Pedagogical Aspects of Theological Education in the 2020s: The Practicalities of Interreligious Dialogue, Education and Faith Studies. Part II

Abstract

This paper is part of a two-paper series. This second paper discusses the role of interreligious dialogue, interreligious education and interreligious studies in theological education. The paper discusses interreligious education and how its collaborative approach enables theology students to learn the dynamics of different religions by being taught by teachers from differing religious faiths. Religious education with school children also benefits as key differences between similar religions being taught in local communities can be understood. The paper explains how, at the societal level, religious tolerance of someone else’s religion becomes embedded as a universal right. The second section of this second paper discusses interreligious multi-faith development work. There is a strong emphasis on how theological education should be of value to the local community where the learning takes place, alongside using a partnership approach to deliver public goods. Multi-faith education concentrates on a collegiate approach to development, which in practical terms is local regenerative work. Another societal benefit of interreligious multi-faith development work is more nuanced. In an interreligious approach, harmony and trust are built up by differing religions, not trying to compete. The focus is on collegiate interreligious theology education and partnership development work in order to deliver social goods.