Introduction

The Religious Life of the School P-12 is focused on the second dimension of religious education, commonly referred to as “teaching people to be religious in a particular way” (Moran, 1991). The Religious Life of the School P-12 provides a lens through which a school may audit and further develop its religious life.​

Structure of the religious life of the school 

The Religious Life of the School P-12 comprises four interrelated components: Religious Identity and Culture; Evangelisation and Faith Formation; Prayer and Worship; and Social Action and Justice. Each of these components, while mutually reinforcing, provides a significant focus on a distinctive aspect of the religious life of the school.

Each component is further sub-divided into three elements as the graphic organiser below indicates. These elements form the elaborations and have been developed to provide guidance and support

Components of the religious life of the school 

Evangelisation and faith formation

Evangelisation and faith formation are focused in an explicit way on the call to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, to respond to it in daily life and to deepen personal understanding and faith.

Living the gospel

  • creating a Christ-centered environments EFG1
  • embedding the gospel practices and processes EFG2
  • celebrating the Good news EFG3

Spiritual formation

  • planning formation for students EFF1
  • responding to diversity EFF2
  • seeking creative expresssions EFF3

Witness to the wider community

  • celebrating with others EFW1
  • reaching out EFW2
  • making connections EFW3
  • communicating the message EFW4

Evangelisation and faith formation

Prayer and Worship

Prayer and worship as integral to the life of all Catholic and ecumenical schools and have the potential to nourish the spiritual growth of all members of the school community.

Christian prayer

  • drawing on the tradition PWP1
  • nurturing prayer life PWP2
  • providing a variety of experiences PWP3

Celebrating liturgy and sacraments

  • developing skills in liturgy PWL 1
  • promoting participation in liturgy PWL2
  • celebrating sacraments PWL3

Liturgy Brisbane Course Flyer

Ritualising everyday life

  • ritualising life events PWR1
  • using prayer rituals in school PWR2

Prayer and worship

Religious identity and culture

All areas of learning contribute to the religious identity and culture of the school. The classroom religion program is not the only learning area that contributes to the school’s religious identity and culture.

Ethos and charism

  • embedding ethos and charism ICE1
  • living vision and mission ICE2
  • communicating the ethos and charism ICE3

Authentic christian community

  • respecting dignity and diversity ICC1
  • building quality relationships ICC2
  • practising christian hospitality ICC3

Sense of the sacred

  • creating a sense of the sacred ICS1
  • enhancing the religious culture ICS2
  • resourcing for a sense of the sacred ICS3

Religious identity and culture

Social justice and action

Catholic and ecumenical schools work to build the dispositions of empathy and solidarity in students through programs for service- learning, social justice and outreach experiences.

Justice in the school community

  • respecting the dignity of all SJS1
  • praying for justice SJS2
  • building a just community SJS3

Action for justice

  • applying Catholic social teaching SJA1
  • caring for the environment SJA2
  • Learning through service SJA3

Reflection on action for justice

  • promoting critical discernment SJR1
  • building a culture of reflection  SJR2

Social justice and action

Religious life of the school P-12 elaborations

Each of the four components of the Religious Life of the School P-12  has further been sub-divided into three elements and form the elaborations.

These elaborations can be used to critique current practice with a view to further enhancing the spiritual and faith development of students.

Elaborations of the Religious Life of the School P-12 align with the content descriptions of the Religion Curriculum P-12 and are coded accordingly.

Schools should ensure a range and balance of elaborations from across all four components are represented in the religious education curriculum.

Further detail can be found on each component located in the religious life of the school elaborations .

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Religious Life of the School - Components and Elements