The interdisciplinary imperative of catholic religious education

Abstract

Due to the relatively recent developments in academia as well as cultural and social contexts, it has become imperative for religious educators to dialogue with a variety of disciplines. If no real dialogue is initiated, the subject risks irreversibly enter a ghetto reserved for irrelevant scholastic optional choices. Research in the fields of instructional science, sociology, philosophy and psychology, amongst others, can assist scholars in identifying the specificity of religious education. The paper argues that the dialogical identity of the discipline depends on the ecclesial model one holds. It also argues that the context of the school, which is very different from the context of the believing community, defines the very nature and role of Catholic Religious Education.