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In this critical evaluation of the National Policy on Religion and Education (Republic of South Africa 2003) , I will invite a multiplicity of voices and opinions from various disciplines and discourses - a Bakhtinian carnival of heteroglossic play . As opposed to the official feast, one might say that carnival celebrated temporary liberation from the prevailing truth and from the established order; it marked the suspension of all hierarchal rank, privileges, norms, and prohibitions. Carnival was the true feast of time, the feast of becoming, change, renewal. It was hostile to all that was immortalised and completed (Bakhtin 1984:10). In this time of postmodern carnival, official 'Truth' is constantly questioned and treated with suspicion and replaced by new and unofficial truths (Scott 1986; Hiebert 2003). God (if not religion) has been proclaimed dead and yet at the same time seems to be more alive than ever. This is a time when 'all the conventional norms and protocols are suspended, as the common life is invaded by a great wave of riotous antinomianism which makes everywhere for bizarre mésalliances' (Scott 1986:6). And the presiding spirit of blasphemy finds its quintessential expression in the ritual of the mock crowning and subsequent decrowning of the carnival king - who is the very antithesis of a real king, since he is in fact often a slave or a jester. In short, everything is topsy-turvy, and the disarray thus engenders an uproarious kind of laughter (Scott 1986:6). In his presidential address to the American Academy of Religion in 1986 titled 'The house of intellect in an age of carnival: some hermeneutical reflections', Scott (1986:7) explores the impact of the "multiplicity and fragmentation and diversity" facing 'the house of intellect', and identifies the challenge of not resorting to the safety of 'any sort of reductionism, [but] how to understand and interpret the multitudinous messages and voices that press in upon us, each clamouring for attention and for pride of place'. After acknowledging the polyphony surrounding Religionswissenschaft on the one hand and on the other hand rejecting any hermeneutical attempts at a 'totalistic' synthesis, Scott proposes moving among the different 'modalities' of interanimation between [the various] modes of discourse' (Ricoeur quoted by Scott 1986:11). Scott (1986:15) closes his address by appealing for continued conversations and dialogue among discourses and 'scatterings' of truth (1986:15) as a hermeneutical method that would take the plurality and heteroglossia of this time in history seriously. This thesis is an attempt - a personal but also a scholarly and academically responsible attempt - to plot many of the voices and contexts that would help to evaluate the specific understanding of the role of the study of religion in the broader contexts of citizenship in a postmodern age where nationalities, nation states and allegiances are constantly in flux and complex. This thesis is also submitted as proof of the validity of my own voice as one of many voices in and surrounding the house of intellect in an age of carnival. / Religious Studies and Arabic) / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies and Arabic)

I slutet av 1960-talet uppstod den djupekologiska rörelsen där bland annat filosofen Arne Næss genom boken Økologi, samfunn og livsstil: utkast till en økosofi (1973) gav upphov till namnet ekosofi, en ekologisk filosofi som skulle kunna vända den negativa trenden av miljöförstörelse. Ekosofin har senare kommit att benämnas som en livsåskådning vid sidan av andra livsåskådningar så som existentialism och humanism. I det gymnasiegemensamma ämnet religionskunskap ska undervisningen beröra världsreligionerna, etik och icke-religiösa livsåskådningar. Denna uppsats syfte är att med en innehållslig idéanalys analysera hur Næss ekosofi T förhåller sig till Anders Jeffners teorier om livsåskådning samt att diskutera i vilken mån ekosofi T kan användas som en icke-religiös livsåskådning i gymnasieskolans religionskunskapsundervisning. Det framkommer att Næss genom sina resonemang uppfyller Jeffners terminologi för vad en livsåskådning bör innehålla där en ekologisk och vetenskaplig materiell världsbild utgör grunden för ekosofi T som en icke-religiös livsåskådning. Likväl framkommer det att livsåskådningsbegreppet kan användas som ett analytiskt verktyg i undervisningen för att elever ska ges goda förutsättningar att jämföra och analysera livsåskådningar så som ekosofi T utifrån läroplanens mål och riktlinjer.

This thesis focuses on “livsfrågor” (questions of life) a typical Swedish concept introduced in the RE syllabus in the curriculum for compulsory schools in 1969. The study poses three questions: what can qualify as a “livsfråga”, why are they regarded important, and how do they fit into teaching? The main purpose is to study differences of the concept in two materials. Primarily interviews with Teacher educators all over Sweden and, secondly in the R.E. syllabus for compulsory and secondary schools from 1962 until today. Finally, the two materials used, will be brought together, and foci are recognized with the help of a tool for thought.  The study is using the concept dialogicity from Bachtin. Syllabus are viewed as compromises in accordance with a German tradition. In the syllabus, “livsfrågor” is one within many different words used with none what so ever stringency. It is not necessarily the most important term, as “livsåskådningsfrågor” (questions within philosophies of life)  is often dominating in objectivities. Also “existential questions” etc is used. The relation between the words are never made clear.  The syllabus are in one sense monologial as different meanings of the word are not made explicit, and other utterances are not invoked. In the interviews the dialogicity is more obvious. Philosophy is mentioned, eg.. Martin Buber, Viktor Frankl, theology (Paul Thillich), but also literature (Lars Gyllensten) and existentialism in a general sence. Other words are not as frequent – but “livsåskådningsfrågor” are of course mentioned, eg. Faith vs. knowledge. In the last chapter “livsfrågor” is problematized with the help of Andrew Wright and his three metanarrativies within the modern R.E. And the assumption, especially in the syllabus, of “livsfrågor”, as common between cultures and over time is problematized with the help of . feministic theory of knowledge.

This qualitative study analytically compares State-madrasa and inter-madrasa relations in Hindu-majority West Bengal and Muslim-majority Bangladesh. It uses Migdal’s State-in-Society approach to explain the nature and bases of these interactions as expressed in three interrelated arenas: educational, organisational, and political. The central question addressed in the educational arena is why some madrasas (recognised madrasas) respond positively to State-initiated incentives for reform while others (unrecognised madrasas) reject the same. In resolving this puzzle, the study seeks also: 1) to classify madrasas in each setting according to their relative thresholds for engagement with the State; and, 2) to identify how, and to what extent, the State can extend the appeal of its reform scheme to unrecognised madrasas. In the organisational arena, the study focuses exclusively on those madrasas that reject State-initiated reform, asking how they organise independently of the State. A key objective here is to determine how inter-madrasa relations vary between Muslim-minority and –majority contexts, and which specific aspects of the State’s policies most encourage such variation. The study’s third empirical section examines State-madrasa relations as expressed through two phenomena in the political arena. The first phenomenon involves the politicisation of recognised madrasas by the State (represented by political parties and their student wings). The study explicates the mechanisms through which this politicisation occurs, identifies the factors facilitating/impeding such politicisation, and assesses the impact of this politicisation on the political allegiances of individual students. The second phenomenon sees representatives of unrecognised madrasas (attempting to) reach into the State complex by launching madrasa-based political parties. The study focuses on this phenomenon to gauge the relationship between a madrasa man’s careers in the educational, organisational, and political arenas: To what extent can madrasa-based political entrepreneurs leverage influence wielded in the educational and organisational arenas towards success in the political arena? And do those who succeed in entering the State complex use this opportunity to promote the societal interests they represent in the educational arena, or in pursuit of increased authority in the organisational realm?

The problem is to examine the contributions of George S. Benson to Christian education. The study presents data obtained by personal interviews with George Benson and people who have been close to him, excerpts from letters written by former students, teachers, and board members, minutes of the Board of Trustees of Harding College, books, articles, speeches and newspapers.

KOCIÁNOVÁ, E. Educational Activities of Churches in Czech Republic for Preschool Children. Prague 2011. M. A. Dissertation. Charles University in Prague. Faculty of Pedagogy. Thesis counselor Doc. PhDr. Jana Uhlířová, CSc. This dissertation presents broad context of religious education generally together with the discourse of church established schools, above all nursery schools. The first, theoretical part treats with the broad topic of religious education in the context of the psychology of religion, religious socialization and the experience and the development of moral standards. This section also defines the role of family, church, school and the society in the religious development of the child and the transferring the beliefs and the traditions to young generation. Second practical part is divided into two substantive parts. First on the basis of analysis of questionnaire survey monitors the activities of religious nursery schools, their activities and teaching in relation to the proposed religious and educational goals. Second unit of this part deals with extracurricular activities that churches are doing for children during the week.

The aim of the thesis was to study young people's thoughts on religious education in high school with a focus on life questions (livsfrågor). In order to achieve the purpose of the thesis the issue was divided into two primary issues: how do young people describe religious education in high school? And how do they reflect on the concept of life questions? And two secondary issues: do young people consider that life questions were a part of religious teaching? And do the young people consider that their life questions were a part of religious teaching? In order to answer the issues five young people were interviewed on questions related to teaching of religion and life questions. The five youths had studied at least one religious course at secondary level. The results showed that the five youths regarded religious education as studies about "the others" because the major focus was on facts but they nevertheless perceived religious education as interesting. All the young people reflected differently about the concept of life questions. Whether or not life questions were brought up in the classrooms varied between the participants. Only one of the participants expressed with certainty that life questions that she also viewed as her own were brought up in the classroom.

This dissertation identified and analyzed the impact of learning environment factors on the retention and attrition of members of adult Sunday School classes in Kentucky Baptist Convention churches. The study was delimited to spiritual, physical, and social learning environment factors internal to adult classes meeting at church on Sunday led by the same teacher for the previous twelve months. The research questions focused on the strength and relationships of these factors and demographic data gathered. Precedent literature was investigated next. First, since adults in Sunday School study the Bible, an understanding of the impact of God and theological assumptions was presented. Then, adult learning assumptions, learning environment factors, and retention and attrition (assimilation) issues were applied to the context of adult Sunday School classes. Because limited literature was available addressing these issues in the church, resources from a diversity of fields were utilized, analyzed, and applied to this setting. The methodological design of the research involved creating and validating a research instrument, contacting and training church leaders, surveying classes on Sunday morning, and mailing instruments to no/low attenders. The random proportionally stratified sample included teachers and members of adult classes in nineteen KBC churches of the Long Run Baptist Association (Louisville area). The two instruments (teacher and member) contained seventy-two statements utilizing a Likert response scale along with twenty-two and sixteen demographic variables, respectively. Chronbach alpha reliability testing of the 762 instruments produced a score of .8801. In the analysis of findings, means, modes, medians, standard deviations, rankings, cross tabulations, percentages, and ANOVA data were provided to help answer the six research questions. The statements were combined into twenty-four triangulated learning environment factors in response to precedent literature. The strength of spiritual, physical, and social factors were examined along with the impact of retention (high/average attenders) and attrition (low/no attenders) and various demographic variables. Tables and figures helped to display findings in helpful ways. Conclusions drawn from the research findings were that spiritual and social learning environment factors did impact retention and attrition of the adult Sunday School classes in the sample. The impact of friends upon high/average attenders was evident, as was the impact of the teacher upon low/no attenders. Even though physical factors did not impact retention and attrition, several findings need application in the local church such as flexibility and physical arrangement. Several suggestions for further research were presented, including replication and utilization of the instrumentation and methodology in other locations and other denominations. Focusing on part of the learning environment factors could also produce helpful results. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.