A look on the Islamic theology in the secondary school Farsi textbooks: Case study of the textbook for the ninth grade of the secondary school first cycle

Abstract

The present article reviews, critiques and analyzes the Persian literature textbooks with the content of Islamic theology. First, the nature of theology and literature was described and the element of litrariness as a criterion of thedistinction between literary and non-literary texts was identified. Then, thelessons in the Persian textbook for the ninth grade of the first secondary school were studied and analyzed. This study showed that the presence of Islamic theology in Persian textbooks is very high and contains two complete chapters and three lessons from the Farsi textbook for the ninth grade, 8 lessons from the total of 17 lessons and over 50% of the total content of the related textbook. The results showed that the presence of several lessons with the content of Islamic theology in the Persian textbook, with any objective or intention, prevents Persian literature from fulfilling its duty and essence, while the task of literature is the catharsis and emotional impact on the audience, creating literary and artistic appreciation in the audience and sensitizing their human emotions and the development of creative imagination. It is true that our country is an Islamic Republic, in which the values of theology are dominant, but this highlighting of theology in the textbook of Persian literature contradicts the nature and objectives of the education of both subjects.

Keywords

• the secondary school. islamic theology