The Role of Religious Imagination in Religious Education: Centering on Mark Johnson’s Concept of Moral Imagination

ABSTRACT

[Objective] The purpose of this study is to examine Mark Johnson’s concept of moral imagination and to connect it with religious imagination, thereby proposing the role and applications of religious imagination in the context of religious education. [Contents] Focusing on Johnson’s ideas—image schema, metaphorical mapping, prototype effects, and narrative structuring—this study analyzes the role of moral imagination and applies it to religion. It argues that religious imagination serves as a core capacity that connects archetypal experiences of religious traditions to everyday life, shaping religious meaning. In line with the 2022 revised curriculum Life and Religion, four educational components are proposed: 1) reflection on archetypal experiences in religion, 2) metaphorical and narrative connection to one’s own life, 3) exploration of ultimate meaning, and 4) creative application to real-life issues. Textbook analysis explores their practical applicability. [Conclusions] Based on the results of the study, first, religious imagination encompasses moral imagination and functions as a cognitive and practical capacity that harmonizes the tension between transcendence and reality. Second, religious education should go beyond mere doctrinal instruction to become holistic education that enables learners to actively integrate religious traditions into their own lives and practice social responsibility and peace. Religious imagination can serve as a core competency in this transformative process.