Religious Research

Religious Research

The Role of Religious Education in Redefining the Church’s Communicative Identity in Relation to Society An Examination of the Declaration Gravissimum Educationis (Declaration on Christian Education)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mehrab Sadeghnia 1
AhmadReza Meftah 2
Ameneh SalimiNamin 3
1 Associate Professor of Abrahamic Religions, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Abrahamic Religions, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
3 PhD Student in Comparative Religious Studies, specializing in Christian Theology, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
10.22034/jrr.2025.382560.2249
Abstract
Religious education has always been one of the principal pillars of the Catholic Church and is rooted in the historical command of Jesus Christ: “Go and teach” (Matthew 28:18–20). Accordingly, from the emergence of Christianity, religious education has been regarded as an intrinsic responsibility of the Church and has taken diverse forms and encompassed a variety of contents throughout history.
This study adopts a historical-critical approach to examine the developments of religious education in the Catholic Church. Its primary aim is to elucidate the dual nature of religious education: on the one hand, religious education serves as a means of transmitting religious teachings and preserving the Church’s religious identity; on the other hand, it functions as a means of redefining its communicative and interactive identity in relation to society.
Through a brief examination of the history of religious education and with particular focus on the important declaration Gravissimum Educationis (Declaration on Christian Education), this study demonstrates how the Church has sought throughout history to maintain a balance between these two objectives. The study also examines the challenges that the Catholic Church faces in the contemporary world in the field of religious education.
Keywords
religious education
Gravissimum Educationis
communicative identity
Catholic Church
Subjects
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