Critical Religious Literacy as an Anti-Oppression Tool to Remedy and Repair Two-Way Epistemic Harm in Canadian Teacher Education Programs

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual iPresentation Only: SIG-Religion and Education Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

This theoretical paper argues that religious illiteracy among educators is form of epistemic injustice to religiously identified students because it constitutes an epistemic injustice. However, calls for greater religious literacy frequently ignore how religiously identified educators or students may also perpetuate epistemic harms due to their deeply held beliefs that may negate lived experiences of students from 2SLGBTQI+ communities, for example. Thus, I propose that teacher education programs in Canada employ a framework of Critical Religious Literacy as a means of addressing and repairing the potential two-way harms or epistemic injustices related to religious diversity in educational contexts.

Author

• Erin Reid, St. Mary's University (Calgary)