This study examines how colonial-era Christian missionary education shaped apartheid-era religious schooling and post-apartheid state religion education. The author argues that post-apartheid state religion classrooms simultaneously combat and continue the religious inequalities promoted during apartheid. In attempting to combat old religious inequalities, religion education creates new religious inequalities. During apartheid, religious education wove racialized Christian nationalism into daily life, promoting the separation of peoples of different ethnic and religious groups in order to maintain a system of racial segregation. In an attempt to mend the racial and religious inequalities of apartheid, the post-apartheid state introduced multi-religion education into the school curriculum through the 2003 National Policy on Religion and Education. The Policy presents religion education as a means of teaching students to respect diversity. Although the new model developed as a direct response to apartheid, few measures ensure that the goals of religion education achieve their stated ends in classroom practice or that schools fully protect the religious rights of students. Moreover, religion receives a small share of curriculum time, raising questions as to whether or not it is taught in all post-apartheid schools. Even in schools where religion is taught, little accountability exists to ensure that the subject is taught well. This thesis problematizes the insufficient religion training provided to educators as well as the Policy's possible promotion of a civil religion of positive tolerance centered on pluralism and secularism. These concerns are further compounded by some teachers' rejection of the Policy, the intertwined histories of Christianity and education in South Africa, and longstanding perceptions of "world religions" that problematically marginalize indigenous traditions and structurally reflect Christianity. Because the break between religious education as conceived during apartheid and religion education in post-apartheid South Africa is primarily one of policy over practice, religious inequalities continue to pervade schools. Finally, this study outlines a few possible proposals for changes in religion education and explores trends in religion and education across Southern Africa. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Religion in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. / Spring Semester 2017. / April 7, 2017. / religion, religion education, religious education, South Africa / Includes bibliographical references. / Joseph Hellweg, Professor Directing Thesis; Amanda Porterfield, Committee Member; Ayesha Khurshid, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_507655 |
| Contributors | Dyehouse, Andrea Renee (authoraut), Hellweg, Joseph (professor directing thesis), Porterfield, Amanda, 1947- (committee member), Khurshid, Ayesha (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of Religion (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, master thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (104 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Coverage | South Africa |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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