Áskoranir fyrir skóla og kirkju

In 2013 the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture issued a new National Curriculum Guide for the Compulsory school in Iceland. In the new curricula drastic changes were made and curricula of individual subjects were merged into larger entities. Religious Education thus became a part of so-called Social Studies. That entails, among other things, that the role of religious education is primarily described in the context of the subjects that are included there. The aim of this article is to explore and discuss the changes of the curriculum in Religious Education for Compulsory School (the primary and the lower secondary school) in Iceland over the last decades. In the light of theoretical debate in neighboring countries the article will discuss the challenges, opportunities and risks consisted in such a radical change, also the status and role of Religious Education and what approaches might be suitable when the subject is becoming a part of Social Studies in the Icelandic Curriculum Guide. The article also discusses the challenges for the National Church of Iceland and other religious organizations and their role in religious education.