Exploring the Potential for Religious Literacy in Saudi Secondary Education

Abstract

This article initiates a discussion on incorporating religious literacy into Saudi secondary education. It provides a preliminary understanding of the religious education context and emphasizes that religious literacy is not religious education. It examines the arguments for and against the incorporation of religious literacy in the Saudi context and suggests that religious literacy lessons could find suitability in social studies and history textbooks while embracing the cultural studies approach. The article advocates a nuanced perspective, proposing pre-implementation steps and underscoring the importance of empirical research and open discussions to ensure a culturally inclusive stance within the Saudi educational context.

Keywords:

• Religious literacy
• reform
• textbook
• secondary school
• Saudi Arabia

Acknowledgments

The author expresses gratitude to the Center for The Study of World Religions (CSWR) at Harvard University for hosting his sabbatical leave, during which this research was conducted. Special thanks are also extended to King Saud University for granting the opportunity to take the leave.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 Refer to the author’s article titled “Learning about Islam and Islamic civilization through a webquest: perspectives from pupils and their teacher” in The British Journal of Religious Education (2021) 43/2.

2 As of the time of publication of th article, this link can only be accessed from within the Kingdom.

3 For further insights into this subject, consider referring to María Rosa Menocal’s book (2002), The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain. Boston: Little, Brown.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Abdulaziz BinTaleb

Abdulaziz BinTaleb is an associate professor in the College of Education at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. He earned his Ph.D. in curriculum studies from the University of Texas at Austin. His wider research interests include religious education, international and cross-cultural education, teacher professional development, and technology integration. Email: [email protected]