School of Religious Education

 

COMMITMENT AND NEUTRALITY:    A DILEMMA FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION?

A public lecture by Dr Trevor Cooling, Director the Stapleford Centre for Christian Education, Nottingham, and Special Lecturer in Education, The University of Nottingham, United Kingdom

Wednesday, 27th February 2002

Dr Cooling’s lecture will explore a number of issues in Religious Education concerned with commitment on one hand, and neutrality and indoctrination on the other.   The lecture is relevant to the teaching of Studies of Religion programs in NSW and how these might relate to the overall Christian aims for Religious Education in a Church-related school.

At the heart of a phenomenological approach to religious education is the need for objectivity in the academic study. However, to what extent does this apply to a view of Religious Education which sees the teaching of religion as a 'religious' activity?

Dr Cooling will discuss these issues in the light of current debates in the United Kingdom.

 

Dr Trevor Cooling is Director of The Stapleford Centre, an interdenominational centre which seeks to promote Christian approaches to teaching and learning in school and church.   The Centre does this by publishing resources and running courses.

Trevor is a Special Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Nottingham and is Course Leader for the distance learning courses in Religious Education and Values Education that are validated by the University.   He is also a consultant to the Qualifications and Curriculum Agency, the government body responsible for the curriculum in England. 

Dr Cooling is the author of A Christian Vision for State Education (SPCK, 1994) and joint editor of Agenda for Educational Change (Apollos, 1996).   His most recent publication is a classroom resource for secondary schools entitled Global Perspectives on Christianity (RMEP, 2001).   He is also an Associate Editor for the Journal of Christian Education.   Trevor has a PhD from the University of Birmingham, where he studied under Dr John Hull.

The lecture will be of interest to those involved in or interested in secondary school Religious Education.

Click here for the text of Dr Cooling's Lecture

Dr Coolikng's lecture is sponsored by the Cardinal Clancy Centre for Research in the Spiritual, Moral, Religious and Pastoral Dimensions of Education, Australian Catholic University, Strathfield NSW. www.acu.edu.au/ren/index.htm

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