Rehumanizing Christian Religious Education amid a Crisis of Human Values in Indonesia

Abstract

This article examines the urgent need for rehumanization within Indonesia's educational landscape, particularly through the lens of Christian Religious Education (CRE). Rehumanization, in this context, refers to the intentional effort to restore and uphold human dignity, moral agency, and relational integrity within educational practice—dimensions often marginalized by technocratic, utilitarian, and depersonalized pedagogical paradigms. Despite being widely recognized as a fundamental right and public good, education in Indonesia frequently reflects systemic tendencies that prioritize cognitive and instrumental outcomes while neglecting the holistic development of learners. Within such a context, the role of CRE teachers becomes increasingly significant, as they are uniquely positioned to integrate theological, ethical, and pedagogical dimensions in the formation of learners. Drawing on conceptual frameworks and contemporary literature, this study emphasizes the need to reposition CRE teachers as transformative agents who foster dialogical learning, nurture students' spiritual and moral consciousness, and cultivate a classroom environment grounded in compassion, justice, and mutual respect. Rather than functioning merely as knowledge transmitters, teachers are called to embody the values they teach, becoming living witnesses of faith, hope, and love within the educational community. Rehumanizing Christian Religious Education, therefore, demands a paradigm shift—one that reorients curriculum, pedagogy, and teacher formation toward the affirmation of each learner’s full humanity to God, others, and the created world. By centering educational practice on relationality, embodiment, and the sacredness of the human person, rehumanization contributes to the renewal of education as a moral and spiritual enterprise.