Religion, Education & Competences for Democratic Culture
Religion is a key factor in shaping modern culture, but also a structural element of individuals’ identity. Therefore, the MA Program’s specialization “Religion, Education and Competences for Democratic Culture” aims to approach religion as a cultural phenomenon, as well as to examine how it is intrinsically linked to Democratic Culture. This is crucial to pinpointing how religion can be used in a variety of educational environments aiming at defending human rights, respecting cultural diversity and developing Intercultural Competence.
To obtain the Master’s degree, students must successfully complete a total of 8 courses (6 compulsory and 2 elective) and the compulsory Master’s Thesis during the summer semester. The MA program includes 10 weeks of synchronous distance learning (online courses) and 3 weeks of asynchronous study per course, each semester. Attendance at synchronous courses is mandatory.
Assessment: Mandatory courses are assessed by one assignment (2000 words) during the semester (20% of the final grade) and final written or oral exams (80% of the final grade). Elective courses are assessed with one written assignment (2000 words).
1st SEMESTER
MANDATORY COURSE / ECTS: 9
The course’s main focus is the identification of identity formation processes (personal/social/cultural etc.) and the recognition of multiple identities within the context of school (formal education) but also in wider educational and non-educational environments.
MANDATORY COURSE | ECTS: 9
The course aims at familiarizing students with Human Rights, their characteristics and principles, Human Rights Education and their practical applications in teaching in various educational environments.
MANDATORY COURSE | ECTS: 9
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the basic principles of the pedagogical approach to course design and the principles of research design and implementation, with an emphasis on writing a research proposal, the implementation of research, and the writing of research results. pedagogy, based on the Reference Framework for Competencies for Democratic Culture.
The course is laboratory and seminar-based.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course aims at highlighting the fruitful relationship and interconnections between Christianity and other religions with the establishment and declaration of human rights, so that students can critically understand the importance of Human Rights protection, their practical applications and prevalence as a universal ethos.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course correlates the Bible to democratic culture based on the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework, in order to explore the various references to human rights, multiculturalism and their applications in teaching enviroments through Bible study.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course aims at exploring and highlighting the dialectical relationship between Orthodox Theology and Democratic Culture, as it was formed in the historical course of the Orthodox Tradition of the Church from early Christianity to today.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course aims at presenting the Holocaust and its impact on diverse cultural groups (Jews, Roma, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, homosexuals), with the aim of raising awareness against the danger of intolerance.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course aims to highlight the possibilities offered by the religion of Islam for the development of Competences for Democratic Culture and the elements of teaching Islam that can promote democratic citizenship in the teaching practice.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The aim of the course is for students to critically study the formation and transformations of the concept of “God” in philosophical thought, from antiquity to postmodernity, and to understand how philosophical conceptions of the divine influence public discourse, education, ethical and political argumentation, as well as the way in which the boundaries of religious freedom and tolerance are constructed in pluralistic societies. Since its inception, philosophy has engaged in dialogue with religion and theology: sometimes interpreting and reflecting on the religious phenomenon, sometimes judging it, seeking to clarify the relationships between reason and faith, meaning and power, and to prevent the instrumentalisation of religion for the purposes of intolerance, fanaticism or social exclusion.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The aim of the course is for students to acquire a systematic methodology for the design, documentation, and basic evaluation of applicable interventions that promote Democratic Culture and Competencies for Democratic Culture in educational and community settings. The central focus is cultural diplomacy, which is defined here as a planned educational and community practice of building trust, cooperative relationships, and social cohesion in conditions of diversity. It is not treated as “cultural promotion” or communication, but as an action that utilizes cultural resources (memory, narratives, locality, cultural institutions, shared experiences) to create meeting places, reduce polarization/exclusion, enhance participation, and support democratic coexistence.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The aim of the course is for students to acquire pedagogical and teaching skills for organizing and implementing individualized and small-group learning support for students in environments outside the formal classroom, with an emphasis on the systematic cultivation of study strategies, motivation enhancement, time management, and support for school adjustment.
The course approaches learning support as a field of Educational Sciences, based on documented pedagogical practices, differentiated teaching, and the principles of inclusion. Emphasis is placed on the development of practical tools: initial pedagogical assessment of needs, formulation of realistic goals, design of individualized study and intervention plans, use of feedback and adjustments, and management of common difficulties such as refusal to study, low self-confidence, school anxiety, distraction, and conflicts with parents or teachers.
2nd SEMESTER
MANDATORY COURSE | ECTS: 8
The course aims to familiarize students with modern pedagogical methods and approaches that promote Democratic Culture so that they can effectively apply them in their own teaching in the context of Religious Education.
MANDATORY COURSE | ECTS: 8
This innovative course focuses on controversial issues, their definition, characteristics and all the necessary tools for teachers of any specialty to be able to address them during the educational process.
MANDATORY COURSE | ECTS: 11
The course aims to acquaint students with the basic principles of scientific research methodology, research planning, organization and conduct, along with different research methods in the context of quantitative and qualitative approaches, with an emphasis on educational and social research. It is the basis for the preparation of the Master thesis.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course aims to acquaint students with modern pedagogical approaches of Religious Education and to demonstrate ways to effectively utilize these pedagogies in lesson planning and the teaching practice by associating them with Competences for Democratic Culture.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course aims to present fundamental elements of the Christian teaching with an emphasis on dialogue and communication, as well as the formation of a collective consciousness oriented towards the ideals of democracy and respect.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course aims to explore the relationship of religions with the Agenda of the 17 Goals for Sustainable Development, adopted by the UN since 2015 with an emphasis on critical areas for humanity and the planet, such as the eradication of poverty and hunger and the fight against inequalities.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course aims to highlight and define philosophical concepts such as ethics and their importance in the modern world, as well as the organic relationship of ethics with religion and their encounter in the field of bioethics. There will be references to issues of special interest from the field of biology and medicine.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course aims at the students’ critical understanding of the ways of teaching and approaching Religious Education and especially the teaching of Islam, in European and Muslim educational systems, in order to detect whether the structure of the national educational policies in every country, promote democratic culture.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course focuses on the definition and terminology related to the religious phenomenon, as well as the effective understanding and management of methods of analysis of contemporary religious movements, worldviews and non-religious beliefs in the teaching practice of Religious Education regardless of the teacher’s religious beliefs.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The aim of the course is to provide a historical understanding of the emergence of democracy to date through its religious dimensions, mainly based on the importance of the subject and its rights, which is a contribution of Judaism and Christianity, highlighting the role of democratic political principles in its formation.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The course focuses on the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in education with the aim to build, equip and sustain a civil society that, driven by equality, inclusion and rights, will promote democracy. Issues of equity, authentic learning for the citizens and the ways in which citizens’ lives are affected by and influence AI will be addressed.
OPTIONAL COURSE | ECTS: 3
The aim of the course is for students to acquire scientific understanding and practical skills for the prevention of radicalization, extremism, and violent extremist activity, as well as to strengthen resilience at the individual, school, and community levels. The course approaches religion and worldviews (religious and non-religious) not one-dimensionally as a “danger,” but as a dynamic field of identity, meaning, and social bonds, which can function either as a factor of tension or as a resource for peace and social cohesion.
