Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi

Öz

In this article, the approach of
religious education with pragmatist views and the ideas of the educators
advocating it have been discussed. Religious education perspective of in
question approach, the educational paradigm on which it is based and the major
assumptions on knowledge and learning are assessed. This approach is centered
on understanding rather than knowledge as the aim of religious education. In
the teaching processes, more attention is given to the subjective experience of
children in terms of personality development arguing that experience is more
effective than knowledge in the existence of man. In this approach, which has a
transformational educational perspective in the anti-positivist character,
postmodernist traces are seen in personality-related assumptions as well as
pragmatist acceptances related to knowledge and learning. In the first part of
the article, the socio-cultural and pedagogical backgrounds of this new religious
education approach; in the second part, some hypothesis of this approach
related to knowledge in terms of philosophical basis; and in the last part of
this article main criticisms towards this approach will be given.