Current Issues of Religious Pedagogy & Catechisis

U članku se ponajprije svraća pozornost na složenost religijskopedagoško-katehetskog istraživanja te ukazuje na čimbenike koji otežavaju prikaz aktualnih pitanja religijske pedagogije i katehetike. To su prije svega kontekstualno obilježje discipline i interdisciplinarni karakter njezina istraživanja. Unatoč spomenutim poteškoćama nastoji se dati promišljen i utemeljen pregled najaktualnijih tema i tendencija na svjetskoj razini, iako je težište ipak na literaturi četiriju glavnih zapadnoeuropskih jezika. U religijskoj pedagogiji i katehetici uočljivo je nastojanje da se standardiziraju dosadašnja postignuća i otvore nove perspektive, obilježene sučeljavanjem s novim povijesnim i kulturološkim izazovima, među kojima je najznačajniji religijskopedagoški rad u uvjetima radikalne dijaspore i rastućeg svjetonazorsko-religioznog pluralizma, posebno na tradicionalnim kršćanskim prostorima. Aktualna pitanja religijske pedagogije i katehetike na hrvatskom jezičnom području, o kojima se govori na kraju članka, najvećim su dijelom određena društveno-političkim promjenama iz 1990. godine, a tretiraju: uvođenje i usustavljenje vjeronauka kao školskog predmeta, novo definiranje i profiliranje župne kateheze, razjašnjavanje međusobnog odnosa tih dvaju mjesta religioznog odgoja i učenja, novi profil vjeroučitelja, njihove duhovnosti i profesionalnih kompetencija, vjeronaučnu didaktiku i metodiku, pitanje planova i programa te udžbenika i katekizama za vjeronauk i katehezu. Bilješke ovog članka donose vrijedne indikacije koje mogu poslužiti kao putokaz za daljnja istraživanja o mnogim pitanjima i temama koje su ovdje naznačene.The article first reflects upon the complexity of religious-pedagogical catechism research and points out factors that thwart the presentation of current issues relating to religious pedagogy and catechism. These are above all contextual features of the discipline and the inter-disciplinary nature of religious-pedagogical-catechism research. Despite the said difficulties, the author attempts to offer the thought and a founded review of the most current topics and tendencies at a world level even though literature of the four main Western European languages is stressed. The presentation begins with the hypothesis that the transition between from the 20th to the 21st century in religious pedagogy and catechism was the motivation for numerous editions that endeavoured to standardise the achievements, consolidate scientific discipline and offer a contemporary overview of religious-pedagogy catechism topics and issues and as such, open new perspectives that vitally determined its profile in the present but even more so to determine its future. At large Continental and world conferences of experts and in catechism publications, discussions are presented of current issues of this scientific discipline that are featured with facing new historical and cultural challenges, amongst which the most significant is religious pedagogical work in conditions of radical Diaspora and a growing pluralism of religious affiliation, particularly in traditionally Christian regions. Experts point to the possibility of changes in catechism paradigms and traces of new models of catechism that is appropriate to the new, »post-Christian« missionary context. In that regard, it is particularly significance is given to the question of Evangelisation and revision and updatedness of Catechumenical forms of Christian initiation. The notion of multi-cultural social contexts and religious pluralism imposes new religious pedagogical tasks such as those concerned with teaching tolerance and dialogue and ecumenical inter-religious and inter-cultural teaching. New thought about thefundamental content of the Christian proclamation is also evident as is,facing the challenges of modem society that is defined as a »social study«. The article points out new accents in research that are directed to those involved in religious instructions, education and catechism listing numerous other projects and topics that are being worked upon. These include: scientific theory of religious pedagogy, the history of catechism, catechism and/or religious pedagogy, comparative religious instructions, reforms in studies for religious instructions teachers, new meaning to aesthetic teaching, the role of symbols and myths in religious communication, psychology, social and religious meaning of rituals and a new awareness of the catechism dimension of the Liturgy itself, religious-pedagogical meaning of Church space, new thought about the principles and didactic correlation, pastoral care of the young, family catechism, bio-ethical issues and dialogue with natural sciences, relations toward the media, the use of new media and multi-media halls, creativity, complete learning, open lessons, evaluation and attention to acute social issues and hot social problems. Current issues of religious pedagogy and catechism in the Croatian regions, which the article refers to in the end, was on the most part determined by social-political changes in 1990, and are treated as follows: introducing and establishing religious instructions as a school subject, new definitions and profiles of parochial catechism, explanation of mutual relations of the two places in religious instructions and teaching, new profile of religious instructions teachers, their spirituality and professional competencies, religious instructions didactics and methodology, questions of planning and programmes and text books and catechism for religious instructions and catechism. Notes in this article contain valuable indications that can serve as a signpost for further research about many issues and topics that the article touches upon