The pedagogical approach to Religious Education in classrooms of these Diocese is based on a “critical and creative adaption of Shared Christian Praxis (Groome, 1991)” (CEOS, 2005, p. 102). It is considered an over-arching approach that can be adapted to different situations or teachings in the classroom. It involves an understanding that God is actively present and involved in our faith community through the Holy Spirit and this is expressed through the Church’s tradition (CEOS, 2005). It believes that religious education should “promote knowing, valuing, and acting of the learner who is making meaning of life” and an important context to form this meaning is through the living tradition of the faith and life of the Christian community (CEOS, 2005, p. 102). The process of Shared Christian Praxis, involves looking at the praxis being the process of thinking about events, reflecting and learning from them, sharing these with others and is Christian when learning is deepened and extended in the context of the Christian tradition and narratives. The links below provide examples of how the approach to Shared Christian Praxis can be used.
Diagram of the Shared Christian Praxis Approach
The above diagram was sourced from:
Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Sandhurt. (2005). Source of Life: Section 4 Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www3.ceosand.catholic.edu.au/cms/index.php/publicationsresearch/downloads/cat_view/138-catholic-identity/142-source-of-life/144-core-document.html
Each of these Diocese provide an explanation of Shared Christian Praxis and an illustration of their involvement in the curriculum. Click on the below links to see this information.
Diocese of Sandhurst (Curriculum, p. 72-77)
Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Sale. (2005). Journeying Together in Hope. Drouin, Victoria: The DCP Group.
Diocese of Ballarat (movement of Shared Christian Praxis)
The above document sourced from:
Catholic Education Office Ballarat. (2011). Movements of Shared Christian Praxis. Retrieved from http://web.ceoballarat.catholic.edu.au/re.asp?siteid=9