A Study of Practical Alternative of the Religious Education

ABSTRACT

This article purpose to investigate practical alternatives of the religious education at high school in Korea. In recent, we has acknowledged an emerging concept of religiousness(spirituality) which has needed to change in the format, contents, methods in the religious education. The understanding of religious lesson and the participating of religious rituals have not been enough to gain the essential purposes of religious education. Therefore we have to teach the essentials of the religion which means to the nature of the religion, that is to say, Buddhistic nature in Buddhism, Spirituality in Christianity, Atman in Hinduism and so forth. In spite of this conceptualized suggesting the essence of religion, it is difficult to transform the essence of religion to the practical contents and methods in the dimension of religious education.Therefore I suggest to introduce the ascetic experiencing program in religious education in school based curriculum. The introducing the ascetic experiencing program in the dimension of religious education let teacher, learner awake the essential meanings of religion which include various religious sentiments- awe, wonder, reverence and so on. About this kind of religious dimension, we might say transcendental experience. Therefore I would suggest the progressing direction of religious education in school, starting from learning particular religious dimension(for example Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism), to experiencing the universal religious dimension-for example, awe, wonder, reverence.In the light of preceding suggestion, I would like to propose to change the contents of religious subject matter-religious textbook. The experts of religious textbooks have sticked to goal-outcomes paradigm which based on transmitting the religious knowledge. And so, the composing focus of religious education will be changed transmitting religious knowledge to purposing for the transformation of learner's being. In the light of view point, I will suggest that the contents of religious textbook have to need to be recomposed to problem-centered approach, situational-centered writing, lifeworld-centered format.