Value Education in Religious Education

A Theological-Critical Perspective on Value Orientation in Schools

Abstract

The Educational Plan of Baden-Württemberg describes the guidelines and goals of school education with the help of the concept of values. Also, for Religious Education, an orientation towards the teaching of values is formulated in the context of the overarching mission of democracy education. In theology, however, the concept of value is controversial, since its inclusion in philosophy had a religion-critical direction. Through a theological reflection on the concept of value and its function within ecumenism, the potential of the concept for use in teaching Religious Education will be explored. In this context, the concept of value appears helpful precisely because of its ambiguity in order to enable the ethical self-education of students.