Critical Education about Marriage: Combining Critical Pedagogy and Phronesis For Religious Education.

This article discusses the nature of criticality for religious education curriculum and pedagogy, with a particular focus on marriage in Hebrew Bible (Old Testament, abbreviated OT) texts. First, ‘criticality’ is defined in historical and literary terms, asking questions of what the Bible writers meant and intended. Secondly, the use of Bible texts is explored through the prism of ‘critical theory’, in which social critique particularly emphasises notions of justice, equity and democratic ‘voice’. The presence of secular Jewish thought within the Frankfurt school of social-critical thought suggests some influence from the ancient Jewish prophetic call for everyday justice. Thirdly, I explore synergies between critical theory and the Aristotelian concept of phronesis, ‘practical wisdom’ on effective living, as developed by Bent Flyvbjerg and colleagues. Through these lenses, I examine how these ideas might affect the way marriage is discussed and taught in religious education in Africa and elsewhere. Finally I discuss the broader potential for this mix of Critical Theory and phronesis for education as a whole.