Abstract:
This paper examines possible epistemological contributions to the teaching practice
of Religious Education in public schools, prioritizing the teacher as the main
interlocutor. The dissertation is divided into three chapters. The first is devoted to the
history of Religious Education in Brazil and has rather a political approach. It
attempts to cover the history of Religious Education in Brazil from the colonial period
to the present day, pointing to some of the most current querries on the subject. The
second chapter discusses the epistemological querry of Religious Education from an
interface between phenomenology and language. Some of the presuppositons
related to the Religious Education teaching practice are addressed as well as the
threshold and depth dimensions in the treatment of religious phenomena. This
chapter also includes an analysis of some contributions offered by the cross-culture
studies to the Religious Education. The third and last chapter analyzes some
epistemological reflections on the teaching praxis of Religious Education. Some
subjects are analyzed, like the language used in Religious Education supporting
literature, the approach to the semantic universe of different religious traditions that
are represented in the classroom, general conditions of cross-religious dialogue in
the classroom, the issue of skepticism in Religious Education class, and, finally, the
approach to the phenomenon of syncretism.
