Religious Education in Catholic Schools: Perspectives from Ireland and the UK

Catholic schools continue to be a popular choice for parents, including many who do not profess the Catholic faith. One of the distinguishing features of Catholic schools is the importance they ascribe to Religious Education (RE). This volume draws together researchers from Ireland and the UK to bring into focus the complex range of issues around the teaching of RE. Within the public sphere, there is considerable discussion about the role of education in passing on and engaging with religious matters. The essays gathered here make an important contribution to an ongoing debate about the place of RE in Catholic schools within pluralist societies. Given that almost all Catholic schools are publicly funded, the questions explored in this volume are not only of interest to advocates of Catholic education and those involved in researching and teaching RE, but are also relevant and topical for Irish and British society more widely.