Call for papers
Panel at the annual conference of the European Association for
the Study of Religions (EASR), 7-11 September 2008, Brno, Czech Republic:
"The study of religions and syllabuses for school education about religion"
In most countries, there is one or another kind of education about
religions in public schools. In some of these, but far from most of
them, the study of religions is regarded as the academic partner for
school RE. In both cases, the study of religions, in the shape of its
academic institutions as well as its scholars, is not or only rarely
involved in the creation of syllabuses for school education about religions.
In this panel, we invite scholars of religion to take a look at the
representation of religions in syllabuses for school RE. We encourage
analyses of syllabuses of any school subject in which different
religions are studied. The panel intends to raise the question in how
far these syllabuses correspond to a study-of-religions view of religion
and religions. Furthermore, we would like to discuss the lack of or
various kinds of involvement of departments and scholars of the study of
religions in the creation of syllabuses and other practical issues
concerning religious education. This entails reflection about
compromises that may be made due to external factors providing the
framework for this involvement.
As a further step, we would like to gather ideas and initiate a
discussion about criteria for a study-of-religions approach to the
representation of religion and religions in syllabuses for school RE. We
invite papers from different countries and hope to contribute to
establishing the involvement of the academic study of religions in
school-related issues on a European level.
Please send offers of papers (abstracts of no more than 200 words) to
Tim Jensen and Wanda Alberts:
*Deadline for abstracts: June 6, 2008
EASR conference website: http://www.phil.muni.cz/relig/easr2008