A Study on Textbooks for Religious Educationin Unification Church

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the textbooks which are used for religious education in Unification Church secondary schools. Actually the author participated in the process of making the textbooks. First, I explored aims and contents, teaching-learning methods of the textbooks in comparison with the 7th National Religious Curriculum. Second, I investigated the suitability of the textbooks to secondary school students in the light of developmental theories. Finally, I searched the possibility of more active textbooks. Unification Church secondary schools combine ‘education about religion’ (religious education in the science of religion) and ‘education of religion’ (dogmatic religious education). However, it can be said that the contents about world religions and Korean religions in the textbooks are described on the view points of monotheism and Unification Church. According to my analyzing the textbooks, the aims of religious education are not clear in some units and the contents of some units are not suitable to the educational aims. The level of the textbooks are suitable to secondary school students in the light of developmental theories. However, the textbooks need various teaching-learning methods. The 7th National Religious Curriculum stressed ‘education about religion’ more than ‘education of religion’. If Unification Church secondary schools wants to fit with the scope and the level of the 7th National Religious Curriculum, they shall make an effort particularly to develop more active textbooks.