The aim of this study is to gain empirical knowledge about how the Bible functions in the context of Protestant Christian primary schools in the Netherlands. It presents the results of an empirical explorative and qualitative study on the perceptions of teachers and school administrators (directors and internal supervisors) on the goals of Bible…

This paper studied a new dimension of international students, who are citizens of another country but came back to Turkey for religious education where their parents or grandparents are citizens. Did a five-year religious education process based on the main sources of Islam lead to a change in these students' religious attitudes and behaviors, and…

How the Bible functions in (Christian) education in the international discourse on religious education, particularly in the Dutch context, has rarely been empirically investigated. The purpose of this article is to gain insight into how the Bible is functioning in the context of Protestant secondary schools in the Netherlands. In addition to…

While many college courses on "world religions" have as their foundation an assortment of institutionally-authoritative, primary sources selected from a canon of sacred texts, this paper argues for a critical reevaluation of such textually-based teaching methodologies in light of the religious literacy standards set by the American…

Religious schools in Spain and Italy have been focused for centuries on spreading the Bible's message among students. In the beginning of the sacred scriptures, there is a mandate to protect nature as God's steward of creation; however, that reality has played a secondary role amongst believers and educational institutions. 180 Spanish and 135…

Student learning in religious educational settings is subject to the same pedagogical forces, both effective and ineffective, as found in secular settings. Lectures, readings, assignments, testing and other activities associated with typical instruction, while of some value, tend to leave students with knowledge that is mostly fragmented. In this…

This case study leverages existing library assets and curated educational resources for students, pastors, and health ministers by seeking to increase their understandings of how religion intersects with, and informs, health education and promotion, and public health more broadly, while equipping them with tools to engage in important…

This article reflects on the experience of teaching a course called "Sacred Sound in World Religions" at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. I claim that the nature of music and music-making has profound implications for teaching and pedagogical theory in an interreligious setting. Drawing upon scholars including Lisa M. Hess,…

"Lost & Found" is a game series, created at the Initiative for Religion, Culture, and Policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology MAGIC Center. The series teaches medieval religious legal systems. This article uses the first two games of the series as a case study to explore a particular set of processes to conceive, design, and…

This article reports on a practitioner action research project focused on developing, trialing, and reflecting upon a continuous and formative-assessment plan for a foundational New Testament survey course. Three pedagogical convictions are discussed and drive the design of the assessment. Seven to nine assessment items (depending on level of…

This study identifies the dominant modes of biblical interpretation being taught in introductory Bible courses through a qualitative analysis of course syllabi from three institutional contexts: evangelical Christian colleges, private colleges, and public universities. Despite a proliferation of methods and scholarly approaches to the Bible, this…

In the undergraduate religious studies classroom at the University of Leeds students are introduced to the complexity of religion in locality. One of the most engaging ways to do this is through a place-based pedagogy utilizing independent fieldwork as part of the learning process. However, undergraduates, like seasoned researchers, must learn to…

We analyzed 2,621 written student comments to better understand themes which most contribute to religion classes being rated high or low in terms of the spiritual benefit students received from the class. From 2,448 religion classes taught from September of 2010 through April of 2014, comments from the top 61 (2.5 percent) and bottom 51 (2.1…

This paper explores the possibilities and challenges inherent in employing community service-learning as a pedagogy for engaging undergraduates in theology and religious studies courses that contribute to racial reconciliation. The paper summarizes research from the scholarship of teaching and learning on best practices for structuring…

Transformative Learning Theory and pedagogies leverage disruptive experiences as catalysts for learning and teaching. By facilitating processes of critical analysis and reflection that challenge assumptions, transformative learning reframes what counts as knowledge and the sources and processes for gaining and producing it. Students develop a…