Religion and Worldviews

This book provides the first analysis and review of the Commission on Religious Education’s proposed worldviews framework for the subject. It argues that religious education has an important contribution to make to the aims of liberal education.

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Religion and Worldviews: The Triumph of the Secular in Religious Education provides the first serious analysis and review of the Commission on Religious Education’s proposed worldviews framework for the subject. It argues that religious education has an important contribution to make to the aims of liberal education and examines whether the shift to a worldview framework is capable of overcoming current weaknesses and initiating a new positive direction for the future. Chapters explore the role of worldviews in Religious Education, covering key debates including:



Whether there is need for new legislation on RE
The nature of professionalism and the role of ‘experts’
The extent to which there is educational value in study of the personal worldviews of students
The role of the religious voice in RE
The relation of religions to religious worldviews
The aims of RE
The relationship between the state and religion
Consideration of the nature of a worldview
The personal reflections of a member of the Commission on its proposals

The chapters provide all that is necessary to understand and to evaluate the current debate on the appropriateness of a worldviews approach to RE.

Bringing together leading names in the field, this is essential reading for trainee and practising teachers of Religious Education, RE advisers and schools’ leaders responsible for curriculum development.