The Problem of Integrated Knowledge: A Curriculum Perspective

If religion did not have an epistemological claim to general truths, and if it did not consistently refuse to limit its interests to the spiritual and moral, issues such as the relationship between science and religion, or that between general information and knowledge gleaned from religious sources, would not continue to plague religious thought. If there were no gap between the way that reality is experienced by modern secular consciousness and the manner in which it is perceived by the religiously aware, these questions would not be so acute, nor, we may assume, would they appear on the agenda of religious education. However, religious teachers do not see themselves as dealing only with training their pupils in value-deliberations, or as merely promoting knowledge about world religions. They know that their spiritual/ethical resources have something substantive to say about individuals, society, and the natural world. They are not even willing to leave description of the religious phenomenon itself and analysis of the various ways in which different religions understand the ultimate meaning of reality to the social sciences or to the comparative study of religions. At the same time, these teachers refuse to do without the enormous achievements of the sciences, even in connection with the issues mentioned above. Thus, they find themselves simultaneously coping with the question of integrating secular and religious knowledge, and grappling with decisions about what kind of people they want to shape. The solution to each problem has ramifications for the other; the conclusions are inextricably enmeshed. The integration of religious and general studies in private schools presents us with an intriguing case-study in curriculum thinking. In order to place this issue in a living context, we shall, in the course of this discussion, employ a specific example taken from the realm of Jewish education. Indeed, this thorny matter occupies the thoughts of Jewish educators throughout the world, as reflected in articles and educational conferences. Needless to say, however, this problem is common to all major religions.