Rom og reiser i RLE. Innspill til pluralistisk og gjestfri RLE-didaktikk.

Abstract

According to the curriculum the Norwegian religious education subject should be «objective, critical and pluralistic» (Curriculum for Religion, Philosophies of Life and Ethics 2008). In spite of this, normality constructs in RE can lead to othering and exoticism. This article discusses pluralistic RE. It is based on findings from the PhD project «Hindu children in Religious Education in Norway. Agency, othering and constructs of normality». The findings from the project provide specific knowledge of Hindu children’s experiences with RE in Norway. This knowledge has raised critical questions about normality constructs and also laid the groundwork for a larger discussion of issues related to children and RE more generally. This article focuses on certain aspects of pluralistic RE: how to develop a pluralistic and hospitable RE and to avoid othering and exoticism, using examples about iconography, religious practice and the significance of space.