Kritische Authentizitätsorientierung als religionsdidaktisches Prinzip

Abstract

Abstract The concept of authenticity proves to be useful for understanding and arranging religious education in secular and pluralistic contexts. Analyzing its discussion in cultural anthropology, the article describes authenticity as an epistemological and ethical concept. Authenticity promises an immediate access to and expression of reality - above and beyond culturally formed and thus deconstructable concepts. Claiming authenticity, however, does not prove its existence. To avoid naïve approaches didactics should emphasize authenticity as a principle of religious learning but not neglect deconstruction. In pointing out seven mechanisms which facilitate authentic effects the article elaborates a critical approach to authenticity as a didactical principle for arranging religious learning.