Vjeronauk i promicanje duhovnog razvoja učenika u ozračju novog interesa za duhovnost
Religious Education and the Promotion of Spiritual Development among Students in the Light of Novel Interest in Spirituality

Summary/Abstract: This article discusses whether Religious Education in public schools can legitimately promote the spiritual development of students, considering the predominantly educational orientation of religion teaching in public schools. The multifaceted concept of spirituality, which has occupied an important place in scientific research over the recent decades, and is also referred to as a spiritual turn in literature, is central to this issue. Since there has so far been very little pedagogical and religious pedagogical research devoted to this topic in Croatia, this paper presents the content-related and structural determinants of the spirituality concept in contemporary Christian theology, and the development of spirituality concept(s) in other sciences. Their points of contact, critical aspects and potential for dialogue are shown. Given that not only Religious Education, but also school as a whole, includes the educational dimension, this involves promoting the spiritual development of students. Spirituality in the broader philosophical and anthropological sense signifies the connection between human beings and their inner selves, their relationship with others, with the created world, as well as with the transcendental, emphasizing thereby the dimension of the meaning, the purpose, and the integration of life. This concept of spirituality is also compatible with the Christian-theological concept. The theological concept integrates the anthropological one by giving it a new meaning, based on Christian faith in the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Religious Education that promotes transformative learning mediates the contents of Christian faith that can help students in their formation. This is essentially about learning through and from religion, which is acceptable to all students.

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