On Religious Education in Catholicism as "liberal Arts Education"

本研究主要从历史和理想两个方面对天主教的宗教教育进行研究。在日本，这方面的研究可以说是一个比较新的领域，还没有引起足够的重视。在天主教方面，第二次梵蒂冈会议(1963-1965)从根本上改变了人们对其他宗教的态度。因此，在本局之后，对其他教育的看法也改变了。事实上，有人指出，天主教教育中这一问题的变化花了很长时间，甚至在第二次梵蒂冈理事会之后也是如此，这是天主教教育中正在进行的事情。一般来说，天主教徒占少数的国家的天主教教育往往比天主教徒占多数的国家在这个问题上做出了更多的努力。还必须指出的是，天主教并不像人们普遍认为的那样是一成不变的，天主教宗教教育的多样性在很大程度上取决于教会或宗教秩序的管理。此外，梵蒂冈和地方主教会议几年前出版的《新教理问答》也对这一问题产生了影响。日本天主教的宗教教育受到了很大的影响，这取决于拥有天主教教育机构的各个教会或宗教秩序：了解梵蒂冈第二委员会和宗教教育。

This research focused on the religious education in Catholicism, especially on historical and ideal aspects. In Japan, it can be said that the research on this field is quite new one and has not been paid much attention to.In Catholic, the attitudes to other religions were radically changed by the Second Vatican Council (1963-1965). Therefore, the change of point of view towards other education also changed after this Council. In fact, it is pointed out that it took much time to have changes of this matter in Catholic education, even after Second Vatican Council, and this is "on going" matter in Catholic education. Generally speaking, the Catholic education in the countries where Catholic is a minority often make more efforts for this issue than those countries where Catholic is majority. Also it must be pointed out that Catholicism is not, as is generally believed, monolithic and the diversity of religious education in Catholic depends a lot on which congregation or religious order is in charge of.Moreover, the "New Catechism", which was published by Vatican and Local Bishop Conferences several years ago, also gave influences on this matter.The religious education in Catholic in Japan was much influenced according to how each congregation or religious order which owns the Catholic educational institute : understand Second Vatican Council and religious education.