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The destruction of Buddhas: dissonant heritage, religious or political iconoclasm?

This article attempts to explore the main impulses that might have led to the destruction of Buddha statues by Taliban in the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan. Drawing on existing literature, and anecdotal evidence, this article suggests that the main impulses that have led to destruction are rather linked to the overall political context of that time (i.e., political iconoclasm) rather than to pure Islamic iconoclasm or an explicit condition of disharmony in heritage (i.e., dissonant heritage). First, the Taliban did not consider the statues as "their" cultural heritage. The act of destruction, therefore, cannot be subscribed to the Afghan cultural dynamics but rather to the political-religious ideology imported by Taliban from outside of the country. Secondly, it seemed that Mullah Omar was viewing the statues as a revenue source at the beginning and as a political bargain chip at the end. In both circumstances, religion seems not to have played the main role. Lastly, the destruction seems a political iconoclasm-that is, a political exploitation, if not a direct political act. The Taliban and especially their external allies were very well aware of the consequences of the act of destruction. It seems implausible to suggest that there were no religion and/or culture in play when ordering the destruction of the statues. The latter is the least what this article aims for. However, to conclude that the destruction was solely triggered by theological and cultural factors might also be improbable. The author does not, in any way, attempt to rationalize the act of destruction, let alone justify the barbaric act.

Being a christian "being the same everywhere" : teenagers on religion, self and society in post-socialist Poland

Religion and the secular in Eastern Germany, 1945 to present

Zoeken naar zin

In dit onderzoek in het kader van de kenniskring ‘Surfen naar Zin’ van het lectoraat Praktische Theologie van de Fontys Hogeschool Theologie Levensbeschouwing in samenwerking met de Fontys Pabo’s is een verkenning verricht naar doeloriëntaties van Pabo-studenten. De ‘jeugd van tegenwoordig’ waar Pabo-studenten nog recentelijk deel van uitmaakten heeft een andere oriëntatie op religie en levensbeschouwelijkheid dan zo’n dertig jaar geleden. Op basis van de theoretische concepten over religieus leren van Grimmitt is onderzocht welke doelen studenten voor zichzelf en het levensbeschouwelijke onderwijs hanteren. Immers oriëntaties van studenten zijn beïnvloedend voor de wijze waarop ze levensbeschouwing aan basisschoolkinderen onderwijzen. Inzicht in de voorkeursdoeloriëntatie zou kunnen leiden tot verhoging van de expertise en innovatie van het huidige Pabo curriculum op dit gebied. De volgende indeling van doeloriëntaties is gehanteerd: het monoreligieuze model - learning in religion - , het multireligieuze model - learning about religion - en het interreligieuze model - learning from religion -. Met behulp van een schriftelijke vragenlijst zijn 120 studenten bevraagd op hun oriëntaties. Het blijkt dat de onderzoeksgroep een voorkeur heeft voor het model van ‘learning about religion’ In hoeverre dit beïnvloed wordt door persoonskenmerken, culturele diversiteit, relaties tussen religies, vindplaatsen, perspectieven en alternatieven in religieus beleven is niet significant gebleken. Naar aanleiding van dit onderzoek wordt gepleit voor een aanpassing van het curriculum van de Pabo in de richting van het ‘learning about religion’ model en voor verder onderzoek naar de doeloriëntatie van leerkrachten, ouders en kinderen in de basisschool.

Religion and worldview in the work of Marie Muller-Lulofs, a pioneer in Dutch social work

Social workers nowadays are confronted with recurrent issues about religion and spirituality when in contact with diverse client groups. This was also the case in the beginning of the profession around 1900, in Europe as well as in the US. This study analyses the work of a Dutch pioneer in social work, Marie Muller-Lulofs (1854–1954) and presents the religious and worldview aspects of her reflections on social work. Her standard work Van mensch tot mensch (From person to person) of 1916 forms the basic text for theory-driven content analysis by applying the seven-dimension model of worldview of Ninian Smart: doctrine/philosophy, organisations, ethics, stories, experiences, rituals and materials. Results show that Muller-Lulofs makes a strong plea for a secular profession. Social-economic approaches are on the foreground. And yet, the methods, skills and professional attitudes she describes are substantially accounted for in religious and spiritual terms. This is mainly done by introducing narratives and metaphors derived from Christian and Buddhist traditions. It is concluded that Muller-Lulofs uses religion and spirituality in a non-dogmatic and non-prescriptive way, but as a source of inspiration to underpin the new profession. Her approach is relevant for current issues in social work in multicultural societies.

Religion, Education and Citizenship Education: The Challenge of Turning Religion Upside Down

Reflecting on the link between religion and religious tradition(s) on the one hand and school and education on the other, and reflecting on the reasoning strategy to make sense of this link, people seem to tend strongly to think, argue and reflect in a deductive mode (this point is elaborated in par. 3). This part of the argument is followed by considering the religious claims people make concerning the impact of religion on the day-to-day educational practice, it is, empirically speaking. It is apparently wrong to take this deductive reasoning serious as a road to undisputable and unambiguous links between claims and practices (this point is elaborated in par. 4). Having identified deductive reasoning as wishful thinking or as a supposed but inadequate religious legitimatization of educational practices, which is demonstrated by the empirical educational praxis itself, the final part of the article deals with the question that arises again and anew, viz. how educational practices could be understood in their connection to religious beliefs (see par. 5). Here a paradigm-shift is needed.