How much and which theology in religious education? on the intimate place of theology in the public space of the school

Abstract

This chapter explores the thesis that the public-theological role of Catholic religious education in Late-Modernity needs to be reconsidered drastically. Because school development today is based on the idea of human dignity and inter-subjective creativity, religious education needs to redefine its goals. The theology of religious education will as a matter of fact be influenced by this shift. After requalifying the German concept of Bildung, the paper focuses in the second part on the movement of children’s and youth theology and on its specific didactical outlook as “theologizing with children and young people.”� In the third section these findings are related to systematic-theological elements of the Catholic tradition. After consideration a kenotic-theological concept seems to be most fitting to re-imagine the intimate place of theology in the public space of the school.