Exploring Directions for Religious Literacy Education in University General Education

ABSTRACT

[Objective] This study examines how religious education in Korean university general education can be redefined as religious literacy in response to a growing multi-religious and multicultural society. Although religion continues to shape public discourse, ethical judgment, and social conflict, religion-related courses are often marginalized because they are misconstrued as faith transmission. The study aims to clarify the concept of religious literacy in religious education and to propose its public rationale and instructional directions within general education.[Contents] First, the study analyzed changes in university general education and the tasks of religious education. Second, it reviewed the concept of religious literacy from the perspective of religious education. Third, it examined the publicness of religious literacy from a civic-education perspective; and fourth, it analyzed directions for religious literacy education in university general education based on prior research.[Conclusions] The study suggests three directions: shifting from doctrinal listing to contextual understanding; setting critical reflection and dialogic competence (rather than persuasion) as learning outcomes; and structurally linking instruction to civic outcomes such as deliberation, mutual respect, and hate-prevention. These implications support outcome-based curriculum design and provide a conceptual foundation for future course development and empirical evaluation.