Teaching Religion Between Bridges and Walls: The Evolution of the Teaching of the Catholic Religion in Italy

The paper is part of the wider debate on Religious Education (RE), with a special focus on the teaching of the Catholic religion. It is a denominational teaching that has evolved from a catechetical approach to a full-fledged school discipline. In the last years there has been a further development in which this teaching has taken up the challenge of multiculturalism through the promotion of inter-religious dialogue. Through an analysis of the literature, we propose to deepen the pedagogical identity of this discipline. Both theological and pedagogical issues as well as legal aspects will be considered in this analysis. We will also consider the international debate on the teachings about religions and beliefs. We can therefore speak of dialogical teaching and try to outline its pedagogical profile by linking it to the theology of hospitality. We propose a confessional religious teaching, Catholic, but with an attitude of dialogue and hospitality.