Hermeneutical learning in religious education

Abstract

This article describes the contours of hermeneutical learning in the context of religious education. Hermeneutical learning is firstly distinguished from monoreligious learning and multireligious learning. Hermeneutical learning is based on a triple hermeneutic task: interpretation of text, context and the biography of the student, and avoids both monocorrelation and relativism. In realising this task, the concept of ‘hermeneutical intersections’ is introduced as well as criteria to deal with these ‘conflicts of interpretations’ in religious education. Finally, the role of the religious educator is developed as witness, specialist, and moderator in the hermeneutical learning process.