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1Teaching Religion in Brazil, in Public Schools and Confessional Colleges

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3Eduardo R. Cruz and Afonso L. Soares
4Pontifical Catholic University of So Paulo, Brazil
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6Abstract. This essay is part of a collection of short essays solicited from authors around
7the globe who teach religion courses at the college level (not for professional religious
8training). They are published together with an introduction in Teaching Theology and
9Religion 18:3 (July 2015). The authors were asked to provide a brief overview of the
10curriculum, student learning goals, and pedagogical techniques employed in their courses.
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13This short essay describes two personal experiences in a huge country with diverse
14situations, in a context that is broadly Western and European (Iberian). The first half (by
15Afonso Soares) describes Religious Education (RE) in public schools, in a religiously
16diverse (but overwhelmingly Christian) country with separation between church and state.
17The second part, by Eduardo Cruz, describes RE in the context of a confessional (albeit
18largely secularized) university. Our accounts are quite different because of the differences
19in the contexts we describe: one describes the curriculum for public schools that are open
20to some form of religious education, and the other describes mandatory courses in
21confessional universities. Classroom activities, assignments, curriculum, and approaches to
22teaching are quite different at this kind of university compared to public high schools, and
23they vary from place to place. Classes in high school last only an hour, whereas college
24classes are typically two to three hours long. What distinguishes college-level work is more
25demanding activities, such as seminars prepared by groups of students.
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28Religious Education in Elementary and High Schools
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30The discipline of Religious Education (RE) is the result of the didactic transposition of
31knowledge produced in the Sciences of Religion (ScR) for classes in elementary and
32secondary public education. Unfortunately, there is not wide agreement between the
33various sectors involved with the subject (education professionals, religious leaders,
34political officials, and spokespersons for public opinion) about how the kind of knowledge
35acquired by religious experience of humankind should be related to the pedagogical
36methods that introduce it to young citizens in the school system. The difficulty is indeed
37epistemological but also carries considerable political weight. There has long been tension
38between ensuring the legitimate access of students to RE (on behalf of the principle of
39religious freedom) and preserving the secular state (which cannot compromise with one or
40another religious denomination).
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42In the 1930s Brazils secular state switched from refusing to allow any form of RE in
43public schools to advocating that every family has the right to demand adequate religious
44formation in the public school system for their children on behalf of freedom of worship.
45The problem has been to find a model that overcomes REs confessional impasse (where
46each religious denomination wants to indoctrinate its own students). If this were resolved it
47would benefit the learners themselves greatly, because they would have access to a
48sensitive, though independent, presentation of the findings of the studies of religion.
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1Brazilian law - Article 33 of Law No. 9475 of July 22,1997 - states that registration for
2RE is optional, but it is an integral part of the basic training of the citizen. It also
3constitutes a discipline in normal hours of public schools up to eighth grade, and it secures
4respect for religious diversity in Brazil, prohibiting all forms of proselytism. Therefore,
5RE in public education must be non-confessional. In reality, however, several different
6theoretical and methodological models for RE continue to exist in different public school
7contexts, each generating different content and postures (both political and didactic) in
8teaching-learning situations.
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10In Brazil there are at least three embodiments of RE: the catechetical-doctrinal, the
11theological-ecumenical, and the ScR-related.
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The Catechetical model is the oldest, it is related to contexts in which religion
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enjoyed hegemony in society, and it still survives in current practice -- many
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continue betting on this hegemony, using, in turn, modern methods. It is followed
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by the theological model, which is built in an effort to dialogue with secular and
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plural society and on anthropological bases. The latest model is located within ScR
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and provides theoretical and methodological references for the study and teaching
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of religion as an autonomous discipline fully inserted into school curricula. It is
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aimed at opening the way for a more critical RE, laying its foundations and
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requirements in the scientific universe within the commonplace of other disciplines
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taught in schools. (Passos 2007, 54)
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The catechetical and theological models (defended by the leadership of the Catholic
25Church) develop from the idea that the citizen has the right to obtain, with the support of the
26state, a religious education consistent with the faith that the Church confesses. In contrast, the
27ScR model, develops from the idea that , religion is a social and cultural phenomenon subject
28to personal cultivation and therefore argues that knowledge of religion is part of the general
29education and contributes to the complete formation of the citizen, and should thus be the
30responsibility of school systems and subject to the same requirements of other areas of
31knowledge that make up the school curricula (Passos 2007, 65) -32
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Obviously, the ScR approach does not ensure abstract neutrality. Educating someone
34means imparting knowledge and values. Thus the ScR approach is not the same as those who
35would advocate some sort of generalized religion.
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Proponents of ScR as the epistemological basis for RE see it as the best way to answer
38the theoretical, social, political, and pedagogical challenges to the study of religion for the
39formation of citizens, in order to reduce confusion between religious-oriented education and
40education for citizenship (Soares 2010). With proper training, ScR teachers can foster
41citizenship and humanization among the pupils, through knowledge of religion and values
42preserved by religious traditions.
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45How Is Knowledge about Religion Handled in Classrooms?
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47There is no simple answer to how teachers design courses and teach about religion in the RE
48classroom. The rules are not clear. Different states in Brazil have different RE curricula.
49Nevertheless, among the followers of all three models of RE, there is a consensus that the
50best way to engage students is the existential approach.

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Assignments and activities typically used to facilitate this kind of learning in our
3students vary. At first, and generally speaking, teachers encourage students to share their
4personal experiences with their classmates (their life story, the context where they live, their
5culture, religious practice). The activities may vary depending on the age of the children and
6the maturity of the class. The teacher can ask an open questions, such as: Tell us about your
7life, your family, and your neighborhood. Or the teacher can assign an individual activity:
8Write an essay about how you became who you are today'?". This type of activity generates
9a lot of discussion and exchange of information and perceptions in the classroom. The teacher
10must carefully identify situations of conflict, racism, or prejudice and, little by little, can
11suggest other possible views to students, showing that we can evaluate cultures, religions,
12and situations differently, insofar as we allow ourselves to change.
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Another productive activity is to ask students to speak, write, draw, or act out things
15that exist in the world (good or bad). Then they do the same with things, feelings, or values
16that they wish existed (or so they think). Sharing results gives way to discussing topics such
17as faith, values, cultures, rituals, religion, God/gods, and the spiritual world.
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When it comes time to study religious rituals, it is always helpful to begin the
20discussion with actual experiences from the students own family and school life. Students
21are encouraged to see the presence of rites at various stages of their lives, whether they are
22explicitly religious or not (examples include singing the national anthem, flag raising,
23graduation ceremonies, girls debutante balls, inaugurations of banks and public buildings,
24and so forth). From this starting point, the teacher extends the discussion to the importance of
25rituals in our daily lives. Ritual creates meaning that is beyond scientific models (and so it of
26course should not be excluded from human knowledge). The students personal experiences
27relationships that the teacher can build between social reality and the different religious
28experiences present among pupils.
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31Religious Education in the University Setting
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33Our university, Pontifical Catholic University of So Paulo (PUC-SP), is a typical large
34confessional university of some fifteen thousand undergraduate students with diverse
35religious and spiritual backgrounds. Most students are somewhat indifferent to religion as a
36subject of discussion, and are wary of religious norms and doctrine. The discipline of
37religious culture (in the case of PUC-SP, Introduction to Theological Thought) is aimed at
38freshmen, but not all students in class are freshmen (freshmen twice?). They arrive with
39some curiosity about this kind of course, not knowing what to expect, even though many of
40them initially assume that it will be little more than confessional religious instruction.
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42One major hurdle has little to do with religion itself. For many reasons (too many to
43discuss here), most students can only attend university part-time. This is especially true of
44private universities. Therefore, even when students are actually interested in this
45introductory course in religion, they often do not have much opportunity to study outside
46of class.
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48That said, we approach this situation as a challenge, not an obstacle. Our approach draws
49on some forty years of shared experience, as well as several research projects developed in
50our graduate program in Religious Studies. Rather than teaching religion, our basic goal

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1is to evoke students own religious sensibilities and experiences, insofar as they are
2relevant to the academic context. The first step is to offer epistemological grounding for
3the claim that both scientific and religious knowledge stem from common cognitive
4mechanisms that fulfill basic human needs. We discuss criteria for the recognition of
5religion in our society, contemporary trends, and the importance of studying them. We also
6show how scholars from different areas approach religion, and how religion is implicit in
7many academic undertakings and in society at large.
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9Rather than resorting to a textbook, we provide students with a number of short texts (in
10many cases, contemporary materials from newspapers and the internet), PowerPoint
11presentations, videos, and movies, stimulating small group or classwide discussion.
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13Second, we present theology as an academic discipline in search of interdisciplinarity, in
14the context of any university, not just confessional ones. We examine what theology has to
15learn from the natural and human sciences, and what it offers to them. What does it mean
16to say that theology concerns the same reality as the other sciences, sub specie aeternitatis?
17Finally, we proceed to the ethical realm: what are the main ethical concerns in students
18own milieux? How do academic disciplines deal with them? What is the specific
19contribution of religion, and the role of theology in it? Is religion the root of all evil, as
20Dawkins (2008) puts it, or seen more accurately, is it a source of good?
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22Building upon our many years of experience, we recently published several volumes on the
23relationship between theological thought and academic experience from different fields of
24knowledge. The fields include the Natural Sciences, Law, Health, Culture, Education, and
25so on. The inaugural volume in the series is on Theology and other areas of knowledge
26(Steps Passos 2010). The publishers website gives a helpful synopsis of the entire
27Teologia na universidade series (Paulinas 2011, in Portuguese).
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29The following curriculum comprises these two main points (religion at large and theology)
30over two semesters:
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Academic (scientific) compared to religious forms of knowing
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Religion -- anthropological roots and forms
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Religion and its presence in society
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World religions, their profile and challenges
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Theology as an academic discipline, and its relationship with different areas
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of knowledge (the content changes from class to class, according to the
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preferences of the students major)
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Religion and ethics -- local and global challenges
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41What is expected from students is, first, to recognize the presence of religion in their
42everyday affairs -- religion as more than just one component of cultural life, attended to
43mostly over the weekends. There are religious overtones in whatever they think and do,
44whether they recognize it or not. Second, they should recognize that common sense about
45religion in the contemporary world is marred by prejudice and emotionalism (for example
46common misunderstandings about Islamic practice). There is, therefore, a need for a more
47scientific approach to religion. Third, theology is not just a matter of church polity, but is a
48valid and necessary partner in academic dialogue. Finally, students must explore proper

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1ethical stances in face of the many challenges in our world, and look at the proper role of
2religion in them.
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4Opportunities for assessment happen throughout the course and at its end. Besides regular
5tests and end of term papers, students are evaluated when leading seminars (usually
6involving PowerPoint presentations), and in other more informal ways. Each teacher in
7each class will have diffent ways of evaluating their students learning. The main purpose
8of evaluation is not to measure memorization but to allow students to think about religion
9in their everyday life to overcome commonsensical thinking about religion in their
10everyday life.
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12Despite several informal follow-up evaluations of courses, it is hard to say how successful
13our classes are at achieving our goals. Most students end up with a more favorable view of
14the issues discussed during the course and, hopefully, of their own religious choices. The
15degree of information retained varies, but at least students gain the skills to seek
16information on their own from proper sources. The amount of explicit Christian (and
17Catholic) doctrine that is taught changes from one field of knowledge to the other,
18depending on the sense of opportunity (for example, what is being reported through the
19mass media), student demand, and especially the connections between our syllabus and
20other courses in the curricula.
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22Despite being a curriculum designed for confessional universities, content and methods are
23designed as though they were for secular universities. Our goal is that any student could
24profit from these courses, regardless of their professional interests, religious upbringing, or
25choice of college or university. That is a positive aspect of our university being perhaps the
26most secularized among other confessional universities: doctrinal elements are only
27presented after a lengthy detour, making them more plausible for a usually skeptical
28audience. In our estimation, this approach engages more intelligently other academic areas,
29and allows for a better presence of religion and theology in the public arena.
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32Bibliography
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34Dawkins, Richard. 2008. Root of all Evil? London, U.K.: Channel 4.
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36Passos, J. D. 2007. Ensino religioso; construo de uma proposta. So Paulo, Brazil: Paulinas.
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38Paulinas. 2011. Teologia na universidade. http://www.paulinas.org.br/sala_imprensa/?

39system=news&id=397&action=read (accessed 13 April 2015).
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41Soares, A. M. L. 2010. Religio & Educao: da cincia da religio ao ensino religioso. So

42Paulo, Brazil: Paulinas, 2010.
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44Steps, John Decius Passos, Joo Dcio, ed. 2010. Teologia e outros saberes: uma introduo
45ao pensamento teologico. So Paulo: Ed. Paulinas
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