HOW TO TEACH ISLAM IN A PHENOMENOLOGICAL RELIGIOUS EDUCATION APPROACH: THE CASE OF ENGLAND

Religion has emerged as a universal and deeply rooted phenomenon since the existence of mankind. In all periods of human beings’ history, religion has continued to be an inseparable attribute of human life, guiding cultures, creating a lifestyle, and sometimes caused individual or social conflicts. Religions that confront different societies each other sometimes cause very cruel consequences and that case is an important exam of the world's nations. Religions have become an element of conflict via its training, with no doubt. Today, the education of religion / religions could be an important factor threatening social peace as well as aiming to live in peace together in multicultural societies that contain differences. Religious education (RE) is part of the basic curriculum in English public schools. It is equal, in status, to the core and foundation subjects of the National Curriculum whilst remaining outside of the National Curriculum. Christianity and other principal religions, faiths, beliefs and non-religious convictions in Great Britain today are seen as an essential aspect of religious education. These major religions are Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. However, in this study, entitled by How to teach Islam in Phenomenological Religious Education Approach: The Case of England, we will focus on Islam, one of the major religions. It will be also mentioned some universal norms, such as understanding the others and respecting others, which have been able to live together with different cultures and religions in a harmonious manner and meet the demands of religious education of different religions and sects to the utmost level in the UK Religious Education System, and the Phenomenological Approach on Religious Education identified with the UK, the reasons for its arise, the development process, the UK Religious Education agreed curriculum and some sample units about teaching Islam based on this approach. It has been tried to inform how Islam is included in the Phenomenological Approach and evaluated.

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