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In this article, I take the opportunity of the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council to reassess one of its major products, the declaration Nostra Aetate ("In Our Time"). Following a brief introduction to Nostra Aetate, I describe my experience teaching an undergraduate course on Jewish-Christian Relations built around the document's recommendations for interfaith dialogue. Through open dialogue about religious beliefs, prejudices, and stereotypes, students made great strides in developing religious literacy, defined by Prothero (2007) as "the ability to understand and use in one's day-to-day life the basic building blocks of religious traditions" (p. 14). I explore the concept of religious literacy and Nostra Aetate's potential as a tool for fostering interfaith dialogue. I pair this theoretical discussion with some specific implications for Catholic educational settings, and show the continuing relevance of Nostra Aetate as a theological and philosophical basis for Catholic education today.

Reflection on the Holocaust is still critical today to help all educators teach their students about good and evil in the world today. In particular, reflection on the Holocaust is crucial for religious educators to help people know and name God, as well as help them deal with questions of theodicy, within their everyday life experiences. This article examines the role of religious education in this post-Holocaust context. Because of the Holocaust, Christians ought to be educated in ways that free them from biased and slanderous views of people and their religions, and open them to more inclusive and hospitable ways of coexisting with all types of people in the world today.

Introduction At best, education permits students to draw out the very best in themselves, while engaging their hopes and imagination. Italian educator Maria Montessori (1870-1952) wrote, 'And so we discovered [...]

An essay is presented which explores the metaphorical and mystical teachings of Jewish mystic Isaac ben Solomon Luria with an emphasis on the self-distancing of God from the process of creation through withdrawing, breaking, and repairing. The author reflects on the applicability of Luria's teaching to contemporary religious education. Other topics include the love of God, transformative education, and classroom management.

In this article, I take the opportunity of the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council to reassess one of its major products, the declaration Nostra Aetate ("In Our Time"). Following a brief introduction to Nostra Aetate, I describe my experience teaching an undergraduate course on Jewish-Christian Relations built around the document's recommendations for interfaith dialogue. Through open dialogue about religious beliefs, prejudices, and stereotypes, students made great strides in developing religious literacy, defined by Prothero (2007) as "the ability to understand and use in one's day-to-day life the basic building blocks of religious traditions" (p. 14). I explore the concept of religious literacy and Nostra Aetate's potential as a tool for fostering interfaith dialogue. I pair this theoretical discussion with some specific implications for Catholic educational settings, and show the continuing relevance of Nostra Aetate as a theological and philosophical basis for Catholic education today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflection on the Holocaust is still critical today to help all educators teach their students about good and evil in the world today. In particular, reflection on the Holocaust is crucial for religious educators to help people know and name God, as well as help them deal with questions of theodicy, within their everyday life experiences. This article examines the role of religious education in this post-Holocaust context. Because of the Holocaust, Christians ought to be educated in ways that free them from biased and slanderous views of people and their religions, and open them to more inclusive and hospitable ways of coexisting with all types of people in the world today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]