MEMORIAL TO MARIA HARRIS (1932-2005):AESTHETIC APPROACH TO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

It has been about 10 years since Dr. Maria Harris passed away from us. I dedicate this study to Harris who had made great achievements in the area of religious education from 1932 to 2005 and has given great influence on my study until now. Harris has contributed to establishing the relationship between aesthetics and religious education. Harris understands church as the artistic community and human beings as artists with the image of God, the Artist. On this theological foundation, she develops her own educational theory which is called the art of teaching. This study introduces the art of teaching and curriculum as artistic five movements: contemplation, engagement, formgiving, emergence, release. Harris also describes the art of teaching as the process to create harmony of teacher, students, and subject matter, suggests five criteria for the art of teaching (taking care, taking steps, taking form, taking time, and taking risks), and emphasizes the use of poetic and artistic language in the classroom. Finally, this study applies Harris art of teaching to the Korean context and compares the art of teaching with the Korean play, Ma dang Keuk. Harris was the first religious educator who connects the aesthetics to religious education and made religious education artistic, beautiful, imaginative, and creative.