Ecumenical Didactics of Religion

Research Context

Societal developments are accelerating denominational and religious diversity and pose new challenges for the design of religious education in schools. Enhancing ecumenical cooperation in religious education in Europe is a necessary way to contribute to higher standards of education and more tolerance between religious communities. Already existing forms of cooperative teaching need accompanying research. Models of cooperation need to be developed beyond national borders, in order to be able to organise cooperation between Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic religious education institutions in a professional manner, as well as a better teacher training. Furthermore, ecumenical cooperation in joint projects strengthens competence in religious education.

Aims

  • Develop Models for Inter-Confessional Cooperation in the Context of Religious Education (national and international)
  • Synopsis of the Curricula of Different Denominations: Commonalities, Specifics, and Coordination with Competences
  • To provide Didactic Models for Ecumenically oriented Teaching Activities
  • Contribute to coping with the change from Majority to Minority Constellations of the Catholic Religious Education Classes in Austria
  • Do research on the Culture of Remembrance in Protestant and Catholic Religious Education Classes

Projects

  • Dialogical-Confessional Religious Education (dkRU): Diploma theses on the theological preparation of selected topics at different school levels (Andrea Lehner-Hartmann/Florian Mayrhofer/Mathias Steiner/Katrin Zahradnik)
  • Teaching Religion about the Change from Majority Position to Minority Position: Consequences for Confessional Religious Education Classes to Interconfessional/Religious Cooperation (Andrea Lehner-Hartmann)
  • Development of Religious Didactics with a special Focus on Ecumenism
  • REMEMBER - Remembering the Holocaust in religious education. Is 'Remembrance of the Holocaust / the Shoah' a topic for teachers of religion* in class?
  • Ecumenical Reconnaissances

Excellent Theses

  • Mathias Steiner: Dialogisch-konfessioneller Religionsunterricht an Volksschulen - Lehrplansynopse und didaktische Entwürfe (Arbeitstitel)
  • Katrin Zahradnik: Dialogisch-konfessioneller Religionsunterricht in der Sekundarstufe 1 - Lehrplansynopse und didaktische Entwürfe (Arbeitstitel)
  • Florian Mayrhofer: Dialogisches Lernen an Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschieden. Eine Lehrplansynopse und religionsdidaktische Entwürfe für einen dialogisch-konfessionellen RU an der BHS (Arbeitstitel)