ORKSE or History of Religion?

We asked Pyotr Georgievich Chistyakov, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor at the Educational and Scientific Center for the Study of Religions of the Russian State University for the Humanities, to comment on the statement of the Public Council under the Ministry of Education regarding the teaching of the course “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture and Secular Ethics.”

Petr Georgievich, do you agree with the statement of the Public Council under the Ministry of Education, which is not ready to expand the teaching of the basics of religious cultures in school?

In my opinion, it is reasonable that the council did not support the patriarch’s initiative, but suggested waiting at least a few years for at least preliminary results of teaching ORKSE at school to appear.

I support the idea expressed by the majority of the council members: if this course is extended for several years, it should be completely turned into a course in the history of religion. This proposal seems very wise and rational to me. But at this stage it is more important to pause.

If ORKSE were transformed into the history of religion, schoolchildren would receive knowledge about the religions existing in the world - this is important knowledge, regardless of the attitude of each of them to religion. In addition, no one will have to make the choice to declare their religious affiliation publicly.

But, unfortunately, this idea has many opponents. I have repeatedly heard this opinion: “I am Orthodox, and therefore I don’t want to know anything about Islam.” This approach should under no circumstances be encouraged.

For several years you taught the course “Fundamentals of Religious Cultures” to teachers. How do they react to the innovation?

Some teachers do not hide their confusion: they have to master material unfamiliar to them, and they are not sure that they will cope with the task assigned to them. Others are confident in their abilities and are ready to teach (these are mainly those who have experience teaching MCC or other subjects in which religion was touched upon in one way or another).

Do you think this course should be taught by a school teacher?

Yes, without a doubt. If we offer to teach a course to a clergyman, then there is a high probability that it will not be a cultural studies course, but a sermon.

But even believing teachers can preach!

There were no such people among my students. At least I didn’t notice those for whom any other conversation about religion other than a sermon is unthinkable.

I can well imagine such people - sincere, honest, ready to teach, to share their knowledge - whose faith, however, does not allow them to talk about religion other than preaching. For them, a non-evaluative approach to the study of religion is unthinkable.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to argue with several clergy and regular parishioners of one of the churches in St. Petersburg, we talked about teaching religious studies, about the fact that a religious studies teacher should be objective, should not bring something personal into lectures, and demonstrate his faith , convince listeners that she is right. My interlocutors said that they could not imagine how a believer could abstract himself from his views. If a person has such attitudes, of course, his teaching - at school or at a university - will be a sermon.

What course have you chosen for your children?

Foundations of world religious cultures. Because it seems to me that a cultured person should know about all religions, and not just the one he professes.

What can you say about ORKSE textbooks?

I have seen some textbooks on this subject. It seems to me that we still need to work on textbooks and work quite seriously.