The holistic and spiritual relevance of Bible stories among Finnish 10-year-old pupils: a classroom case study

Abstract

In this article, we explore what kind of relevance Bible stories have on 10-year-old pupils in religious education lessons. The data was gathered in Lutheran RE lessons in Finland. The Bible stories were told by using special storytelling methods, Godly Play and Religious Pedagogic Practice. The study used stimulated recall method interviews to study the reflections the students (N = 9) had during lessons. Analysis was done via deductive content analysis. The study showed that different forms of holistic relevance could be identified in the recollections of the students. The most common forms of relevance were emotional, moral and religious relevance. The study indicates that different kinds of stories emphasise different kinds of relevance and while there were some similar features in the relevance of the stories among the students, there were also differences. In the end, the implications of this study to teacher education and classroom learning are discussed.

Keywords:

• Bible
• storytelling
• holistic learning
• spirituality
• religious education