Abstract
This article explores the meaning of ‘religious ideals’ and their possible role in education. ‘Religious ideals’ are defined as ideals that acquire meaning due to a belief in transcendence or a divine being. Two kinds of religious ideals are being distinguished, namely ideals that are constituted by a belief in a transcendent being and ideals that are being determined by this belief. These types of ideals are illustrated by means of the Christian tradition. An example of the first is devotion to God and to the second belong the four cardinal virtues. The second part deals with two issues that are particular to the education of religious ideals. First, I counter the critique that people who have religious ideals are fanatics who pursue the realization of their ideals relentlessly. Secondly, I show that educating children with religious ideals may have positive effects, namely the influence on their development towards autonomy and moral commitment.
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