Religious Education

In concrete terms, the approach of religious education is about offering children an approach to religion that supports them in developing and deepening their religious faith in later life. The concept of religious education is based on four dimensions: meeting the child in the concrete life situation, providing positive basic experiences, accepting learning without reservation and the spiritual path.

The different dimensions in religious education

Dimension 1: Picking up the child in the concrete life situation

The dimension is about being oriented towards the needs of the children. The educators: Inside, they should question and analyse the children's actions. From this they should recognise which need the children are currently lacking. For example, if a child cries because a wish is not fulfilled, the educators should recognise what it is about and then, for example, take the child in their arms and comfort them.

Dimension 2: Providing positive basic experiences

The focus of this dimension is to strengthen the child's basic trust in itself, its fellow human beings and nature. The educators should show the child love, affection and appreciation. The children should learn that who they are - with their strengths and weaknesses and their personality - is okay and normal. Furthermore, the child should be shown that it can rely on others. In this way, the children should also be able to master difficult situations and challenges in the future.

Dimension 3: Accepting learning without reservation

Similar to the concept ofOpen pedagogy of mindfulness the child should experience that he or she is accepted and loved just as he or she is, regardless of character, appearance and life situation. The effect of the educators as role models is central here. The children should learn to accept without reservation.

Dimension 4: The spiritual path

This dimension is about passing on the concrete Christian faith, traditions and values to the children. The symbols of the Christian teachings are brought closer to the children and they should learn that they are not alone with their worries and fears.