Religious and Pedagogical Education in Theology Faculties in Türkiye in Their 100th Year: A Comparative Analysis with Similar Programs in the World


KOÇ A.

RELIGIONS, cilt.16, sa.1, 2025 (AHCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 16 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3390/rel16010049
  • Dergi Adı: RELIGIONS
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ATLA Religion Database, Index Islamicus, Linguistic Bibliography, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: faculty of theology, pedagogy, religious education, teacher training, teaching profession knowledge
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This study compares religious education and pedagogy programs in theology faculties in T & uuml;rkiye in their 100th year with similar programs in different countries. Although T & uuml;rkiye historically has a deep-rooted heritage, it has experienced continued modernization for nearly two centuries. Various approaches were adopted in religious education during this process, and education policies were shaped accordingly. This situation shows that T & uuml;rkiye's religious education and pedagogical programs have continuously transformed in line with historical and social dynamics and are still open to development. When religious education and pedagogical programs in different countries were examined, it was determined that, although the programs have their purposes, such as acquiring religious knowledge, developing critical thinking, and training teachers, they show great diversity in their forms of application and content. When compared to examples around the world, it is evident that religious teachers in T & uuml;rkiye start their profession with less pedagogical training than their colleagues both in T & uuml;rkiye and abroad. In this regard, the first issue to be discussed is the review and updating of the curriculum. Another issue is structuring the course content to meet today's needs and solve social problems. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that contemporary educational approaches are integrated into all undergraduate courses and that a holistic approach is applied.