A Companion To Catholic Education

This reader introduces the key theological themes of Catholic Religious Education today, providing an appropriate core text for those who are being educated to become Catholic teachers and preparing to work in Catholic schools. An ideal aid for managers and classroom teachers, it will also be useful for catechists and parents. A Companion to Catholic Education is a resource for Catholic educators designed for use in conjunction with other dedicated textbooks and good curricular material. It is not a stand-alone reference guide for educators but will orientate those new to the study of theology and Religious Education towards the key theological themes they will encounter in their teaching and act as a catalyst for further and deeper study of the range of themes covered. Teachers and student teachers can use this text to chart their way through the many curricular packages with which they are faced today. The book is divided into two sections. The first explores key areas of Catholic thought that are relevant for Catholic educators - God and Philosophy, Scripture, Christology, Ecclesiology, Liturgy, Sacraments, Catholic Moral Teaching and Catholic Social Teaching. The second focuses on pedagogical matters pertaining to Religious Education and the broader Catholic life and identity of the Catholic school. Catholic educators are encouraged to develop their knowledge of theological issues so as to understand better their vocation as both educator (in the secular sense) and faith-former (unique to Catholic education and other forms of faith education). Contributors include: Fr John Bollan, Roisin Coll, John Deighan, Leonardo Franchi, Fr John Keenan, Fr Tom Kilbride, Mary Lappin, Stephen McKinney, Catherine O'Hare, Leon Robinson, Bishop Philip Tartaglia, Karen Wenell, Victoria Harrison "Our schools and colleges have to be different from others, and the key to this is in the word 'Catholic'. It identifies them, and marks them as sharing in the evangelising mission of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church ... This timely publication, which explores key areas of Catholic thought that are relevant for Catholic teachers before looking in closer detail at matters pertaining to religious education and the broader Catholic life and identity of our schools, will enable all who read it to grow in this understanding." Rt Rev. Malcolm McMahon OP, Bishop of Nottingham, Chairman of the Catholic Education Service in England & Wales "A good school provides a rounded education for the whole person. A Catholic school, over and above this, should help students to become saints." His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Address of the Holy Father to Pupils, 17 September 2010 Leonardo Franchi teaches Religious Education in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow. He has a particular interest in St Augustine of Hippo's contribution to Catholic educational thought. He is the editor of An Anthology of Catholic Teaching on Education. Stephen McKinney is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, University of Glasgow (a former Head of Department of Religious Education). His research interests include faith schools and Catholic schools and he has published widely on these topics in journals and books, including his own edited collection from 2008: Faith Schools in the 21st Century.

Presenting a robust and philosophically based account of education from the Catholic point of view, Sean Whittle engages with important debates and questions concerning the nature and purpose of Catholic education and schooling. The book opens with a review of the criticisms that have emerged about the prevalence of Catholic schools within the state system and, indeed, about the very notion of there being such a thing as 'Catholic education'. The author then goes on to survey official Church teaching on education and the work of key Catholic thinkers, Newman and Maritain, before moving on to discuss the writings of Karl Rahner, a leading twentieth century theologian. A Theory of Catholic Education argues that Rahner's approach, with his focus on the place of mystery in human experience, provides a way forward. Ultimately, Whittle demonstrates how Catholic theology can offer a unique and much needed theory of education.

This book presents a range of perspectives on the current state of Catholic education in the opening decades of the twenty-first century. All of the chapters have their origin in an International Conference on Catholic Education, held at Heythrop College (University of London) in September 2016. The book brings together many leading scholars to present a survey of the latest research on Catholic education in areas such as the aims of Catholic education, Catholic schools and Catholic identity, leadership issues in Catholic schools and fresh thinking about the place of Religious Education (RE) in Catholic Education. This book demonstrates how the field of Catholic Education Studies has firmly come of age. Rather than being a subfield of educational or theological discourse, it is now an established field of research and study. As such, the book invites readers to engage with much of the new thinking on Catholic education that has grown rapidly in recent years. It offers a broad range of contemporary perspectives on research in Catholic Education and rich insights into current thinking about Catholic Education.

Two experienced home schooling moms present a very thorough, balanced and practical guide to both the merits of home education, as well as the important ideas, resources and curriculums to home school. Hahn and Hasson cover all aspects - statistics supporting home schooling's excellence, the nitty-gritty of lesson plans, and hundreds of ways to keep the fun in (and boredom out) of learning. Most importantly, they offer compelling advice and inspiration for parents as they undertake their child's religious, moral and intellectual formation. This is a reliable guide for Catholic parents who want to stay close to the heart of the church in the schooling of their children. The authors demonstrate that home schooling is not a fringe movement on the Church's periphery, but it is squarely based on Catholic teachings drawn from Sacred Scripture, natural law, and the writings of saints and popes. Readers will find the right combination of secular and sacred, theoretical and practical. Whether you are looking for advice and encouragement, language resources, aids for teaching multiplication or phonics - or the Ten Commandments - this book is sure to be a very functional tool.

Knowledge of Catholic educational scholarship and research has been largely confined to specific national settings. Now is the time to bring together this scholarship. This is the first international handbook on Catholic educational scholarship and research. The unifying theme of the Handbook is ‘Catholic Education: challenges and responses’ in a number of international settings. In addition to analyzing the largest faith-based educational system worldwide, the book also critically examines contemporary issues such as church-state relations and the impact of secularization and globalization.