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A Liberal Education Rationale for Studies of Religion Programs and its Application to Courses in Three Australian States

A Liberal Education Rationale for Studies of Religion Programs and its Application to Courses in... By 1992, all Australian states offered religious studies as a matriculation subject in response to a growing community perception of its importance. The rationale for offering these courses has been strongly promoted in terms of their educational value rather than for any intention to proselytise or promote commitment to faith. Although there are a number of possible justifications for such programs, we argue that the rationale for studies of religion is best situated within the liberal education tradition. What also needs to be asked in relation to these courses is the extent to which they identify three significant philosophical issues arising in the study of religion: scepticism, exclusivity and relativism. This article applies these criteria in an assessment of studies of religion courses in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Australian Journal of Education SAGE

A Liberal Education Rationale for Studies of Religion Programs and its Application to Courses in Three Australian States

Hobson, Peter; Edwards, John
Australian Journal of Education , Volume 38 (3): 18 – Nov 1, 1994
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References (5)

Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 1994 Australian Council for Educational Research
ISSN
0004-9441
eISSN
2050-5884
DOI
10.1177/000494419403800307
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

By 1992, all Australian states offered religious studies as a matriculation subject in response to a growing community perception of its importance. The rationale for offering these courses has been strongly promoted in terms of their educational value rather than for any intention to proselytise or promote commitment to faith. Although there are a number of possible justifications for such programs, we argue that the rationale for studies of religion is best situated within the liberal education tradition. What also needs to be asked in relation to these courses is the extent to which they identify three significant philosophical issues arising in the study of religion: scepticism, exclusivity and relativism. This article applies these criteria in an assessment of studies of religion courses in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria.

Journal

Australian Journal of Education – SAGE

Published: Nov 1, 1994

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