Review article
The art of word in proclamation of the Word. The meaning, criteria of choice and possibility of work with literary and art texts in parish catechesis and school religious education of children and youth
Ana Thea Filipović
orcid.org/0000-0002-0119-1940
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb
Marija Lipovac
Abstract
Literary and art texts are the expression of deeply experienced
universally human and religious life experiences, which are by the
force of literary inspiration translated into the word of art. By its
permanent beauty and profoundness of experience that the word of
art offers, it invites the readers, from their earliest age, to encounter
and communication. At the encounter with literary and art word
children and youth can get to know and discover both themselves
and their inner world. That word transforms them internally and
invites them to create and to utter their own word. The beauty
that leads them through the personal aesthetic experience into
the depth of the art text, takes them simultaneously into the area
of transcendent, prepares the encounter with God who is the
absolute beauty, truth and goodness. Therefore, literary and art
word is one of the privileged ways of opening the pupil to meet
God. Understanding the symbolism of poetic expression pupils
can also better understand the performative power of biblical
word. Children and youth are able and ready to open themselves
to the richness of art and God’s word alike, if we have in mind the
characteristics of their age and the specifics of their reception of
the text and literary communication. When choosing the texts it
is necessary to consider the psychological-pedagogical, aesthetic
and catechetic criterion and to respect the children and youth’s
literary interests at particular phases of their development and life
situations. The pupils’ literary interests are dynamic, and everyone
encounters with a text in a different way. The integration of literary
and art texts into religious education and catechesis is fruitful
in different forms and almost in all phases of religious education
and catechesis: as a meditative introduction, experiential or
thematic motivation, for the purpose of problematizing, as the
basis for understanding a biblical text, for extending the topic, for
actualization of a biblical text or other contents of Christian faith,
as an impulse for one’s own discoveries and creation. In the article
the authors demonstrate, on the examples of literary and art texts
with religious themes, the possibilities of their use in religious
education and catechesis with primary school pupils. They also
present various didactic-methodical forms of work with pupils.
The authors stress that the integration of literary and art texts,
those with religious themes as well as those with universal human
themes, encourages dialogue between faith and life, faith and
culture, and also contributes to better linking of different fields of
learning and to the complete upbringing and education of pupils.
Keywords
literary and art word; religious education; catechesis of children; catechesis of youth; poetic quality of faith
Hrčak ID:
49831
URI
Publication date:
25.3.2010.
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