Books by Andrea Rota
Die Zeitschrift für Religionskunde begleitet die Entwicklung und Erforschung von Unterricht zu „R... more Die Zeitschrift für Religionskunde begleitet die Entwicklung und Erforschung von Unterricht zu „Religion“ in der öffentlichen Schule und verbindet wissenschaftliche, didaktische und unterrichtspraktische Fragen.
La Revue pour la didactique des sciences des religions se propose d’accompagner et d’enrichir l’enseignement des « cultures religieuses » et fait le lien entre les questions scientifique, didactique et pragmatique.
Depuis vingt ans, dans plusieurs cantons suisses, les cadres de l’enseignement religieux à l’écol... more Depuis vingt ans, dans plusieurs cantons suisses, les cadres de l’enseignement religieux à l’école publique ont subi de profondes transformations. Cet ouvrage attire l’attention sur la dimension politique et sociale de cet enseignement, à travers lequel se joue le rôle de la religion dans la société contemporaine. Il discute les nouvelles structures mises en place par les réformes récentes, ainsi que les schémas interprétatifs chargés de les légitimer, et contribue ainsi à une réflexion élargie sur la présence de la religion dans la sphère publique.
Festschrift für Richard Friedli zu seinem 75. Geburtstag
Papers by Andrea Rota
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 2014
ABSTRACT In spite of its different cantonal jurisdictions and traditions, the development of reli... more ABSTRACT In spite of its different cantonal jurisdictions and traditions, the development of religious education in Switzerland over the past decade has taken a common direction: the state has assumed a more active role in the field of religious education in public (state‐run) schools. In this article, we ask the question: How do key social actors interpret these reforms and how do these interpretations relate to the social structure of religion in Switzerland, in particular with respect to the majority category of the so‐called distanced Christians? Drawing on qualitative interviews with members of the schools’ teaching staff, school administrators, and church representatives, the article highlights a dominant interpretative pattern that frames the socially accepted representation of religion in public schools. Thus, rather than addressing the pedagogical dimension of religious education, we discuss the significance of this pattern for the debate on the public presence of religion in Switzerland and Europe.
In Svizzera il sistema federalista ha avuto una forte influenza sulle strutture dell’istruzione p... more In Svizzera il sistema federalista ha avuto una forte influenza sulle strutture dell’istruzione pubblica e sull’ordinamento dei rapporti fra Chiese e stato. In questi ambiti, i cantoni hanno storicamente beneficiato di larga autonomia. Di conseguenza, l’organizzazione dell’insegnamento religioso scolastico ha conosciuto sviluppi differenti secondo le diverse tradizioni confessionali e politiche. La revisione totale della Costituzione federale, avvenuta nel 1874, ha tuttavia introdotto un importante limite al quale i cantoni devono sottostare: l’istruzione pubblica deve ormai essere accessibile agli allievi di ogni confessione e nessuno può essere obbligato a seguire un insegnamento religioso. Prendendo ad esempio i cantoni di Berna, di Friburgo e del Ticino, il presente contributo esplora i dibattiti che hanno accompagnato la messa in atto di queste misure. In particolare, esso attira l’attenzione sulla negoziazione dei contorni della laicità scolastica nei parlamenti cantonali e sulla tensione creatrice fra spinte ideologiche e pragmatismo politico.
In Switzerland, the federal system strongly influenced the political and juridical organization of public education and the regulation of church-state relations. In both these domains, the cantons have historically been largely autonomous. Therefore, the cantons have developed different models of religious education in their schools, depending on their dominant confessional and political traditions. The total revision of the Swiss federal constitution voted on in 1874, however, introduced an important limitation which all cantons had to respect: all public schools had to be accessible to pupils of all confessions without impairing their freedom of conscience so that no one could be forced to follow religious teachings. Drawing on the examples of the cantons of Bern, Fribourg, and Ticino, this contribution explores the debates that accompanied the implementation of these measures on the cantonal level. In particular, it calls attention to the parliamentary negotiations to define the exact meaning of confessional neutrality in public schools and highlights the creative tension between ideology and political pragmatism.
In: Religion - Staat – Gesellschaft (= Journal for the Study of Beliefs and Worldviews), special ... more In: Religion - Staat – Gesellschaft (= Journal for the Study of Beliefs and Worldviews), special issue “The Bible and the World Perspectives among major and minor religions”, 16 (year’s issue 2015), 75-108.
Over the past two decades, the organisation of religious education classes in Switzerland has und... more Over the past two decades, the organisation of religious education classes in Switzerland has undergone profound reforms. Amid the increasing secularisation and pluralisation of the religious landscape, many cantons have introduced a compulsory course that falls under the responsibility of the state and is aimed at teaching basic knowledge about a variety of religions. These reforms have enabled a harmonisation of the syllabi for religious education across the country and have prompted the adaptation of teacher training programmes. Because of the many diverse social expectations surrounding these new courses and the diverse academic tra- ditions in the field of religious education, however, a unified conception of these courses is still absent. In this article, we discuss the ongoing construction of religious education teachers’ professional ethos within this fluid context. In particular, we discuss the perspective of teacher trainers on pragmatic questions concerning religious plurality and the place of teachers’ and pupils’ personal (religious) experiences in the classroom, and pay attention to different representations of ‘religion’ and distinct ideas regarding the purpose of these courses as they have a major impact on the professional attitudes expected from teachers.
A. Jödicke (Ed.), Society, the State, and Religious Education Politics, pp. 105-127., 2013
This contribution is dedicated to the history of religious education in the canton of Vaud. It op... more This contribution is dedicated to the history of religious education in the canton of Vaud. It opens a series of articles exploring the evolution of this discipline in Swit- zerland during the 19th and 20th centuries. Introducing a diachronic perspective, it situates the recent reforms of religious education classes and the ensuing debates in a broader historical context. Thus, it highlights both continuity and changes in the conceptualization of this discipline.
In this article I argue that the shift from a private to a public–social understanding of religio... more In this article I argue that the shift from a private to a public–social understanding of religion raises new ontological and epistemological questions for the scientific study of religion\s. These questions are deeply related to three central features of the emic– etic debate, namely the problems of intentionality, objectivity, and comparison. Focusing on these interrelated issues, I discuss the potential of John Searle’s philoso- phy of society for the scientific study of religion\s. Considering the role of intentional- ity at the social level, I present Searle’s concept of “social ontology” and discuss its epistemological implications. To clarify Searle’s position regarding the objectivity of the social sciences, I propose a heuristic model contrasting different stances within the scientific study of religion\s. Finally, I explore some problematic aspects of Searle’s views for a comparative study of religion\s, and sketch a solution within his frame- work. I shall argue that a distinction between the epistemological and ontological dimensions of religious affairs would help clarify the issues at stake in the past and future of the emic–etic debate.
This article introduces the emic–etic debate in the scientific study of religion\s and provides a... more This article introduces the emic–etic debate in the scientific study of religion\s and provides a frame for the special issue’s six articles on the topic. Departing from the broader debate’s early history in the 1960s, this article contextualizes the emic–etic debate and locates its point of entry into the scientific study of religion\s in the 1980s. This article argues that in the course of the debate the insider–outsider and emic–etic complexes have become entangled. In order to facilitate an understanding of the debate, this article maintains that the emic–etic debate in the scientific study of religion\s touches upon three central dimensions (existential–political, methodological, and epistemological). In order to move toward a clearer methodological and epistemological framework, this article furthermore proposes an iterative model that locates insider–outsider at the level of observers and emic–etic at the level of categories.
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 2014
ABSTRACT In spite of its different cantonal jurisdictions and traditions, the development of reli... more ABSTRACT In spite of its different cantonal jurisdictions and traditions, the development of religious education in Switzerland over the past decade has taken a common direction: the state has assumed a more active role in the field of religious education in public (state‐run) schools. In this article, we ask the question: How do key social actors interpret these reforms and how do these interpretations relate to the social structure of religion in Switzerland, in particular with respect to the majority category of the so‐called distanced Christians? Drawing on qualitative interviews with members of the schools’ teaching staff, school administrators, and church representatives, the article highlights a dominant interpretative pattern that frames the socially accepted representation of religion in public schools. Thus, rather than addressing the pedagogical dimension of religious education, we discuss the significance of this pattern for the debate on the public presence of religion in Switzerland and Europe.
The organisation of an islamic religious education (IRE) for young Muslims in public schools is a... more The organisation of an islamic religious education (IRE) for young Muslims in public schools is a very controversial issue throughout Europe. By making islam visible and according it a form of institutional recognition, the implementation of IRE classes can raise debates that reveal divergent perceptiopns and representations of Islam in the public sphere. In this context, the inter-religious dialog appears to be an important resource to overcome this potentially conflicting situation. nevertheless, these practice also need critical reflection from an outside perspective that the science of religion can offer, as we intend to show in this contribution.
Edited Volumes by Andrea Rota
This article introduces the emic–etic debate in the scientific study of religion\s and provides a... more This article introduces the emic–etic debate in the scientific study of religion\s and provides a frame for the special issue’s six articles on the topic. Departing from the broader debate’s early history in the 1960s, this article contextualizes the emic–etic debate and locates its point of entry into the scientific study of religion\s in the 1980s. This article argues that in the course of the debate the insider–outsider and emic–etic complexes have become entangled. In order to facilitate an understanding of the debate, this article maintains that the emic–etic debate in the scientific study of religion\s touches upon three central dimensions (existential–political, methodological, and epistemological). In order to move toward a clearer methodological and epistemological framework, this article furthermore proposes an iterative model that locates insider–outsider at the level of observers and emic–etic at the level of categories.
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Books by Andrea Rota
La Revue pour la didactique des sciences des religions se propose d’accompagner et d’enrichir l’enseignement des « cultures religieuses » et fait le lien entre les questions scientifique, didactique et pragmatique.
Papers by Andrea Rota
In Switzerland, the federal system strongly influenced the political and juridical organization of public education and the regulation of church-state relations. In both these domains, the cantons have historically been largely autonomous. Therefore, the cantons have developed different models of religious education in their schools, depending on their dominant confessional and political traditions. The total revision of the Swiss federal constitution voted on in 1874, however, introduced an important limitation which all cantons had to respect: all public schools had to be accessible to pupils of all confessions without impairing their freedom of conscience so that no one could be forced to follow religious teachings. Drawing on the examples of the cantons of Bern, Fribourg, and Ticino, this contribution explores the debates that accompanied the implementation of these measures on the cantonal level. In particular, it calls attention to the parliamentary negotiations to define the exact meaning of confessional neutrality in public schools and highlights the creative tension between ideology and political pragmatism.
Edited Volumes by Andrea Rota
La Revue pour la didactique des sciences des religions se propose d’accompagner et d’enrichir l’enseignement des « cultures religieuses » et fait le lien entre les questions scientifique, didactique et pragmatique.
In Switzerland, the federal system strongly influenced the political and juridical organization of public education and the regulation of church-state relations. In both these domains, the cantons have historically been largely autonomous. Therefore, the cantons have developed different models of religious education in their schools, depending on their dominant confessional and political traditions. The total revision of the Swiss federal constitution voted on in 1874, however, introduced an important limitation which all cantons had to respect: all public schools had to be accessible to pupils of all confessions without impairing their freedom of conscience so that no one could be forced to follow religious teachings. Drawing on the examples of the cantons of Bern, Fribourg, and Ticino, this contribution explores the debates that accompanied the implementation of these measures on the cantonal level. In particular, it calls attention to the parliamentary negotiations to define the exact meaning of confessional neutrality in public schools and highlights the creative tension between ideology and political pragmatism.