Education for Religion: An Islamic Perspective

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This essay proposes a novel approach to religious education, one that stands in stark contrast to the often rigid and dogmatic nature of traditional religious instruction. The proposed approach seeks to cultivate deep awareness within students regarding their inherent limitations and their role as entrusted stewards in the grand design of God. It encourages students to move away from the temptation of godlike aspirations, such as the pursuit of boundless power and knowledge, instead positioning life on Earth as a divine destiny offering opportunities for growth, learning, and realizing one’s God-given potential. This form of religious education embraces doubt, uncertainty, and ambiguity, recognizing them as sources of motivation and meaning in a profound journey of faith. Inspired by John Hick’s and Abdolkarim Soroush’s works, this approach transcends traditional religious literacy, focusing on an encounter with the transcendent noumenal Real, and it is characterized by a sense of speechless awe, wonder, and astonishment before the riddles of existence and the beauty of the world. Ultimately, this essay underscores the importance of approaching religion as a system of relationships rather than as an ideology with all-encompassing answers.

Original languageEnglish
Article number309
JournalReligions
Volume15
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the author.

Keywords

  • Islamic education
  • confessional education
  • education for religion
  • religion education

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Religious studies

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Education for Religion: An Islamic Perspective'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this