Religious education and the interwar intellectuals: a secularism case study
For some time now, the idea of secularism has been the subject of renewed scrutiny. Statistical portraits, representing a simple, if relentless, narrative have been increasingly disparaged by scholars as unhelpful. Statistical secularism, as we may call it, tells a story of decline and little else....
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
[publisher not identified]
[2020]
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In: |
British Journal of religious education
Year: 2020, Volume: 42, Issue: 2, Pages: 129-140 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Waugh, Evelyn 1903-1966
/ Auden, Wystan H. 1907-1973
/ Great Britain
/ Religious instruction
/ Secularism
/ Religiosity
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RelBib Classification: | AH Religious education KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history RF Christian education; catechetics |
Further subjects: | B
Word
B Intellectuals B Conversion B Secularism B interwar period |
Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) |
Summary: | For some time now, the idea of secularism has been the subject of renewed scrutiny. Statistical portraits, representing a simple, if relentless, narrative have been increasingly disparaged by scholars as unhelpful. Statistical secularism, as we may call it, tells a story of decline and little else. It is incapable of telling the real story which is one in which religious experience becomes hyper-fragmented. The memoirs and reminiscences of those English intellectuals who came to maturity in the interwar period have a contribution to make to this discussion. These pieces of life-writing reveal both the march of secularism in action but also the emergence of new religious experiences. At the heart of these radical changes was a widespread dissatisfaction with the way in which they were taught their religious faith. Where the experts of their day cautioned against teaching students doctrine, students like Evelyn Waugh, W. H. Auden and John Betjeman were particularly critical of that very concession. Thus, we get the chance to tease out an attitudinal pattern towards the religious education of the period and its contribution to the growing experience of secularism. |
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ISSN: | 1740-7931 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: British Journal of religious education
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/01416200.2018.1556599 |