Gärtner on Climate Change, Corona, and Christianity: Current Opportunities for Religious Education

ESD, which is based upon a close link between ecological, social, and economic issues, presents a possible structure for rethinking religious education on climate change. Perhaps not coincidentally, the present corona crisis, which has visible and frightening economic and social effects, presents an opportunity for religious educators and institutions to grow past traditional and ineffective problem-solving processes and embrace the new opportunity represented by ESD.

The ESD approach, however, due to ideological presuppositions, must be critically received in order to be fruitfully enacted within a religious environment. In this presentation, Gärtner shares thoughts and suggestions about opportunities for a renaissance of new political-religious education for adolescents. She places special focus on two questions: (1) the extent to which Christianity can introduce critical-political impulses into religious education in a way that motivates young people to act sustainably and keep sight of structural political dimensions, and (2) the extent to which a specifically religious logic can be considered legitimate in a world marked by ideological plurality.

Gärtner is Professor of Practical Theology at TU Dortmund University. Her research focuses on Religious Education and Didactics. In recent years, she has concentrated, in particular, on fundamental issues of Religious Education as well as on the Didactics of Images and of Church History. She is currently conducting research projects on Teaching Methodology in Developmental research and work with youth organisations in day schools.

You are provided with the opportunity to witness her presentation by means of a video