Jesus’ parables for and by ten-year-olds: applying blending theory in in-depth analyses of pupils’ RE texts, RE textbook passages, and teacher’s handbook passages in the context of Norwegian inclusive public religious education

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article presents the results of an in-depth analysis of ten texts written by ten-year-old pupils during a religious education (RE) lesson about Jesus’ parables. The texts from the pupils’ notebooks were analysed with passages from the RE textbook and the teacher’s handbook to explore how these books influenced the pupils’ texts. The main theoretical framework guiding our analysis was conceptual blending theory, which enabled us to outline how the pupils had interrelated and integrated information from different sources during their reading, understanding, and interpretation of Jesus’ parable about the lost/retrieved sheep (Luke 15:4–7). We found substantial similarities between the pupils’ texts, the RE textbook, and the teacher’s handbook, but the pupils’ texts also included information they had acquired from other sources, such as the RE lesson or their leisure activities. The emphasis on Christian academic insider perspectives in the textbook influenced the pupils’ interpretations but did not necessarily restrain them. Some pupils’ texts offer interpretations that are relatively independent, although they primarily represent Christian insider perspectives, both academic and personal. Additionally, they illuminate the internal diversity of Christianity. Our focus on empirical material complements previous research on narrative RE based on historical and educational philosophical approaches.