Ekskursjon i KRLE-faget: Forkynnelse eller fordomsmotvirkning?

Abstract

Field trips to religious and worldview communities are a possible, though somewhat disputed teaching method in the Norwegian RE subject. In this article, we analyze interviews with faith representatives and RE teachers, exploring how they reflect on the outcome of field trips. Both faith representatives and teachers express that field trips acquaint pupils with an insider’s perspective, as well as giving an embodied experience of the material dimension of religions. Applying theories about prejudice and secularization, we also discuss how we can understand the faith representatives’ emphasis on giving a positive experience, accommodating wishes, openness to critique, facilitating a comprehensible account of their religion as a supplement to the RE textbooks, and avoidance of preaching and religious practice. We suggest that this can be interpreted as an effort to reduce prejudice against religions both cognitively and affectively.