Controversial Issues in Religious Education on Ethics, Values, and Beliefs: Perspectives from Northern Europe

This book presents a broad and in-depth, research-based source for exploring how teaching controversial issues on ethics, values, and beliefs can be conducted in Religious Education. How may teachers conduct an objective and comprehensive education that respects children's and young people's divergent views, based on traditions and beliefs that characterize their background and family discourse and/or in personal standpoints? The chapters explore the development of pedagogical and didactical approaches, with special regard to the implementation of teaching on issues that may be experienced as sensitive and contentious. The chapters represent a variety of disciplinary fields, including philosophy, science of religion, ethics, intercultural education, values education, worldview education, and social sustainability. The book may serve as course literature in Teacher education, and in in-service training for teachers.

Olof Franck is a Professor in the Department of Pedagogical Curricular and Professional Studies at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Bodil Liljefors Persson is a Professor of History of Religions at the Department of Society, Culture and Identity at Malmö University, Sweden.