Page 20 - TWO OF A KIND • Erik Renkema

CHAPTER 1
and Miedema 2007). In our study of theory related to Dewey’s work, we see a strong emphasis on issues that are still highly relevant to education, aiming at encounter and living together in mutual understanding. These values are also mentioned by our respondents. Besides this correlation, theory that discusses Dewey’s views (Sutinen, Kallioniemi and Pihlström 2015; Ghiloni 2011; Berding and Miedema 2007) underlines his plea for concrete practices of dialogue that facilitate expression of encounter between students as being relevant for democratic and interreligious education. Dewey regarded a conjoint living in the pluralistic world and encounter about differences between people as a main challenge for society and education (Webster 2009; Ghiloni 2011; Sutinen, Kallioniemi and Pihlström 2015).
4.2.1 Encounter
In a plural society and a school that is characterized by its religious diversity, education in general and religious education in particular should stimulate “a reflective and sensitive encounter” (Schreiner 2006a, 32). Differences in ideas and beliefs are to be explored in order to create mutual understanding on the one hand and to provide enrichment for the development of personal identity on the other (Ipgrave 2004). This encounter serves the ultimate goal of educating young people in order to prepare them to live in a plural society (Miedema and Ter Avest 2011). People with diverse values and convictions are challenged to live together and contribute to their shared goal of a peaceful society based on equality. This diversity contains religious as well as non-affiliated and secular views on life and on the world we live in.
Encounter in classrooms is positive, in our opinion. We adopt Andree’s perspective: “[What is] necessary is education in dialogue, respecting each individual’s uniqueness, looking for communal aspects in the different life views, being conscious of equality of all humans and a common responsibility to construe new fundamentals for a true humanity in a multi-religious society” (1995, 30). We regard dialogue as a key aspect of encounter in religious education: addressing plurality in the classroom and in society (Keaten and Soukup 2009; Leganger-Krogstad 2003) requires challenging students to meet each other. “Religious education is thus a conversational process in which students, whether from ‘secular’ or ‘religious’ backgrounds, continuously interpret and reinterpret their own views in the light of their studies” (Jackson 2004, 18). We attach value to encounter for two reasons.
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