On Religious Education in Catholicism as "liberal Arts Education"

2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 13610319
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Educaion
• Research Institution: Shirayuri College (Shirayuri Joshi Daigaku)
• Principal Investigator: SASAKI Hiroko Shirayuri College, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Associate Professor, 文学部, 助教授 (60286888)
• Project Period (FY): 2001 – 2003
• Keywords: Catholicism / religious education / liberal arts education

Research Abstract

This research focused on the religious education in Catholicism, especially on historical and ideal aspects. In Japan, it can be said that the research on this field is quite new one and has not been paid much attention to.
In Catholic, the attitudes to other religions were radically changed by the Second Vatican Council (1963-1965). Therefore, the change of point of view towards other education also changed after this Council. In fact, it is pointed out that it took much time to have changes of this matter in Catholic education, even after Second Vatican Council, and this is "on going" matter in Catholic education. Generally speaking, the Catholic education in the countries where Catholic is a minority often make more efforts for this issue than those countries where Catholic is majority. Also it must be pointed out that Catholicism is not, as is generally believed, monolithic and the diversity of religious education in Catholic depends a lot on which congregation or religious order is in charge of.
Moreover, the "New Catechism", which was published by Vatican and Local Bishop Conferences several years ago, also gave influences on this matter.
The religious education in Catholic in Japan was much influenced according to how each congregation or religious order which owns the Catholic educational institute : understand Second Vatican Council and religious education.