This paper initiates a novel discourse advocating for the anti-colonization of religious education (RE) in Africa South of the Sahara (ASoS). It illustrates how anti-colonial critiques can not only offer more precise theoretical perspectives but also generate a practical imperative for a paradigm shift in a school subject "still"…

Despite the growing awareness of child abuse, little academic research examines religious abuse and trauma during childhood. This paper constructs an interdisciplinary and intersectional heuristic of childhood religious trauma and abuse (RTA) by weaving together psychological and theo-philosophical literature with Rebecca Nye's theory of childhood…

This article explores how religious education can access and embrace children with refugee/internally displaced people (IDP) backgrounds to address the issues associated with feelings of loss safely and to contribute to a socially just framework. This article makes practical recommendations for religious educators to respond better to the…

Introducing dreams of new centers for the guild, this article responds to the 2018 Religious Education Association's annual conference, "Beyond White Normativity." After remarks on embedded whiteness within religious education, I ask, "Can people of color be the center of the guild?" There is an opportunity if the guild focuses…

This article examines identity development in light of Charles Taylor's notion of the "Buffered Self." Educating in faith toward the deconstruction of unjust identity norms requires finding a pathway out of this constrictive underlying structure. In particular, the manner in which religious educators address the promises and perils that…

This article examines the term "whiteness," providing a historical review for context. It uncovers whiteness using educational theory that identifies three aspects of curriculum--explicit, implicit, and null. A particularly unexamined biblical interpretation itself illustrates the explicit curriculum. Visual images that permeate the…

When a predominantly white organization decides to take on white normativity, it is cause for hope. However, havoc ensues when well-intended folks are caught enacting white normativity. Taking a performativity-inspired approach, this article analyzes what happened at the 2018 Religious Education Association annual meeting. By examining the…

This article explores the role of white comfort in sustaining white hegemony in institutional culture and classroom dynamics. The presumption of comfort and security in established social norms enacts an embodied commitment to white supremacy that operates concurrently with conscious, articulated desires to pursue equity, as it delimits how white…

Historically, Blacks have out of necessity prioritized survival in educating their younger generations for existence in the racially hostile and divided context of the U.S. This education and religious education has occurred formally and informally in homes, schools, community organizations, and in congregations. This paper examines three aspects…

As interreligious educators we challenge our students to engage in hermeneutical self-reflection. In this article, I turn the tables, and engage in an exercise of reflective practice: I look back on my own pedagogy, consider my own religiously diverse classroom, and ask in what way the theoretical framework from which I approach interreligious…

This paper explores the spatial and environmental conditions for democratic education in an interreligious project. The interreligious project provides a case for applying Dewey's concepts of experience and environment. Four kinds of experiences are presented: invited places-being a guest, common meeting points-shaping an interreligious…

Preparing future Christian leaders to take their place in the Church is not only about ensuring they have the capacities (intellectual, pastoral, strategic leadership, public performance, etc.), but that they become significant carriers of the traditions, beliefs, and practices that define a particular community of faith. Learning to become a…

Politics are a daily reality in the ministry. In order to identify how pastors develop their political knowledge, eleven pastors were interviewed using a qualitative form of the critical incidents technique. Analysis of the interviews revealed that formal education was seen as helpful, but limited in practical application for daily ministry. Four…