Values that Connect

Nonviolence, justice, truthfulness, and mutual respect are universal ethical values found in all major religions. How people in individual religious communities interpret these rules and to whom they apply is another matter entirely. In monotheistic religions, this has led to cruel campaigns and wars.

Some time ago, sociologist Hartmut Rosa attracted a lot of attention for an interesting thesis: democracy needs a religiously inspired attitude based on resonance, openness, and a willingness to be touched and transformed by others. Rosa's argument is that religion provides a reservoir of ideas and ritual practices that promote the ability to «listen with the heart»—that is, the ability not only to hear other voices, but also to allow them to have a profound effect. This, he says, is a necessary foundation for democracy to function. For me, this is an argument for giving religious education even greater importance in schools.

In this country, the two major churches are losing more and more members, significance, and influence. Religion and religious rituals hardly play a role in many families anymore. At most Waldorf schools, parents can decide whether their child should attend Protestant, Catholic, Christian Community, or independent religious education classes. In this issue, we address, among other things, the question of whether this practice is still appropriate today, or whether it would be possible to establish a connection between the spiritual and the material, firstly across religions and secondly outside of religious education classes.

How would Parzival and the Knights of the Round Table converse today? German teacher Meike Weimar conducted a multimedia project with her class and gained valuable insights in the process.

When Rudolf Steiner died in 1925, he left behind no completed work on anthroposophy. In his text, our author Tomáš Zdražil concludes from this that Waldorf schools must constantly evolve in line with the dynamic development of anthroposophy and social and cultural change.

We have also compiled a lot of other great texts for you.

I wish you stimulating reading and a December filled with listening hearts!