Textbook Gods - Genre, Text and Teaching Religious Studies - Bengt-Ove Andreassen
A Reservoir of Symbols: On the Conceptualization of “Religion” in Introductory Books for RE in Teacher Education in Norway
Textbook Gods - Genre, Text and Teaching Religious Studies - Bengt-Ove Andreassen
Bengt-Ove Andreassen [+]
University of Tromsø
Bengt-Ove Andreassen is Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Tromsø. He is also guest scholar in religious studies at University of Bergen in the period 2011-2013. One of his areas for research is themes related to religion in education and how perspectives from the academic study of religion can be applied in and to develop religion education (RE) in public school. Some publications: “On Ethics and religious culture (ERC) in Québec. Comments and comparative perspectives from a Norwegian and European context” in Religion & Education 38(3)(2011), Religionsdidaktikk. En innføring. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget (2012) (220 pages), and “Cristianity as culture and religions as religions. An analysis of the Core Curriculum as framwork for Norwegian RE” (forthcoming).
Description
The author draws attention to textbooks in teacher education at university colleges and universities in Norway. He argues that religion is presented as something solely good and as a valuable source for human development. The topics of religion and conflict or religious violence are not included. Such topics are most likely regarded as a disruptive force within the broader project of promoting religion as something good, and confessionally oriented religious education as something positive for children.