Religious Education: An Analysis of the Perspectives of World Religions

Abstract

Different world religions lay special emphasis on one or other of these elements, though not generally to the exclusion of the other ones. For example, Islam and Judaism accentuate Code and Community respectively. Hinduism focuses on the practice of Cult, Buddhism on Consciousness, and Chinese Confucian religion on Culture. Seen in this light, Christian concentration on the Creed, the content of belief and cognitive knowledge in religious education, can be identified as unique. This article will outline the perspectives of the major world religions on religious, moral and spiritual education with a focus on their theological, philosophical, social and cultural differences. This will articulate how Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese Religion, Islam, and Judaism influence educational structures, leading to distinct approaches to religious, moral and spiritual formation.