Religious and Cultural Diversity

Teaching at the Intercultural Waldorf School in Mannheim

In Germany, Waldorf schools are generally perceived as Christian schools. Especially in the lower grades, Christian holidays, particularly Christmas and Easter, as well as Michaelmas, which has been revived through anthroposophy, are prepared for and celebrated. The classroom is decorated with pictures and a nature table. Legends of Christian saints are told, Christian religious education (Protestant and Catholic) is offered, and Christian topics are also covered in free religious education for parents who are not affiliated with any denomination. This is evident not least in the frequently used book on free religious education at Waldorf schools by Elisabeth von Kügelgen: Vom Wasser aufs Land (From Water to Land). The training for religious education teachers is geared towards this, and Christian motifs also appear in the ritual celebrations, the so-called «actions». Does it have to be this way? Is the Waldorf school an exclusively Christian school? When asked, Rudolf Steiner's answer is clear: in a speech given at a parents' evening on January 13, 1921, he explains that Waldorf schools should not be «ideological schools»; spiritual scientific insights are incorporated into teaching methods, not into content. This does not contradict what he said about a year and a half earlier, on July 24, 1920, in his speech at the end of the first school year, that the «spirit of Christianity» permeates the rooms of the Waldorf school. For when one considers the context, it becomes clear that Rudolf Steiner was not speaking here of religious beliefs, but of the spirit «imbued with love, with true love for humanity».
This ideological openness makes it possible for Waldorf education to be practiced in non-European countries and cultures, for example in environments shaped by Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, or Confucianism. The general religious element of Waldorf education and religious instruction take on a wide variety of forms.

Leveraging diversity

Within this context, the Intercultural Waldorf School in Mannheim-Neckarstadt has also explored new approaches to accommodating religious beliefs. Consideration has been given to the fact that some of the students come from Muslim families, while others have a Christian background in the broadest sense. In addition, there are numerous religiously indifferent parents and some who are connected to Judaism or Buddhist spirituality.

From the very beginning, the teaching staff felt it was important to cultivate general religious qualities such as reverence, devotion, awe, respect for creation, and compassion in the classroom. The day therefore begins with a morning prayer. The teachers also follow the «normal» curriculum when it comes to storytelling, which draws on content from many religions and cultures: fairy tales and legends of saints, stories from the Old Testament, Germanic, Greek, and Roman myths, as well as traditions from the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam are covered. Care is taken to ensure that cultural diversity is already visible in the fairy tales and legends of the first and second grades. This practice is framed by the fact that not only Christian festivals have their place in the monthly celebrations and school public life, but also the beginning and end of Ramadan.
With regard to religious education, the guiding principle was not to separate students in this subject. Instead, the religious and cultural diversity that exists in the classes is used to stimulate mutual interest and lively exchange. This has resulted in a concept that can be described as both religious and cultural education. Starting in third grade, the religions that are predominantly present in the students' homes are covered in one hour per week. The focus in third grade is on Jewish culture and religiosity, in fourth grade on Christianity, and in fifth grade on Islam. Eastern spirituality is also taken into account.

In this context, the «how» is important: pictorial narratives alternate with songs, dances, and dramatic performances. The respective festivals, with their rituals and customs—right down to the typical foods—are presented and celebrated. A synagogue, a church, and a mosque are visited, and a booklet is created in which the students draw pictures related to the festivals.

Highlighting similarities

In class, attention is paid to pointing out similarities between religions. For example, the requests in a prayer by Francis of Assisi can be affirmed by all religions: «Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, that I may love where there is hatred, forgive where there is offense, and unite where there is strife...» Abraham, with his faith, can be considered the common father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Hanukkah, Advent, and Christmas are connected by the motif of light, while Ramadan and Christian Lent both appeal to a willingness to renounce and exercise self-control. The mutual tolerance practiced among the students does not always come naturally to their parents. Occasionally, it takes some persuasion to convince them to accept that their children are learning about religious traditions other than their own. The sixth grade focuses on the relationship with nature in the context of horticulture lessons. In a variety of practical activities such as preparing the beds, caring for the soil, and harvesting, mindfulness and a sense of responsibility towards the earth are encouraged—qualities that are inherent in all religious traditions, especially in indigenous cultures, and are deepened through corresponding myths and stories.

The seventh and eighth grades deal with existential questions of self-discovery: Who am I? What do I want to achieve in the world? What values determine my actions? In this context, topics such as friendship, community, conflict resolution, overcoming the gap between rich and poor, and the relationship between humans and technology are addressed.

Unfortunately, religious and cultural education has not yet been established in the upper school. The concept envisions that in  ninth grade, biographies of personalities from different cultural backgrounds who have made a special contribution to human rights, animal welfare, and ecology will be presented. The tenth grade will focus on fundamental philosophical questions such as the nature of human beings, freedom and responsibility, conscience, and the possibility of knowledge. In eleventh and twelfth grade, the focus will be on world religions in order to intellectually explore the experiences gained in the lower grades. Angelika Schmitt and I have now published a book on this topic: Die Weltreligionen – Vielfalt und Zusammenklang (World Religions – Diversity and Harmony). In seven small volumes, we present the religiosity of indigenous peoples and China, Hinduism and Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, with the basic features of their beliefs and religious practices. The series also includes representative biographies.

In retrospect, students at the Intercultural Waldorf School repeatedly express how valuable it was for them to live together naturally with classmates from other cultures and religions. One example is the report by two twelfth-grade students who, on their graduation trip to Spain, visited the Alhambra in Granada, the Moorish fortress that had offered the longest resistance to the Christian armies that finally prevailed in the Reconquista in 1492. They recounted how they—one Muslim, the other Christian—sat on the fortress wall one evening and reflected on these bloody battles. Then one of them said, «Back then, we would have smashed each other's heads in, but today we have gotten to know each other over the years and have even become friends.»