On Religious Education in Catholicism as "liberal Arts Education"

本文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相当新的一个，并没有得到很大的重视。在天主教，对其他宗教的态度是从根本上改变了梵蒂冈第二届理事会（1963-1965年）。因此，在这次理事会之后，对其他教育的看法也发生了变化。事实上，有人指出，即使在梵蒂冈第二次理事会之后，天主教教育也花了很长时间才改变这一问题，这是天主教教育中“正在进行”的问题。一般来说，天主教占少数的国家的天主教教育在这方面的努力往往比天主教占多数的国家多。还必须指出的是，天主教并不像人们普遍认为的那样是铁板一块的，天主教宗教教育的多样性在很大程度上取决于由哪个会众或宗教秩序负责。此外，梵蒂冈和地方主教会议几年前出版的《新教义问答》，日本天主教的宗教教育受到各教会或修会的影响，这些教会或修会拥有天主教教育机构：了解梵蒂冈第二届理事会和宗教教育。

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.