Catholic School Religious Education in Chile. Analysis of its regulations and curricular development in the Latin American context

Abstract

School Religious Education in Latin America over the years has been articulated with its own characteristics, reflecting the plurality and cultural, religious, social, and educational changes of the continent. The Chilean reality stands out for its emphasis and new approach to Catholic School Religious Education, which has experienced several changes, challenges, and opportunities, as a result of a fruitful and participative process in its path towards the deepening and enrichment of religious formation in the educational communities. Thus, the objective of this article is to establish the main events and approaches of School Religious Education in Latin America, in order to point out the framework in which Catholic School Religious Education in Chile is inserted.

This research is carried out from the qualitative paradigm with a documentary analysis of articles that present the following theme: Challenges of the ERE in Latin America and the focus of the EREC in Chile and its ecclesiastical and legal provisions. The eligibility criteria are defined on the basis of the relevance of the topic, the timeliness, the breadth and the availability of information. The main results of the analysis and its implications relate to the recognition of different models of ERE in Latin America, according to ecclesiastical provisions, legal bases and curricular components, both in the region and in Chile.