Human rights education as a framework for transmitting religion as cultural heritage

Eva Lindhardt

doi:10.7577/hrer.4452

Abstract

The child’s right to freedom of religion and belief and fundamental principles such as equality and non-discrimination constitute an international frame for religious education (RE). However, these rights might be challenged when RE is allocated a major role in transmitting the majority religion as national cultural heritage and national identity. This article will explore and discuss this issue. It is based on an analysis of the transmission of Christianity as cultural heritage in the national RE curriculum for primary and lower secondary schools in Denmark. The article argues that principles from human rights education could provide a basis for a more pluralistic, objective, and critical approach to RE, thus enabling the classroom to function as a community of disagreement.

Highlights

The increase in support for national conservative parties in Europe has re-launched the debate on the relation between religion and national identity
The article argues that principles from human rights education could provide a basis for a more pluralistic, objective, and critical approach to religious education (RE), enabling the classroom to function as a community of disagreement
This article has analysed and discussed human rights issues when majority religion is transmitted as cultural heritage by focusing on two main questions

Summary

Introduction

The increase in support for national conservative parties in Europe has re-launched the debate on the relation between religion and national identity. By integrating the rights to freedom of thought and conscience the General Comment No 22, article 18 emphasises that FoRB includes not just theistic but nontheistic and atheistic beliefs as well as the right not to process any religion or belief (United Nations Human Rights Committee, 1993) This is an important addition, in view of the increasing numbers of ‘nones’—persons with no religious affiliation (Pew Research Center, 2018). 17; see Buchardt, 2008; Andreassen, 2013) and for causing religions to be approached qualitatively differently when the majority religion is the main religion the students should be learning from This links the question of narrativity and transmission of cultural heritage with a pedagogical discussion about, not just what to transmit but how and to whom

Pedagogical approaches to transmitting cultural heritage

Findings

Conclusions