a fundamental discussion about what ... more In a modern society, social cohesion cannot flourish without a fundamental discussion about what concerns the human person in that society ultimately: his or her life expectations, fundamental values, sense of direction, and religious/nonreligious convictions. The place par excellence to acquire the communicative competence to deal peacefully with norms, values, and meaning is the school, this “microcosm” in our complex and pluralized societies. In most European countries, this vision is implemented in the provision of religious education (RE) in school. In this chapter, I develop the idea not only that children and young people have to be taught in RE how they can live and learn together but that they also have the alienable right to acquire spiritual competence in/through reflecting on the foundations of their own personal religious or nonreligious position in the midst of their encounters with others. Without this affirmation of personal dignity, there cannot be any appropriate discussion of social cohesion and solidarity in society. Community presupposes the presence of differences. The modern school with its RE provision can offer a safe space to learn to know one’s own and the Other’s religion and life stance—with its generic experiences and its mother tongue—within diverse relationships and to live it reasonably, which means in a peaceful and constructive way.
Revista de Estudos da Religião (REVER). ISSN 1677-1222, 2015
This contribution is situated in the European discourse on the role of the teacher of religious/w... more This contribution is situated in the European discourse on the role of the teacher of religious/worldview education in schools. Based on the assumption that every child and youngster has the right to deal with existential questions in a safe and solid learning environment, the author focuses on the specific role of the teacher to enhance religious/worldview competence and identity development in the students. Within the idea of professionalism three roles can be discerned: the teacher as a guide in fostering identity, celebrating diversity and building community. These professional roles have a counterpart in the spiritual disposition of the teacher. This argument is developed through a specific reading of the medieval German mystical theologian Meister Eckhart. Surprising thoughts on who the teacher is and what he should do (and eventually not do) are evoked and discussed.
The Leitmotiv for my book comes from Howard Thurman (1899-1981): "Don't ask what the world needs.... more The Leitmotiv for my book comes from Howard Thurman (1899-1981): "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive. And do it, because the world needs people who have come alive" (emphasis added).
The possible contribution of youth ministry to a Western and radically postmodern complex of yout... more The possible contribution of youth ministry to a Western and radically postmodern complex of youth cultures is explored in this paper. It consists of two parts. First, a cultural‐psychological analysis is presented of three problematic aspects of identity formation of contemporary youth against the background of a society craving for flexibility and perfection. The observation is made that the mental “playground” of young people— the field of opportunities in which they learn to grow into the person they are uniquely destined to become—has shrunk dramatically. The second part reflects on three paradigms for youth ministry, each with its own appraisal of the postmodern situation and evaluation of the role of religious education. It is demonstrated that a transparent (authentic and communicative) religious education can contribute to the clarification of the narrative identity of contemporary young people. In this essay special attention has been paid to the West European youth debate...
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 4, 2023
František Štěch (interviewer) Hubertus Roebben (interviewee) František Štěch (henceforth FŠ): Dea... more František Štěch (interviewer) Hubertus Roebben (interviewee) František Štěch (henceforth FŠ): Dear Professor, dear Bert, we have been friends for more than a decade now, so I will call you Bert as I am used to. I hope readers of the Theology and Philosophy of Education (TAPE) journal will understand. First, let me thank you, that you kindly agreed to give this interview for an emerging international journal providing a platform for theologians as well as philosophers who are interested in education (including selfeducation) to share their research. In relation to that, my first question is: "What do you think, is there a space for such a journal in contemporary European academia?" To Have a Right to a Brave and Safe Space the TAPE journal such rich encounters when being "on the road" of theology and philosophy of education in Europe.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 4, 2023
In this interdisciplinary paper we explore ways in which medieval mystical theology can inspire r... more In this interdisciplinary paper we explore ways in which medieval mystical theology can inspire religious education teachers in their work in the classroom. One of the major challenges to them is to (help to) understand the tension between religious literacy and religious experience. By using an experiential and imaginative rather than a rational theology, based on the work of the mystics, we hope to clarify this tension. Firstly, we describe the "hermeneutical storm": a metaphor to understand the complexity of the religious learning process in the context of friction between worlds. Teachers bear witness and need to stand firm at the centre of this clash. Secondly, we present medieval mysticism as a frame of reference to deal with this situation that challenges the modern urge for rational control. We discuss the historical context of the democratization of mystical theology, the multiple genres and the imaginative language mystics use to guide their students during their personal development, exemplified by Hadewijch's mystical experience as an interplay between Love and Reason. This imaginative theology can offer contemporary religious education teachers insight into the "hidden presence of God" when faced with hermeneutical storms in the classroom and can help them in clarifying the tension between religious literacy and experience.
In this paper, a conversation is initiated about the relationship between religious education (RE... more In this paper, a conversation is initiated about the relationship between religious education (RE) and comparative theology (CT). It is the first time that these are both addressed explicitly in an international academic discourse. The authors are colleagues in a university setting of RE teacher education and are both involved in local RE research programs. Our approach is theological, and our shared interest is the existential lifeworld of children and young people. Firstly, we wish to bring RE and CT into conversation with each other, based on five common characteristics. Secondly, we describe how this conversation can possibly stimulate discussion on new pathways of intercultural encounters in the RE classroom, and this not only from a German (mainly confessional) perspective but also in light of other forms of non-confessional RE. After a (1) contextualization of RE in Germany, the authors describe (2) five central features of contemporary RE, followed by (3) five CT observations, connecting to these features. In (4), the relationship between the two is discussed as common ground for intercultural encounters and as a promising praxis and research field awaiting further development.
Learning to be faithful to the signs of the times on your way in daily life: that seems to be the... more Learning to be faithful to the signs of the times on your way in daily life: that seems to be the central task of the Christian in line with the teachings of Vatican II. But what vision do we need to remain spiritually 'at home on that road'? How can the gospel illuminate the journey of the faithful, especially of young adults, in a scattered world? How can they (learn to) make sustainable decisions in contexts of politics, economy, society, culture and religion? Christians are convinced that every era has to formulate and to live out its own interpretation of the gospel. But the question remains: how can we be sure that the right spirit, the spirit of discernment, is guiding us in this effort? In order to clarify this issue a 'narthical' approach to the church as a learning community is presented in this essay. It invites the reader to reframe radically his/her pedagogy (and theology!) of religious experience.
This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or sy... more This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
Those who travel, move through time and space. This can also be said for those who learn: you und... more Those who travel, move through time and space. This can also be said for those who learn: you undertake a mental learning route and you are on your way to new insights. Moreover, a good learning process is adventurous, just like a good journey. On the road you can get the ...
In our contribution a non-essentialist concept of culture is outlined in which continuity and cha... more In our contribution a non-essentialist concept of culture is outlined in which continuity and change both have their legitimate place. This is combined with the notion of 'schemata repertoire' that can highlight the externalizing, objectifying and internalizing dimensions of culture, and which immediately points to intercultural aspects of religious education. Then follows the question what this view on culture implies for the concept of tradition? The fruitfulness of our approach is exemplary shown with a report on a summer camp with young adults. Finally the relationship between culture and tradition is dealt with along a Peircean, abductive line of interpretation as another way of conceptualization. According to the Dutch religious anthropologist André Droogers (2001), the very concept of culture can ontologically and epistemologically be dealt with in an essentialist and a non-essentialist way. Roughly speaking this means that in the first paradigm culture is the more or less closed ensemble of customs and habits. In the second paradigm, on the other hand, culture is conceptualized as the general dynamic human potential of meaning giving to the experienced reality and embodies both change and continuity. Droogers is inspired by and is following here the train of thought of Berger and Luckmann in their already seminal work in the field of sociology of knowledge, The Social Construction of Reality (1966Reality ( /1972)), and characterizes culture as 'construction of reality'. The implication is that i) culture is made by humankind, ii) but is also an entity sui generis, and iii) that culture shapes humankind and determines it. In this description culture seemingly contains contradictory elements, because humankind externalises, objectifies and internalizes culture. Externalizing and internalizing persons
In this article the method of Scriptural Reasoning (SR), a textbased approach to interreligious d... more In this article the method of Scriptural Reasoning (SR), a textbased approach to interreligious dialogue between participants of the three Abrahamic religions, was implemented for a teacher education setting at a German university. Not only students with an outspoken religious conviction but also agnostic and atheist students, preparing themselves to become teachers in public schools, were invited into the conversation. The article documents and discusses the qualitative-empirical research in which the SR meetings were embedded. The aim of the article is not to create a hermeneutical theory for SR but rather to explore how SR as a method, with its specific learning tool of text-work, can be turned into a broader didactical model which can be transferred to other learning environments and which can in the long run provide empirical evidence on successful teacher education in multireligious and multi-worldview societies and schools.
Global Perspectives on Catholic Religious Education in Schools, 2019
In understanding religions and worldviews today, every effort to do so is necessarily biased, sit... more In understanding religions and worldviews today, every effort to do so is necessarily biased, situated in time and space, and shaped by the very context of the beholder. Both the researcher of Religious Education (RE) and the people in the local RE classroom, teachers and students, rely on limited resources and insights. No one can grasp the complete picture of RE today. In this chapter the European challenges to RE are reconsidered with a theological lens. The human search for transcendence should be at the heart of RE and this can be radicalized and accelerated through a hermeneutical-irritative reading and learning of the Catholic tradition.
Ελληνική Περιοδική Έκδοση για τη Θρησκευτική Εκπαίδευση (ΕλΘΕ)/Greek Journal of Religious Education (GjRE), 2018
΄Ολες οι απόψεις και οι ιδέες που εκφράζονται στην έκδοση είναι απόψεις και ιδέες των συγγραφέων ... more ΄Ολες οι απόψεις και οι ιδέες που εκφράζονται στην έκδοση είναι απόψεις και ιδέες των συγγραφέων και όχι του εκδότη (Πανελλήνιος Θεολογικός Σύνδεσμος ΚΑΙΡΟΣ-για την αναβάθμιση της θρησκευτικής εκπαίδευσης). / The opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors and not of the publisher (KAIROS-Greek Theological Association for the improvement of the Religious Education). Το άρθρο μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για έρευνα, διδασκαλία και ιδιωτική μελέτη. Απαγορεύεται ρητά η αναπαραγωγή, η αναδιανομή, η πώληση, η εκμετάλλευση ή η διανομή του άρθρου, μέρους ή όλου, σε οποιαδήποτε μορφή και σε οποιονδήποτε. / This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, licensing or distribution in any form to anyone is forbidden.
The REA [Religious Education Association] offers to workers of every faith opportunity to meet fo... more The REA [Religious Education Association] offers to workers of every faith opportunity to meet for free discussion each speaking for himself alone and not as a representative of any institution of interest. The Association is the only organization that provides such a "clearing house for thought." Its central objective is to make of itself a fellowship of men and women working at a common task, regardless of race or inherited faith. 1
Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something ma... more Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. (Václav Havel) Religious Education
In a modern society, social cohesion cannot flourish without a fundamental discussion about what ... more In a modern society, social cohesion cannot flourish without a fundamental discussion about what concerns the human person in that society ultimately: his or her life expectations, fundamental values, sense of direction, and religious/nonreligious convictions. The place par excellence to acquire the communicative competence to deal peacefully with norms, values, and meaning is the school, this “microcosm” in our complex and pluralized societies. In most European countries, this vision is implemented in the provision of religious education (RE) in school. In this chapter, I develop the idea not only that children and young people have to be taught in RE how they can live and learn together but that they also have the alienable right to acquire spiritual competence in/through reflecting on the foundations of their own personal religious or nonreligious position in the midst of their encounters with others. Without this affirmation of personal dignity, there cannot be any appropriate discussion of social cohesion and solidarity in society. Community presupposes the presence of differences. The modern school with its RE provision can offer a safe space to learn to know one’s own and the Other’s religion and life stance—with its generic experiences and its mother tongue—within diverse relationships and to live it reasonably, which means in a peaceful and constructive way.
Revista de Estudos da Religião (REVER). ISSN 1677-1222, 2015
This contribution is situated in the European discourse on the role of the teacher of religious/w... more This contribution is situated in the European discourse on the role of the teacher of religious/worldview education in schools. Based on the assumption that every child and youngster has the right to deal with existential questions in a safe and solid learning environment, the author focuses on the specific role of the teacher to enhance religious/worldview competence and identity development in the students. Within the idea of professionalism three roles can be discerned: the teacher as a guide in fostering identity, celebrating diversity and building community. These professional roles have a counterpart in the spiritual disposition of the teacher. This argument is developed through a specific reading of the medieval German mystical theologian Meister Eckhart. Surprising thoughts on who the teacher is and what he should do (and eventually not do) are evoked and discussed.
The Leitmotiv for my book comes from Howard Thurman (1899-1981): "Don't ask what the world needs.... more The Leitmotiv for my book comes from Howard Thurman (1899-1981): "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive. And do it, because the world needs people who have come alive" (emphasis added).
The possible contribution of youth ministry to a Western and radically postmodern complex of yout... more The possible contribution of youth ministry to a Western and radically postmodern complex of youth cultures is explored in this paper. It consists of two parts. First, a cultural‐psychological analysis is presented of three problematic aspects of identity formation of contemporary youth against the background of a society craving for flexibility and perfection. The observation is made that the mental “playground” of young people— the field of opportunities in which they learn to grow into the person they are uniquely destined to become—has shrunk dramatically. The second part reflects on three paradigms for youth ministry, each with its own appraisal of the postmodern situation and evaluation of the role of religious education. It is demonstrated that a transparent (authentic and communicative) religious education can contribute to the clarification of the narrative identity of contemporary young people. In this essay special attention has been paid to the West European youth debate...
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