Powerful learning environments and theologizing and philosophizing with children

This volume contains the contributions for an international meeting of pedagogues in Religious Education in Europe. These pedagogues came together on 4 to 7 April, 2011 for a conference entitled Powerful Learning Environments & Theologizing and Philosophizing with Children at the Protestant Theological University in Kampen, the Netherlands. The program included two main, intriguing questions: What do we mean by the concept of a powerful learning environment? What is the meaning of powerful learning environments for the practicesof theologizing and philosophizing with children? These questions were at first discussed in presentations dealing with the following topics: The didactic preconditions and elements for teaching Religious Education from the perspective of a powerful learning environment Examples of ‘good’ subject materials – stories, artefacts, textbooks, films and so on – to stimulate philosophizing and theologizing with children Secondly, the concept and the meaning of powerful learning environments for theologizing and philosophizing with children in the practices of school and church were discussed on 7 April during the open conference day. A hundred and thirty interested people, experts and practitioners from the Netherlands and Belgium not only attended two inspiring performances about the state of the art of philosophizing and theologizing with children in Europe, but also visited various workshops afterwards. The collected contributions in this volume provide a meaningful insight into an inspiring conference and invite anyone who is interested in children’s theology to continue thinking about the two central questions of the conference.