AN EXAMINATION OF ALJENATING TRENDS IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Douglas George Brown A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Graduate Department of Theory and Policy Studies in Education University of Toronto 0 Copyright by Douglas George Brown 1997 National Library Bibliothèque nationale I*I of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Sbeet 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 OttawaON KtAOW Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sel1 reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfichelfilm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownershp of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author' s ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract An Examination of Alienatina Trends in Reliqious Education Degree of Doctor of Education, 1997. by Douglas George Brown Graduate Department of Theory and Policy Studies in Education, University of Toronto Sociology of religion, as defined by Peter Berger, suggests that alienation is an ongoing, one-sided dialectic where individuals internalize but fail to externalize religious Iife. Religious alienation occurs when individuals perceive the historical development of religious life as being 'divinely-given' and fail to see the hurnan constructedness of institutions, rituals and dogma. This thesis demonstrates that alienating trends have developed and have been legitimated across religious traditions by the selective use of metaphors and symbols. Criticisms, concerning alienating trends in religious life, have been articulated in the modern period and are found in the writings of Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, and Habermas, yet for the most part are not incorporated into many modern presentations of religious life, especially into religious education. Attempts to understand religious judgement development and faith development through social scientific approaches are reviewed and these approaches suggest that individuals experience religious life differently throughout the life cycle and that some individuals express religious judgement and religious faith in less alienating ways than others. In order, to address alienating trends and begin to articulate a non-alienating approach to religious life, the thesis follows the research of Wilfred Cantwell Smith and his understanding of the development of the history of religion. Smith argues that religious life is an ongoing human expression of faith through a tradition in a community. The thesis concludes by suggesting that education about religious life needs to include but broaden the approach to religious life suggested by Smith, and also include spirituality and any 'considered way of life'. As well, the thesis argues that the teaching of religious life needs to develop an holistic approach to curriculum, and as well incorporate insights from learning theory that demonstrate that individuals perceive and process information in different ways. iii Table of Contents Introduction 1. A Definition of Alienation within Religious Life 2. Alienation within Religious Life: The Development of Religious Traditions and Alienation 3. Hermeneutics and Alienation within Religious Life: Hegel, Man<, Nietzsche, Freud, and Habermas 4. Stages of Religious Judgement and Stages of Faith Development: Empirical Research, Theological Legitimation, and Alienation 5. Towards a Non-alienating Understanding of Religious Life: Wilfred Cantwell Smith and the Study of 'Religion' 6. Towards a Non-alienating Approach to Education about Religious Life Bibliography Introduction Across cultures and throughout hurnan history religion has had a role to play in providing a framework for social life and a support for the lives of individuals. At tirnes, religion has promoted the best qualities of hurnan life including generosity, compassion. care and love. At other times religion has promoted lesser human qualities and religion has been used to legitimate oppression, war, bigotry and hatred. As Gregory Baum suggests, there is an ambiguity to religion. It can promote the best and, as well, the worst within the lives of individualsi. This thesis is a study about religious life and how, at times, when presented in one-sided or alienating ways religious life does not promote the best within the lives of human beings, and does not fully enhance human life. The thesis begins by arguing that society, and indeed, al1 aspects of social life, including religious traditions and religious knowledge, are human constructions. Religious life is a human construction and to forget that fact, may lead to a feeling of alienation. However, it is possible to create a religious environment 1 Gregory Baum, Reliqion and Atienation: A Theolwical Readincl of Socioloqy (New York: Paulist Press. 1975), pp. 9-15. 1 that does exclude less and alienates fewer individuals. The keys are to gain a wider perspective of religious life and understand the construction of social reality. Chapter two examines alienating trends within religious traditions. As a tradition develops, the experience of the sacred is increasingly mediated by a professional leadership. In addition, there is usually a devaluation of the material world in order to promote spiritual development. Furthermore, traditions are often interpreted prirnarily intellectually and tend to alienate individuals who are not trained religious thinkers. Lastly, traditions often discriminate against women. The third chapter examines major theories which attempt to expose and explain some alienating trends in religious life as articulated by Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud and Habermas. These authors daim that religion at times devalues the world and fosters unequal relationships [Hegel], legitimates inequalities and numbs people to social injustices [Marx], discourages individuality and the fulfilling of potential [Nietzsche], promotes infantilism and illusions [Freud], and presents plausibility structures in non- rational terms [Habermas]. These scholars reject religion for many different reasons, but the underlying theme is that at times religion alienates individuals from human experience in its multiformity and depth. Another way to examine alienation is to understand the process of change within the religious life of individuals. Several research projects which focus on religious development are reviewed within chapter four. The thesis examines the research of Fritz Oser and Paul Gmünder on religious judgement and James Fowler on faith development. The research indicates that religious thinking and faith are not static qualities; they develop and change throughout life. Particularly useful f rom Fowler's research is the understanding of faith articulated by Wilfred Cantwell Smith which suggests that religious thinking and faith development need not be alienating. Chapter five explores W. C. Smith's understanding of 'religion' as a way to interpret religious life in a non-alienating manner. Smith argues that many of the problems associated with alienating trends in religious life arise from not understanding the history of religious life; that the history of religious life is a single history expressed in different forms; that the western philosophical tradition, namely ' Philosophia' is one of the religious traditions of humanity; that there is no such thing as 'religion' rather individuals express faith through a tradition in a community; that when religion is framed in alienating terms faith is reduced to belief, tradition develops into idolatry, and community becomes a cult. Accepting that religious life is an ongoing human construction of faith expressed through a tradition in a community, it becomes possible for religious life to be passed on from generation to generation without falling into further alienating understandings. Chapter six begins with the suggestion that education about religious life should be expanded in order to incorporate philosophia, as well, any 'spiritual' or 'considered way of life', next research into holistic education is discussed, and finally a discussion into learning theory, especially the perceiving and processing of information, is presented. Educators, whether in a religious institution or an academic setting, need to understand the criticisms raised about religious life and confront the alienating trends so that religious life may be continually constructed in more plausible ways to address the needs of individuals in the world today. Thus, individuals involved in education about religious life, whether in a school or a religious institution, whether communicating through a lesson, a sermon, or a counselling session, need to understand the process of alienation and alienating trends in order to move toward a non-alienating interpretation, understanding and presentation of religious life. Chapter One A Definition of Alienation within Reliqious Life A. The Human Constructedness of Religious Life Peter Berger