TOPICAL PROBLEMS OF RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING OF PERSONALITY IN THE PEDAGOGICAL HERITAGE OF HRYHORII VASHCHENKO

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the importance of religious education in the formation of the spiritual and moral values of personality in the legacy of the outstanding Ukrainian teacher of the twentieth century H. Vashchenko. In matters of spiritual and moral education of personality H. Vashchenko acted as an indisputable representa-tive of the religious-pedagogical direction. The heritage of the outstanding teacher H. Vashchenko includes the position on the formation of important spiritual and moral values on the Christian basis. The basis of the education of a person for H. Vashchenko was determined by faith and religious feelings. Considering the issue of relations between a person and a society, H. Vashchenko saw this problem solution in Christianity.Christianity does not oppose the person to society, but connects them with the upbringing of Christian charity – faith, hope, and love. The teacher explained that the Christian faith should not be blind, formal, it should be alive.H. Vashchenko stressed that the main content of the spiritual and moral education of the child is the category of love as the highest moral sign and spiritual value. By educating the child in love for her neighbors, Christianity organically connects her or him with love for God. Christianity knows two forms of love: contemplative and active, but called for them to be united. The best example of such an association is the Christ who prayed, read the Word of God, and acted among people, did miracles, fought with evil, suffered from sacrifices and death. For H. Vashchenko, Christian morality was an important source of spiritual values, the highest manifestation of which was to serve God and the Motherland. He regarded spirituality as a complex system of values, through which, on the basis of Christianity and European culture, the Ukrainian people should create their national Ukrainian educational ideal.Religious education should begin in the family. The main means of upbringing are the example of adults, which starts with Christian relationships, which must be built on love, mutual consent, mutual respect and ends with traditions.The teacher emphasized that in the formation of religious feelings of the child an important role is played by “holy traditions”. The festive dinner before Christmas, Epiphany, the study of Christmas carols, generosity, the celebration of Easter, the Savior, the Blessed and other holidays promote the respect for the customs of the ancestors, their affiliation with the Ukrainian people. Religious education deepens during the preschool and school age. But in order for it to produce good results, it is necessary to eliminate formalism in its conduct, to give a good example for pupils.Thus, as a result of the study it was established that in the heritage of H. Vashchenko the problems of religious education are considered in the context of the spiritual and moral education of the personality, which corresponded to the perfection of the educational ideal. As a representative of the religious-pedagogical direction in pedagogy, H. Vashchenko tried, firstly, to form the spiritual and moral personality of the child on the basis of the Orthodox Christianity values; secondly, to solve the issue of freedom of the will of the individual and society in the spirit of Christianity; thirdly, to encourage the child to build relationships with people on the basis of observance of the first testament of Christian morals – love for God and for a man. As an experienced teacher, an ardent patriot of Ukraine, a deep believer, H. Vashchenko considered the religious education of young people as the effective means of updating the school on the spiritual and national principles.