宗教教育在當代美國公立學校中的發展：建立一個更具包容性的合作模式

Religious Education in Contemporary American Public Schools: Developing an Inclusive and Cooperative Teaching Model

有關公立學校中的宗教教育，自20 世紀末起在各民主國家中又再度受到廣泛的討論。美國雖然是以基督教立國，但自20世紀中葉以後公立學校中的宗教教育式微。但仍然有來自於各界的聲音，要求豐富或者恢復公立學校中的宗教教育，在近20年間也有一些的修正。本文從宗教教育在各主要民主國家中的發展趨勢和美國的修正著手，探討共同面對的多元歧異的挑戰。一方面檢討美國有關宗教教育的修正，其貢獻及可能的限制。另一方面論述，必須維持一個公平開放自由參與的空間，經由相互理解的程序，以求獲得有關宗教教育的共識或者共同可以接受的做法。以此為新的起點，容許新的修正的可能性，進而豐富宗教教育的內容，並符應民主的基本價值和理念。

Religious education in public schools has been a growing concern in contemporary democratic societies. American public schools have marginalized religious education since the late 20th century; however, there have been some recent modifications. This article investigates global trends within religious education, the challenges of diversity, and the validity and limitations of American curricula modifications. Religious education is continually developing and reconstructing, and may even reverse itself. This article demonstrates that, in the context of America’s pluralist democracy, there needs to be an open and inclusive public sphere and procedure of engaged mutual understanding for reaching a consensus concerning religious education.