Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Pictures in religious education'

Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main purpose of the study is to develop a model and to establish certain principles for writing a script treatment (personal pictures) of a book of the Bible. Personal pictures can be identified as the most important component of the production (filmic creation) and marketing (promulgation) processes of a fully dramatised audio-visual representation of a biblical book. The study deals primarily with personal pictures. Changes in the communication and perception of biblical content are investigated. The study focuses mainly on the dissemination of such content through audio-visual Bible products (end products). The study contends that audio-visual Bible communications for children and adults should have an educational foundation. The other main dimension of all audio-visual Bible is the entertainment it provides to viewers (patrons). The educational and entertainment facets of end products are described here as edutainment. It is important for end products to have edutainment value as perceived by socio-economically diverse peoples, of both Christian and non-Christian (non-religious) persuasions. Aspects which can contribute to the edutainment value of fully dramatised audio-visual Bible products are expounded. An audio-visual model, which defines the basis for the filmic creation and promulgation of an end product, is explained and its elements described. The determinants of the filmic creation and promulgation processes, some of which have a greater educational impact and some which have a greater entertainment impact, are explicated. An important factor is to involve patrons in the filmic creation and promulgation processes, and to help them to feel part of these processes. Writing the personal pictures of a Bible book is investigated. A personal pictures model is put forward to explain how the personal pictures can be written. A variety of guidelines to help the writer (owner) write the personal pictures of a book are presented. These guidelines deal with aspects such as writing the narrative, selecting the context of the storytelling, gathering and using background information, using enhancement factors, and implementing requirements of the users. The personal pictures already written of two Bible books are assessed. An explanation is given of why the books of Ruth and Hebrews, one from the Old and one from the New Testament, are chosen for such assessment. These personal pictures are found to be deficient and new personal pictures are written for both books, using the model and guidelines given. An empirical survey is undertaken of the personal pictures of one of the two books assessed, namely Ruth. The analysis of the empirical research finds that the respondents are able to visualise a film of Ruth with edutainment value after reading the personal pictures. The results of the survey point to the importance of both the educational and entertainment aspects in end products. Some further valuable deductions can be made from the study: Audio-visual Bible products are beneficial to convey biblical content to patrons. A model and guidelines are presented for writing good quality personal pictures. Patrons can profitably be engaged in the filmic creation and promulgation processes of fully dramatised audio-visual Bible products. A few constraints have been encountered which have a limiting effect on the study. The study highlights a number of important areas which can be further researched.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoel van die studie is om sekere riglyne neer te Ie vir die skryf van 'n draaiboeksinopsis of visuele voorstelling ("personal pictures") van 'n Bybelboek. "Personal pictures" van 'n Bybelboek is waarskynlik die belangrikste komponent van die vervaardigings- en verspreidingsprosesse van 'n volledig-gedrarnatiseerde oudio-visuele weergawe van so 'n boek. Die studie handel hoofsaaklik oor "personal pictures". Veranderinge in die kommunikasie en in die begrip van die inhoud van die Bybel word ondersoek. Die studie fokus hoofsaaklik op die uitdra van die inhoud van Bybelboeke deur middel van oudio-visuele Bybelprodukte. Die studie toon aan dat oudio-visuele Bybelkommunikasie vir kinders en volwassenes 'n opvoedkundige grondslag het of behoort te he. Die ander belangrike grondslag van 'n oudiovisuele Bybel is die vermaaklikheidsaspek. Die opvoedkundige en vermaaklikheidsfasette van oudio-visuele Bybelprodukte word hierin beskryf as opvoedkundige vermaak ("edutainment"). Dit is belangrik dat oudio-visuele Bybelprodukte "edutainment'' verskaf aan uiteenlopende sosio- . ekonomiese groepe van sowel Christel ike as nie-Christelike oortuiging. Sekere aspekte word verduidelik wat die waarde van "edutainment" in gedramatiseerde oudiovisuele Bybelprodukte kan verhoog. 'n Oudio-visuele model, wat die grondbeginsels vir die vervaardiging en verspreiding van so 'n Bybelproduk uiteensit, word verskaf en die onderskeie beginsels word gedefinieer. Die bepalende faktore in die vervaardigings- en verspreidingsprosesse, waarvan sornmige 'n groter opvoedkundige en ander 'n groter vermaaklikheidsimpak het, word uitgewys. 'n Belangrike faktor is dat verbruikers by die vervaardigings- en verspreidingsprosesse betrek word, en op 'n wyse wat hulle dee I van hierdie prosesse laat voel. Hoe om "personal pictures" van 'n Bybelboek te skryf, word ondersoek. 'n "Personal pictures"- model word aangebied, asook 'n verskeidenheid riglyne vir die skryfvan die "personal pictures" van 'n boek. Hierdie riglyne omvat aspekte soos die storielyn, die keuse van die konteks waarin die storie afspeel, die inwin en gebruik van agtergrondinligting, die gebruik van effekte wat die storie bevorder, en die toepassing van spesifieke vereistes van die vervaardigingspersoneel. Die "personal pictures" wat reeds van twee Bybelboeke bestaan, word beoordeel. 'n Verduideliking word gegee waarom Rut en Hebreers, boeke uit onderskeidelik die Ou en die Nuwe Testament, vir so 'n evaluering gekies is. Hierdie "personal pictures" word as ontoereikend bevind, en nuwe "personal pictures" word vir beide boeke geskryf deur van die genoemde model en riglyne gebruik te maak. 'n Empiriese ondersoek word gedoen om die "personal pictures" van een van die twee boeke, naamlik Rut, te evalueer. In die ontleding van die empiriese ondersoek word bevind dat respondente in staat is om 'n film van Rut met "edutainment"-waarde te visualiseer, nadat hulle die "personal pictures" gelees het. Die resultate van die ondersoek wys op die belangrikheid van die opvoedkundige sowel as die vermaaklikheidsaspekte van oudio-visuele Bybelprodukte. Die volgende verdere waardevolle afleidings word uit die studie gemaak: Die inhoud van Bybelboeke kan met vrug deur middel van oudio-visuele Bybelprodukte oorgedra word. Goeie kwaliteit "personal pictures" kan geskryf word deur gebruik te maak van die voorgestelde model en riglyne. Dit kan voordelig wees om verbruikers by die vervaardigings- en verspreidingsprosesse van gedramatiseerde oudio-visuele produkte van die Bybel te betrek. Die faktore wat 'n beperkende uitwerking op die studie gehad het, word aangetoon. Die studie lig 'n aantal belangrike areas uit vir verdere navorsing.

Otto Pankoks (1893 - 1966) Kunstwerke können Heranwachsende in ihrer Erfahrungswelt noch immer ansprechen, da mit ihnen Bildwerke vorliegen, die in besonderer Weise Auskunft geben über die Geschichte Gottes mit den Menschen. Christliche Themen wie ″der wahre Mensch″, ″Liebe″, ″Leid″, ″das Böse″, ″Schuld″ und ″Sünde″ werden darin künstlerisch bearbeitet. Besonders seine Kohlebilder spiegeln persönliches Empfinden und christliches Weltbild in besonderer Authentizität. Sie sind aufgeladen mit zeitgeschichtlichem Erleben und dem Suchen nach verstehbaren Antworten. In ihnen lassen sich fünf Motivgruppen mit eindeutiger exegetischer und religionsdidaktischer Relevanz erkennen. Anhand 13 exemplarisch ausgewählter Bildbeispiele wird gezeigt, wie mit Otto Pankoks Bildwerken im Religionsunterricht kompetenzorientiert gearbeitet werden kann.

The dissertation is an exercise in the application of the philosophical hermeneutics of Paul Ricoeur and the biblical hermeneutics of John Dominic Crossan to the aesthetics of religious cinema.
The thesis defines religious cinema as virtual religious experience; therefrom a theory of religious cinema is derived. This derivation depends on a discussion of the essential elements of the cinematic experience and permits the expansion of the category of religious cinema beyond its traditional frontier. Throughout the dissertation, a dialogue is maintained with general cinema theory on the one hand and religious cinema criticism on the other. The purpose of this dialogue is to increase credibility (in the former case) and to demonstrate originality (in the latter case).
Finally, extrapolating from a specific dialogue between Crossan and Ricoeur, a critical method is developed, then applied to Werner Herzog's Herz aus Glas, a transcription of which is included as an appendix.

During the first half of the `long' eighteenth century the English were, as a nation, vehemently anti-Catholic, yet the art that was most admired, collected and talked about, was Catholic in origin and subject matter (pictures showing the intercession of saints or the figure of God, for example). Such art might have been rejected by English collectors, certainly idolatry was chief among the heresies ascribed to the Papists, but the belief in the supremacy of Italian art was long-standing and tenacious in pan-European culture. The thesis demonstrates that rather than rejecting it, elaborate strategies were developed which allowed the cultural and social value of ownership and knowledge of this canonical art to accrue, whilst managing its potentially troubling content. For example, the royal ownership of the Raphael Cartoons (c. 1514) was a matter of increasing national pride during this period, which is surprising at first sight, given their provenance and their celebration of the apostolic succession of the Papacy from SS Peter and Paul. These meanings were not expunged from the Cartoons by English commentators, instead means were found to transpose them into a Protestant register and to maintain Raphael's reputation as the great universal artist. Each chapter of the thesis offers a different mode of address to the central theme, exploring, for example, the encounters grand tourists had with canonical art in Catholic churches in Rome and the ways in which the Catholic meanings of pictures were managed in a collection. In another chapter I explore how art was used and discussed within the Church of England. It has become clear that the Catholic associations of art did present a historically-significant political challenge to English connoisseurs and that, for example, new histories and theories of art, modified from their continental models, were developed to facilitate its acceptance. In addition, by paying careful attention to the ways in which issues of class, nationhood and culture were managed in relation to this problem, insights into the complex nature of anti-Catholicism in England have been gained.

This thesis is concerned with the question as to how to present the study of religion to students in religious education (RE) in schools that reflects a distinctively religious character but not a confessional one. It recognises that how religion is conceptualised in RE and the search for a distinctive rationale that reflects the subject’s nature and purpose, has been a contested question over the history of the subject in state maintained schools since the Education Act of 1870. More recently, criticism of what has been termed ‘modern liberal RE’ has focused on the claim that, in many instances, the subject has misrepresented religion, by being guilty of essentialism and in denying students opportunities to engage with the ‘truth claims’ of religions. It is within this context that this thesis argues that a nuanced understanding of John Hick’s religious interpretation of religion can positively illuminate these debates by providing a second order explanatory framework for the study of religion in RE.

Acompanha: Ficha instrumental para o uso de filmes em sala de aula
O Cinema enquanto forma de representar e perceber o mundo e o homem, além de importante linguagem artística, tornou-se elemento determinante para a comunicação de massa do século XX. Como tal passou a se apropriar das diferentes áreas do conhecimento, no intuito de criar roteiros e narrativas que aproximassem a poética artística cinematográfica dos fenômenos cotidianos da natureza e da existência humana, aproximando a Arte Cinematográfica de uma suposta realidade. Essa relação permite a criação de filmes que, além do puro e simples entretenimento, possibilitam o seu uso nas mais diferentes formas de aprendizagem. A partir dessa perspectiva, essa pesquisa teve como principal objetivo, desenvolver e apresentar uma proposta, na qual o Cinema de entretenimento, se configure como um instrumental para o ensino de Física e da História da Ciência. Para tanto foram utilizados os filmes Anjos e Demônios (Angels & Demons - 2009) e O Nome da Rosa (The Name of the Rose - 1986), filmes de entretenimento, sucessos de público e que apresentam entre seus temas principais a História da Ciência e as relações entre Ciência e Religião. Cada um dos filmes trabalha narrativas que envolvem o Conhecimento Científico. Essa pesquisa propõe que o Cinema seja entendido em sala de aula como uma linguagem artística, com suas especificidades e não como uma simples forma complementar para um tema ou um conteúdo. Nossa proposta está centrada numa análise fílmica que apresenta a obra cinematográfica como um instrumento de aprendizagem da Ciência, em especial, da História da Ciência. Assim, metodologicamente, a pesquisa ocorreu a partir de dois eixos principais: a análise fílmica a partir da teoria apresentada por Erwin Panofsky em seu livro Significado nas Artes Visuais (2007), denominado metodologia panofyskiana, iconológico ou histórico social e o estudo historiográfico na História da Ciência, apresentado pelo professor Ubiratan D’Ambrósio (2004). A pesquisa contribui, de forma inédita, para que o Cinema ou filmes feitos para o Cinema, possam ser entendidos como linguagem artística que possibilita aos atores envolvidos num processo de Ensino e Aprendizagem, usufruir dos recursos dessa linguagem como instrumento didático pedagógico para as aulas de Física ou Ciências.
The Cinema as a way of represent and perceive the world and the man, besides important artistic language, became determining factor for mass communication of the twentieth century. As such, it started appropriate of the different areas of knowledge, in order to create scripts and narratives that approximate the cinematographic artistic poetics of the everyday phenomena of the nature and human existence, approaching the Cinematographic Art of a supposed reality. This relation allows the creation of movies that, besides of pure and simple entertaning, make it possible to use them in different forms of learning. From this perspective, this research had as a main purpose, develop and submit a proposal in wich the entertainment Cinema be an instrument of teaching Physics and the History of Science. For this purpose, the movies Angels and Demons (2009) and The Name of the Rose (1986), entertainment movies, audience hits that present among their main themes the History of Science and the relations between Science and Religion. Each one of the movies works narratives that involve the Scientific Knowledge. This research proposes that the Cinema be understood in the classroom as an artistic language, with their specificities and not as a simple complementary form to a theme or a content. Our proposal focuses on film analysis that present the cinematographic work as a Science learning tool, in particular, the History of Science. So, methodologically, the research occurred from two main axes: the film analysis from the presented theory by Erwin Panofsky in his book Meaning in the Visual Arts (2007), denominated Panofsky method, iconological or social history and the historiographic study in the History of Science, presented by the professor Ubiratan D’Ambrósio (2004). The research contributes, in a inedited way, so that the Cinema or movies made to the Cinema can be understood as an artistic language that make it possible to the subjects involved in the process of Teaching and Learning to use the resources of language as pedagogical and didactic instrument for the classes of Physics or Sciences.

This dissertation is a case study of three feature films directed by Gan Xiao’er, a Chinese independent filmmaker. I argue that these films are set apart from other independent films in China because they center on the representations of Chinese Christianity in rural areas in the postsocialist era of China, which is a subject matter under-represented in mainstream media as well as independent cinema in China. Gan’s feature films have also illustrated the social and cultural problems during the Reform period, themes which have been avoided by mainstream media but featured in independent cinema. Gan’s films are also characterized by responses to social and cultural issues from a Christian perspective. I also argue that the representations of Christianity in Gan’s films are ambiguous as both the positive and negative sides of the religion are portrayed. Such portrayals have generated a critique from within Christianity, concerning the religion’s entanglement with the social, cultural and political forces in the postsocialist context. Moreover, the three feature films of Gan’s have not only illustrated the exterior of Chinese Christianity, including the religious institution and activities of Christians, but also formulated an in-depth investigation of the inner spiritual quest of Chinese villagers and Christians.
published_or_final_version
Literary and Cultural Studies
Master
Master of Arts

This research was undertaken in the light of Foucault's theories and methodologies of language with particular reference to Discipline and Punish as applied to education. The opening section gives a detailed review of these methodologies and the way they will be applied to the various areas of educational practice. There is detailed consideration of the relationship between church and state from the early nineteenth century up until the Education Act, 1944, with particular reference to religious and educational discourse. This is followed by a study of the principles underlying the teaching of religion and the practice of worship in schools prior to 1944. From this the thesis moves to a closer consideration of the 1944 Education Act with the examination of the debate in parliament and in the country as a whole. Most of the evidence for the period is taken from The Times as reflecting the wider use of religious and educational discourse. The thesis then considers the outcome of the 1944 Education Act and the effects it had on religious education until the passage of the 1988 act, with particular reference to the changes in teacher praxis in the nineteen-sixties. Parallel to this is a survey of the main theological developments in Britain between 1944 and 1988 and an assessment of the changes within religious institutions during the same period. Before coming to a detailed consideration of the 1988 Education Reform Act, the thesis considers the changes that took place in teacher praxis between the nineteen-sixties and 1988, and then considers the debate in parliament and in the country during 1988. The final sections are concerned with the implementation of the act, with consideration of the governmental documentation issued to supplement the act and various comments upon these. Fieldwork within Hastings and Sutton has yielded data which attempts to place the research within the context of present praxis in a range of schools. The study concludes with media reaction to the act and an overview of the key points that have arisen from the research.

This research focused on discovering the most valued books in adult religious education through a survey of professors of adult religious education and in bibliographies of recent dissertations in adult religious education. Three groups of adult religious educators participated in the survey: the religious adult educators who are members of the adult sections of the Association of Professors and Researchers of Religious Education and North American Professors of Christian Education, and professors of adult religious education in Southern Baptist theological seminaries. In addition the author surveyed the adult religious education dissertation bibliographies for the period 1980-1995 to discover the most frequently cited adult religious education books. The author developed a listing of 312 adult religious education books published in English. Then a jury of three experts in the field choose seventy-seven books which they valued. From this list the three groups of professors choose books according to three criteria: textbooks they used in adult religious education courses, books they recommended as additional reading, and books they valued in the field.

Thesis (D.A.)--Illinois State University, 2001.
Title from title page screen, viewed April 25, 2006. Dissertation Committee: M. Paul Holsinger (chair), Moody Simms, John Freed. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-167) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Teachers College, Columbia University, 1991.
Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Douglas M. Sloan. Dissertation Committee: William B. Kennedy. Includes bibliographical references: (leaf 139-143).

I show how my previous MA research indicated useful data regarding motivation in secondary school Religious Education (RE) but needed augmented theoretical and empirical substance to inform a general pedagogy (chapter 1): to this end I address issues of adolescent agency and identity (chapter 2) and creativity (chapter 3). Draft recommendations for an active, creative, existential and hermeneutical RE pedagogy result from these augmentations (chapter 2, revised in chapter 3). The heart of this thesis is a classroom-based empirical study designed to apply and assess my recommendations for RE practice. I argue action research and ethnographic strategies fit for my field study purposes (chapter 4). I then present and analyse my field study data, identifying categories of student motivation in RE, namely dialogue with difference, existential or ethical interest and personal significance. These categories are seen to be highly compatible with my earlier draft recommendations for RE practice (chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8). Next, I integrate my data into a critique of Andrew Wright’s religious literacy pedagogy, arguing that Wright’s oppositions of language to experience and intrinsic to pragmatic value are misleading, but conceding that his fundmental principles are sound and that his recent theory overcomes some earlier difficulties. This includes consideration of Ninian Smart’s phenomenological Religious Studies and John Dewey’s educational philosophy. I go on to re-affirm that dialogue with difference, existential or ethical interest and personal significance are basic to what motivates RE pupils. Therefore, effective RE requires hermeneutical learning, including attention to the development of pupils’ own ideas and values over time; action research indicates ways for teachers to handle this requirement (chapter 9).

This research investigates the nature of pupil self-assessment in religious education. It considers the implications of theories of self-assessment as assessment for leaming for self-reflection in pedagogies of pluralistic religious education, and vice versa. Assessment for learning: Research on assessment has claimed that selfassessment is essential in formative assessment, to combat the negative effects of summative assessment. Other recent research has considered the situated nature of classroom practice. How would these classroom factors affect selfassessment in RE? Policy and pedagogy In religious education: The history of the current policy documents is analysed using policy scholarship, and the tension is revealed between measurable intellectual skills and a wider understanding of the place of religious education in developing tolerance and respect, both in the England and Wales, and internationally. Are policy and assessment properly aligned? Practitioner research: Virtue theory is developed as a research paradigm for practitioner research for professional development. Rigour is established through a reflexive use of qualitative, largely ethnographic methods, especially group interviews. Analysis includes consideration of pupils' assessment careers. Reflexive self-assessment: As a result of analyzing the data on assessment and religious education an original form of self-assessment is proposed. Reflexive self-assessment is a subject-specific model of self-assessment, linked to interpretive approaches. This harmonizes classroom self-assessment of both intellectual skills and intercultural values. The classroom conditions necessary to allow it to develop are examined. The implications of this for theories of self-assessment, learning autonomy and current policies of religious education are considered. Finally, the research is reviewed, notably the implications for researching and teaching, and future developments. The quality of the research is defended, in terms of significance, originality and rigour.

This study investigates the outcome of using two different types of token economy boards to reduce disruptive behavior and off-task behavior of children ages five to seven, in a self- contained special education setting in a suburban public school. The purpose of using two different types of token economy boards is to find out which token board is more effective in reducing target behaviors. One token board is personalized with a picture of the student and their favorite characters or toys; the other chart is plain with no personalized pictures at all, other than a Board Maker picture of the preferred behavior and a picture of the reward.

The sample used for data collection consists of three students, one female and two males, aged 5 to 7, diagnosed with Autism. Data collection included a detailed and accurate count of the disruptive and off-task behaviors that were logged onto data sheets. Data was collected from the student’s arrival in the morning until dismissal time at the end of the school day by having each one-to-one paraprofessional use a clicker counter for each disruptive behavior. The collection of data took place over five consecutive weeks, where the two token economy boards were alternated weekly for each child. The aim for this study is to draw conclusions on which token board provided better results in positive behavior, as well as if a noticeable preference was observed in the student’s reactions to the different token boards.

Mixed methods research was used in this investigation, which includes the mixing of qualitative and quantitative data. My hypothesis stated that a higher rate of on-task behavior would occur, with less disruptive behavior, by using a token board with personalized pictures for this age group of children. The conclusions of this investigation show that a higher rate of on-task behavior with less disruptive behaviors occurred from using the plain token economy board for this age group with their current medical diagnosis of autism.

The purpose of this study was to investigate students? understanding of proof and proof writing using a new three-column method. The new three-column method consists of the traditional ?statements? and ?reasons? columns but also contains a ?picture? column in which students must draw a picture that corresponds to the ?statement.? It is believed that this third column will act as a blue print providing students with a visual representation of how the proof is constructed. By examining this blueprint students will understand which steps are needed to complete the proof as well as the proper order of those steps. Thus, students develop a deeper understanding of the proof writing process. The study was conducted in a suburban school in central North Carolina and involved two standard geometry classes. The study lasted for a week and a half and was instituted during a chapter involving different triangle congruencies (i.e. SAS, SSS, etc). The three-column proof was taught to a 3rd period class containing 31 students. Their test and quiz scores were compared to a 2nd period class containing 23 students. After examining the average quiz and average test scores for the chapter it was shown that the 3rd period class did not out score the 2nd period class. Thus, the use of a three-column picture proof is as effective as the traditional approach. An important question pursuant to this outcome is whether there are other teaching/learning benefits from using picture proofs. For example, interviews with the cooperating teacher indicated that the three-column proof was very helpful for several students and also provided good teacher feedback as to students? understanding of theorems and postulates used in proof writing.

A review of the models of religious education reveals their weaknesses and limitations. The tension among the models and the leading theorists arises from the divergent understanding of the relationship of religion to education as well as the concept of personhood. The transcendent nature of persons is argued from both a psychological and philosophical perspective. The nature of the religious experience as well as religious development is examined in both adults and adolescents. Given the transcendent dimension of human nature, as witnessed through the religious response, it is argued that the first order activity of religious education should be the development of adolescent spirituality.

Three questions command even greater attention today, as over forty countries, including many Muslim-majority states, unite against Daesh (the so-called ‘Islamic State'): How do Muslims relate to the Muslim ‘other'? How do Muslims relate to the religious ‘other'? What role can Muslim religious education play in fostering peace? Islam and Muslim education are suspected of promoting intolerance. This thesis investigates a group of Shia Ismaili Muslim trainee-teachers' attitudes to plurality in their religious education programme. The Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP) is a two-year postgraduate course of the Ismaili Muslim community to train religious education teachers. STEP, a novel development in Muslim education, experiments with an innovative pedagogical approach to plurality. The research spanning over three years involved in-depth interviews, focus group, observations and textual analysis. 21 trainee-teachers from 13 different countries participated in the study. Alan Race's (1983) typology ‘inclusivismexclusivism- pluralism' serves as a key theoretical lens through which to examine attitudes to religious others. The thesis argues that a ‘rooted religious pluralisation' is taking place in the Ismaili community facilitating the emergence of the ‘tradition' of pluralism in the community. The study shows that initially, the participants were inclusive of other religious communities and worldviews on ‘theological', ‘humanistic' and ‘instrumental' grounds, but were selective about how they embraced it. Many of them believed that their religious perspective exceptionally equipped them over their religious ‘other'. Gradually, STEP's ‘civilizational, normative and humanistic' approach cultivated an ‘academically informed pluralism' in most trainee-teachers. It strengthened their Ismaili Muslim identity on the one hand and generated an appreciation for diversity on the other. The individuals developed not only greater socio-cultural and historical awareness of religion, but also their ability to make a space for faith academically. It cultivated in the participants a degree of ‘inter-tradition competence' and ‘intra-Islam competence'. The individuals were not ‘pluralist angels', but they discursively participated in pluralism. The present study makes three key contributions. Firstly, this is the first study to propose the thesis of ‘rooted religious pluralisation'. It identifies the key features and tendencies inherent in a religious community's engagement with diversity through a five-dimensional working framework. Moreover, as a study of the socio-cultural process of ‘intra-faith pluralisation' in Muslim religious education setting, it is unique. It is about making sense of the everyday experiences of the Muslims who encounter diversity within their own faith. The thesis identifies various stages involved in the process of developing intra-faith competence and provides tools and vocabulary to discuss them meaningfully. Moreover, the study suggests the possibility of a Muslim education that can play a vital role in combating extremism and sectarianism. Current scholarship does not sufficiently take account of new and thought-provoking pedagogical developments in Muslim education. There is a dearth of studies on Muslim faith communities' efforts to build ‘intra-Islam competency' in their followers through faith-based education. The literature is also silent about how Ismaili Muslims handle differences among themselves regarding matters of faith, how they view differences within Islam and relate to wider religious plurality. Thus, the study contributes to a niche in the existing literature on religious pluralism.

This study investigates the complications raised in teaching a confessional Religious Education in a multi-religious context pertaining in Ugandan religiously founded public schools, government and private founded schools. The thesis contends that the introduction of Islam, Anglican and Roman Catholic Christian religious traditions in Uganda not only presented alternative religious systems to the existing African traditional religion but ushered in an era of competition for converts that subsequently led to religious conflict. The thesis also submits the view that the missionary aim of formal education in Uganda led to the creation, not only of a denominational, but a divisive educational system. While the study commends the colonial government and the first independent government's efforts towards establishing a nondenominational educational system, it suggests that their failure to address the controversial questions raised by the nature of RE at the time was a missed opportunity. The study probes the current syllabuses, aims and content of CRE and IRE for secondary and primary schools and suggests that their main intention of promoting spiritual growth of students is inappropriate for implementation in the multi-religious schools. The thesis questions the government's proposed exclusion of RE from the education curriculum and its replacement with Moral Education. It suggests that while Moral Education could be a subject on its own, Religious Education needs to be maintained but re-designed to address the multi-religious context. It presents a multi-faith RE as the ideal format of teaching about religion.

The present thesis is a contribution to an unresolved debate in philosophy of education about the logical coherence of a particular account of Religious Education. The account of Religious Education at issue, which I call the liberal account, prescribes the teaching of religious understanding without religious belief. It stipulates that the aim of Religious Education is to teach pupils the meaning of religious propositions while leaving open the question of their truth. Underpinning the account are the assumptions that (i) no religious proposition is known to be either true or false and (ii) it is morally objectionable to teach questionable propositions as if they were known to be true. Opponents of the liberal account argue that it is logically incoherent. Their argument rests on two premises: (i) that religious propositions constitute an autonomous epistemological class or 'form of knowledge', and (ii) that understanding a form of knowledge involves holding certain propositions of that form to be true or false. If both premises are sound, it follows that religious understanding necessarily involves religious belief. The aim of the present thesis is to show that this challenge to the logical coherence of the liberal account of Religious Education is unsuccessful. I argue that the second premise is sound but the first is not. The second premise, that understanding a form of knowledge involves holding certain propositions of that form to be true or false, is an extension of an argument about language in general made by Wittgenstein. Wittgenstein claims that 'If language is to be a means of communication there must be agreement not only in definitions but also (queer as this may sound) in judgments' (Wittgenstein, 1953, Section 242). That is to say, language-users must reach agreement not only on how words are connected to each other (agreement in definitions) but also on how words are connected to experiences (agreement in judgments). The process of fixing experiential criteria necessarily involves accepting the truth of certain contingent propositions. I contend that Wittgenstein's argument can properly be extended to individual epistemological classes, with the exception of the class of necessary propositions. The validity of the first premise, that there is a religious form of knowledge, turns on the method of verification of religious propositions. I argue that religious propositions are propositions about divine persons and, as such, are verified in exactly the same way as propositions about human persons. Gods, like other persons, comprise minds and bodies (or minds and a relation to the material world analogous to 'having a body'), so religious propositions can be distributed without remainder over the familiar epistemological classes of mental and material propositions. Pupils can be taught what religious propositions mean with reference to other propositions of the same epistemological kinds and without reference to distinctively religious experiences. It follows that the aim of teaching for religious understanding without religious belief is logically coherent.

The purpose of this thesis is to explore conditions under which the human spirit flowers in modern organisations. The topic of the thesis was sparked by prolonged study at the Master’s level of the writings of Robert K. Greenleaf, modern servant leadership theorist. Greenleaf was concerned with the ways and the conditions in which the human spirit flowers. He wrote a number of essays on the topic (Greenleaf, 1996b). He often questioned what organisations as they currently stood were doing to help people grow as whole people. As workers spend increasing amounts of time in the workplace, organisations continue to seek ways in which to increase employee satisfaction and decrease the compartmentalising of human experience. The geographical context of study is that of Aotearoa/New Zealand with participants selected from the Church Educational System of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Tāmaki-makau-rau/Auckland region. The Church Educational System, or CES, is a worldwide religious education provider headquartered in the Western United States. The context for study was chosen based on my perceived personal growth as a student for nine years in the CES programmes and my desire to understand how the programme was administered in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The project employs a qualitative methodology using as primary data gathering methods in-depth interviews with three CES directors, three focus groups made up of sixteen volunteer teachers, classroom observations, and document analysis. Using Greenleaf’s descriptions of the servant leader as a central focus, I attempt through this qualitative study to address the central research question: How does the Church Educational System (CES) nurture servant leaders? The central metaphor of the garden was used in processing and analysing data. The garden metaphor was intended to assist in the conceptualisation of relationships of service as they are at work in the lives of participants. Identified relationships of service from the findings were between participants co-workers (plants), love (life-force), Jesus Christ (sun), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (plot), purpose (strength), Aotearoa/New Zealand (soil), exemplars (canopy), experience (seasons), Church Educational System (gardener), positions, training, programmes (gardener tools), growth (colour/aroma/fruit), knowledge (water), and organisational care (pruning/transplanting). Findings indicated that nurturing in the Church Educational System is influenced by the ability of the organisation to bring people together in meaningful ways. Findings also show that understanding relationships of service that make up whole people may be an important step for organisations in the nurturing of servant leaders. Nurturing in the CES appears to be taking place in three primary areas: balancing, renewal, and regeneration. The findings of this study have significance for those inside and outside of the CES. A chapter is dedicated to exploring possible application of findings in variant organisational contexts. Providing consistent formal and informal opportunities for sharing in spirit and intellect at the organisational level appears to be a key in the nurturing of servant leaders in organisations.

This thesis is a philosophical, theological and educational exploration of the theme of ontology and otherness. It is intended to provide a theoretical ground for the possibility of Christian religious education in Christian schools, with particularly reference to school religious education in South Korea. For this purpose it investigates a philosophical ground of education, particularly religious education, in terms of ontology and otherness. The recent ontological turn in both education and religious education shows that they take critical realism (CR henceforth) as the pivotal philosophical ground. In reception of this approach the thesis argues, after reading of the originator of CR, Roy Bhaskar, that there is a characteristic feature in the philosophy, viz. the agential centred form of explanation of reality which results in the production of a lacuna of the dimension of otherness in CR. In response to the problem, the thesis attempt to integrate the dimension of otherness into CR through the exploration of Emmanuel Levinas’s philosophy of otherness which provides an account of the non-agential moment and ethical subjectivity as what that fills the lacuna and the point of the integration with CR, and incorporate Bhaskarian dialectical agent with ethical subjectivity. However, in doing so, it is revealed that there is a radical diverting point between Bhaskar’s notion of alethia and otherness which makes a prominent difference in accounting of ultimate reality as shown between Bhaskar ’s meta-Reality and Christian understanding of Trinitarian God. Drawing from the philosophical and theological account of ontology and otherness, the thesis finally attends Wright’s approach from the frame of otology and otherness, and argues for the use of Wright’s approach for the possibility of paving a way for Christian religious education in Christian schools.

The 2015 revisions to the Ontario teacher education program were intended to give greater attention to diversity in the Ontario classroom and provide new teachers with more knowledge of the Ontario context. Using an interpretivist methodology, a careful examination of the curriculum changes undertaken by the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ontario College of Teachers indicates that these objectives have not been met. Despite being an integral part of the identity and experience of a large number of Ontario teachers and students, religion is not one of the diversities given attention to in the revisions. This omission has revealed a gap in the Ontario teacher education curriculum in which the religious diversity component of the Ontario context is largely ignored. The gap in teacher education has also created a misunderstanding of the nature and intent of the secular classroom where, instead of being a place where all religions are given equal attention and one that fostering healthy religious conversations, it has become an environment of fear and silence, where teacher and students are unsure of how to engage it religious conversations. My research concludes that the OCT curriculum does not provide sufficient curriculum content that addresses teacher knowledge, skills and attitudes in the area of religion, nor does it provide information about religious belief systems and world views or clarify religious language and terminology. Despite the fact that teachers and parents welcome the academic, non-confessional study of religion in the classroom, the OCT and the OME have not indicated through the revisions that this is the direction in which they intend to proceed. Enacting changes to increase the amount of time required for teacher education has not prepared teachers to address the multi-religious context of the Ontario classroom or to meet the needs of religious students.

This thesis asks the question: How do the representations of Muslims in Hindi Popular Cinema deny the community identification with the nation. It establishes Hindi cinema as the 'de facto' national cinema and explores the nature of identity and communal relations between the two major Indian religious communities, Hindus and Muslims through an analysis of popular films. It identifies an imbalance in representations of Muslim life where few films show Hindus and Muslims as sharing social and cultural life or where Muslims are represented as modern subjects: an absence of films on 'partition', the division of the country which occurred at the moment of independence, in August 1947; and reproduces stereotypical representations of Muslims as 'the outsider', the villain, or the terrorist at different times in history. The thesis considers the impact of the animosity between Hindus and Muslims concurrent with the rise of Hindu nationalism on Hindi cinema's representations of Muslims. These cumulative representations and absences result in the abrogation of identity for them as citizens through public culture. But it also sees that the complete disavowal of this cinema is problematic for the Muslim participation in the industry, the possibility of the Muslim spectator pleasurable reading of Hindi films; and the observation that representations change over the period in question. The representations broadly move from the secular to the bigoted over the course of the period under consideration.

This thesis engages in a critical examination of parents' rights in religious upbringing and religious education within a liberal perspective. One of the central features of a 'liberal perspective' is taken here to be a commitment to the importance of valuing and developing the autonomy of the child. This commitment has important implications for the defensibility of both religious upbringing and religious education, and for the scope of parental rights that can be exercised in relation to them. In the first three chapters it is argued that, given this perspective, parents have a right to give their children a certain kind of religious upbringing; one where their children are brought up to have an initial determinate religious commitment, but one which is both open to, and compatible with, the child's eventual achievement of autonomy. This view is defended against a range of objections and the character of such an upbringing is explored in some detail. In the next four chapters it is argued that, following on from this claim about religious upbringing, a broadly similar claim can be made about religious education and schooling. Parents are seen as having the right to give their children a distinctive kind of liberal education, including a form of religious schooling, which seeks the development of their child's autonomy from a particular starting point. The argument proceeds from an analysis of parents' rights in general concerning education, through a critical exploration of the notion of liberal education, to an outline of the concept of the `liberal religious school' and an analysis of the difficulties to which it gives rise. The thesis concludes with an exploration of further considerations which support the view that a plurality of forms of liberal education, including education in religion, should be acknowledged, in relation to which parental rights can legitimately be claimed and exercised.

This thesis considers the initial teacher education of non-specialist primary undergraduate student teachers in teaching Religious Education. The focus of the research is a short module taught in the second year of the students’ degree course, which prepares students to teach in predominantly multicultural classrooms in London. The module adopts an Interpretive Approach to Religious Education, which contributes to a realignment of the students’ conceptualisation of knowledge through examination of the concepts of episteme and phronesis. Findings show that overt acknowledgement of the student teachers’ developing professional understandings, situated in decisions which reference values as well as subject knowledge, can alter their understanding and confidence about teaching Religious Education and indicates wider benefit in their appreciation of their developing teacher personae. The Structure of the Research Chapter 1 is a contextual introduction which presents a series of lenses through which to view the Religious Education module. Chapter 2 is an exploration of three main ideas which influenced the research: the Interpretive Approach to RE, the concept of phronesis, and the benefits to understanding pedagogy through self-study in teacher education. Chapter 3 explains the methodological thinking behind the research, ethical considerations and the methods employed. These include practitioner research, use of ethnographic and reflexive lenses and analysis of data from both students and personal reflection through self-study. Chapter 4 reports the findings from the research carried out with students, exploring the ideas which emerge from their responses to the module and my observations and interviews which illuminate ideas which emerge from the analysis. Chapter 5 is a discussion of the content and development of the module itself, exploring the impact and development of activities which influence the students’ understanding of RE. Chapter 6 draws together the threads of the research to explore the vision of a transformative ITE RE module, which recognises the value of acknowledging and developing phronesis in primary non-specialist student teacher education and concludes with recommendations to improve the current situation in RE in primary ITE.

This thesis will present an account of the religious way of living drawn from the writings of selected authorities. It will consider how myths, rituals and religion can help humans reach moments of transcendence. These themes will be discussed further in reference to the pious Jews who originated from small towns in Eastern Europe and who lived in accordance with their religious values.
This thesis will give substance to the account of the religious way of living with specific reference to the experience of pious Eastern European Jews before, during and after the Holocaust. It will be proposed that Holocaust studies can offer students several messages that are of crucial importance.

This thesis is a study of a divide in Philosophy, in particular one which pertains to its nature and method. The divide, which is shown to be deep and unbridgeable, is explored through four important topics in the Philosophy of Religion, specifically through: (a) the religious interest in immortality, (b) the understanding of myth as a form of religious communication, (c) the belief in miracles, and (d) the practice of prayer. It shows that depending on which understanding of the nature and methodology of Philosophy prevails, very different views of religion emerge. It further shows that there are serious practical implications (a) for Religious Education in school, and (b) for the legal prescription of an act of worship in school each day. This is due in part to the different views of religion that have emerged from the philosophical discussion, and in part due to the impact of the nature and methodology of philosophy on the way in which these issues are discussed by religious educationalists. For religious educationalists the important outcomes of this study are that reliance on an 'evidentialist' philosophy of religion may render RE indefensible on the school curriculum or invite pupils to become agnostics or atheists. On the other hand, by turning to 'Socratic' philosophy the educationalist is enabled to maintain a degree of impartiality and to invite pupils to deepen their understanding of religious life. Similarly for school worship, the reliance on an 'evidentialist' philosophy of religion turns worship into hypocritical practice but by turning to 'Socratic' philosophy, worship can transform one's understanding of education through the expression of its meaning. For philosophers the study is important because it serves as a reminder of the serious repercussions that their work can have.

Annexure to thesis: CORD : a curriculum for Catholic high school religious education : 15 intertwined process-strands : a book for teachers / composed and compiled by Michael Burke. Pietermaritzburg : Centaur publications, 1991. ISBN 0 947472 68 1.
Bibliography: pages 181-187.
Finding a satisfying approach to Religious Education is a problem even to schools with a specifically religious character; it is even more of a problem to multi-faith public schools. The root of the problem may lie in the monolithic way that "religion" and "religious education" are perceived. Everyone develops ways of making sense of life, however inadequate, and everyone possesses the same range of faculties for doing so. In a broad sense, this is religion - even if only some are conditioned to call it this - and any assistance given to awakening the faculties concerned is religious education - even if only some recognise it as such. Agnostics often possess highly developed faculties that in believers are seen as belonging to the fabric of their faith. In devising a programme of Religious Education for Catholic Schools, my starting point was to examine the range of faculties involved and how learning and growth happen in practice. It became apparent that, just as a language is approached by many routes (such as learning to understand, speak, read, write, and appreciate it) so too a number of processes operate in parallel to produce the effect called Religious Education. The analysis crystallised fifteen distinct learning processes. Some are immediately recognisable as "religious"; others are partly motivated and orientated by religion; still others are religious only in implicit ways.

This thesis is concerned with the question of what religious education should aim to achieve in the public sphere, and from that comes an interest in what is it that the teacher of religious education should aim to do. My enquiry is located, theoretically as well as conceptually, in the sphere of education. It is an educational study into religious education and situated in what can be termed a ‘Continental construction’ of educational research. I identify that since the inception of religious education in public schools in England, persistent assumptions have been made about both religion and education. I show how this has led, in my view, to conceptualisations of religious education which have been, and continue to be, incomplete. The central chapters of my thesis consider first religion and then education. This allows me to introduce my theoretical base, which is especially but not exclusively drawn from the work of Simone Weil and Hannah Arendt. I develop an argument suggesting that by also understanding religion existentially as faith, rather than as only belief or practice, will open new ways of considering the role of religious education in the public sphere. This is alongside an argument I develop with Arendt for education being conceptualised as bringing the child to action rather than to reason. This thesis argues for a broader understanding of religion, and therefore what it means to live a religious life, in religious education than has previously been considered. I bring this broader way of understanding what it means to live a religious life together with my argument for conceptualising education as bringing the child to action. This enables me to make a new proposal for what religious education should aim to achieve in the public sphere.

Bibliography: leaves 92-102.
The premise throughout this thesis is that religious education at state schools has hopelessly failed. Teachers are generally apathetic and pupils disinterested and bored by a repetitive content which, for the most part, is a duplication of what happens in Sunday school. Christian National education, the dominant ethos and philosophy underlying educational methodology, denies the plurality of the South African society and the plurality within Christianity itself. Calvinism is blithely promoted as normative Christianity while the existence of religions such as African Traditional Religion is denied. The challenge of pluralism in religion education is underlined, in this work, by a feminist analysis which derives from a personal experience. Any black woman of faith experiences a triple oppression it is held. To this end, the effects of racism, sexism and patriarchy is addressed with the view to contribute towards the transformation of the state of both education and religion in the South African context. The argument throughout is that a religion education in schools, which is going to reflect the diversity of our society, has to include in its definition of pluralism, the category of gender. An overview of the state of religion in education serves as an introduction while plurality and the role of the state is defined in chapter one. The point that gender, as a category of plurality, must be consciously included in its definition, if it aims to restore the full humanity of those who have been dispossessed, is promoted. Chapter two focuses on the position of women within religion which has hitherto been a negative one and chapter three shortly attempts to clarify the inherent definitional problem of Religion Education and argues for a recognition and position of African Traditional Religion in the school syllabus. Chapter four focuses on the very important question of language since it is language that constructs our heritage. The symbolic appeals language evokes is further considered and critiqued. The point that masculine language and imagery has to be revised in any pursuit of a just and acceptable religion education is further argued and the implications thereof, set out. Religious texts are appropriated from a feminist perspective in chapter five and traditional theology challenged. Examples as to how to read into the text and to read behind the text, in order to rediscover women's lost history, are given. Texts which are common to the Abrahamic religions are chosen for its accessibility and immediate relevance.

The Australian Catholic Religious Educational landscape has seen much change in theory and practice since the 1960s as theorists, researchers, church and education authorities, and religion teachers all sought to make Religious Education more appropriate and meaningful for students. While this change has led to a greater consensus about the nature and purposes of Religious Education, there still remains a diversity of expectations and a degree of ambiguity specifically about what classroom Religious Education should achieve. In the ongoing discussion of this question, what was often lacking was the voice of teachers. Hence, this study sought to explore and report the views of a sample of secondary school religion teachers. It made innovative use of the notion of 'what constitutes successful religion teaching' as a way of investigating teachers' understandings of Religious Education. The earlier part of the study, a systematic literature review, examined a range of research, theories, normative documents and religious/educational constructs that together constituted the background thinking that could have influenced teachers' views of what counted as 'successful' Religious Education. It included the following areas:- key religious/ecclesiastical constructs that informed Religious Education, particularly through Catholic Church documents at international, national and diocesan levels; historical typologies describing how approaches to Catholic Religious Education changed since the 1950s; constructs related to the spiritual and moral development of young people; a range of ideas such as: teacher satisfaction, efficacy, and the influence of professional development programs. Special attention was given to reviewing research on contemporary youth spirituality.;As well as the concern to hand on the Catholic faith tradition to the next generation, if the purposes of religion teachers were also to help make Religious Education relevant to the lives of their students and to help them find meaning and purpose in life, then an estimate of the spirituality of young people would be likely to be prominent in determining what constituted 'relevance' for the students. The latter part of the study surveyed the views of the total population of secondary religion teachers in one regional Catholic diocese. A questionnaire that collected both quantitative and qualitative data was distributed; 123 out of a total of 210 teachers completed and returned the questionnaire. Participant feedback groups were also used as a complementary method of collecting data on teachers' views of what constituted success in Religious Education and of what they considered militated against success; this helped confirm and extend the findings from the questionnaire. Some of the key findings were: Religious constructs: All the key religious/ecclesiastical constructs used in the Catholic sector for articulating the purposes of school Religious Education were well supported; but there remained some ambiguity about how appropriate they were for charting a Religious Education that was considered 'relevant' to the needs of contemporary youth. Relevance to young people's needs and to their spirituality: Prominent in the thinking of the teachers about successful Religious Education were a cluster of ideas that were 'student centred'. These included the notion of meeting the personal and spiritual needs of young people; and this was applied both to those who were religious and church going as well as to those who had more tenuous links with Catholicism. In addition, the student body included increasing numbers who were not Catholic.;A key descriptive term for this cluster of ideas was a 'relevant' Religious Education; this meant having a Religious Education that had evident links with young people's life experience; also, it needed to be meaningful in helping them make sense of life and negotiate personal and social problems. Enhancing youth spirituality: There was some polarisation in views about the relative importance of aims concerned with promoting mass attendance and a traditional religious spirituality; prominent in teacher thinking was the need to resource and enhance young people's spirituality no matter what their level of religiosity or engagement with the Church. Addressing the needs of contemporary youth spirituality was a key element in thinking about a relevant Religious Education. Academic subject approach: There was a strong endorsement of the principle that Religious Education should be considered as a serious academic pursuit. There was however, a minority who did not share this view; and it seemed that this group favoured an approach which was more 'personal', even if what this entailed in practice (apart from group discussion) was not clear. Critical inquiry: The teachers considered that sponsoring a spirit of critical inquiry was particularly important for the students of today. Critical thinking by students - identifiable in group work, discussions and in written work - was regarded as a good indicator of successful teaching. Personal dimension: Some participants considered that both 'relevant content' and 'relevant pedagogy' could be combined in an academic subject approach to Religious Education; others felt that an academic approach could compromise the personal learning that was possible in Religious Education. The findings indicated that issues related to a personal dimension in Religious Education (Rossiter, 1999) still remained influential in the thinking of current religion teachers.; Teachers' personal views: While the sharing of teachers' personal views in classroom Religious Education was considered important (and was related to ideas about 'witnessing' and 'ministry'), there was a polarisation of opinion about the extent to which this should or should not be prominent in religion lessons. Structural and staffing issues: The status of Religious Education in the school and how it was staffed and timetabled were regarded as important questions that had a significant influence on how successful Religious Education could be. Also of significance were the professional background and professional development of the teachers in theology and Religious Education. Conclusions: In the light of the research findings and taking into account the interpretation of issues in the literature review, the researcher proposed his own view of Religious Education as one that should inform Catholic secondary school Religious Education theory and practice. This view does not go beyond existing theory and practice; but it proposes a combination of key contemporary ideas within a conceptual formula that tries to eliminate the polarity about whether or not secondary school Religious Education should be approached as an academic subject. The researcher proposed that the following key ideas need to be related to highlight their linkage and complementarity in thinking about the nature and purposes of Religious Education: 1. Religion needs to be taught as an academic subject with the same sort of intellectual demands and academic credibility that are accepted for other subjects in the curriculum. 2.;At the same time, and without compromising academic processes, the personal dimension to Religious Education can be accommodated and enhanced through a combination of both 'content relevance 'and 'pedagogical relevance' in other words, a challenging, information rich, open, critical inquiry into content selected because it has some likely connection with young people's personal and spiritual needs; similarly, formal religious content (e.g. theology, scripture, liturgy, church history, morality etc.) can be taught in ways that seek to highlight links with the contemporary search for meaning and purpose in life. 3. Taking into account trends in contemporary youth spirituality is a key element in planning a 'relevant' Religious Education in both content and method. This helps identify the 'spiritual starting points' of many students; it takes into account that there are a significant proportion of youth who do not have a traditional, religious spirituality - but one that is relatively secular, individualistic, eclectic and self-reliant. Estimating what content and pedagogy in Religious Education are 'relevant' to young people involves theorising and it is not ever likely to provide a solution that is self-evident or that will achieve full teacher consensus; neither is it a simplistic matter of asking students what they would like to learn; content related to the communication of the religious tradition will always have a secure, central place in Catholic school Religious Education. Nevertheless, the researcher concludes that a specific effort to estimate potential relevance is one key element that should be prominent in thinking about the nature and purposes of Religious Education at both diocesan and school levels.; While there still remains in the minds of some religion teachers a low level of doubt about whether an academic subject oriented Religious Education can be personally relevant to students, and whether it is too biased towards the cognitive to give adequate attention to the affective dimension, it is considered that this thesis is a step in the direction of addressing this hesitation. It proposes that a study of religion can be both relevant in content and relevant in pedagogy; and that within such a framework, the personal dimension to Religious Education can be naturally accommodated without compromising students' freedom by focusing too much on personal disclosure as a principal means of judging relevance and success. It also proposes that better criteria for appraising relevance in Religious Education can be derived from attention to contemporary youth spirituality. Recommendations: In the light of the study, a number of recommendations for the enhancement of Catholic secondary Religious Education were proposed. Firstly, these have to do with the continued clarification of the purposes of Religious Education that will help address the lingering ambiguity in teachers' understandings and work towards a greater consensus about the value of a subject-oriented approach. A stronger place was recommended for the critical study of spiritual and moral issues, alongside the content related to the religious tradition. Other recommendations were related to the structural place of Religious Education in the school curriculum, to the content and resourcing of the diocesan religion curriculum, and to teacher professional development.