Bildung-gospels and adul educa ion
Re lec ion pape
Au ho s
Anja Heikkinen, Tampe e Uni e si y, anja.heikkinen(a ) uni. i
Ta na K. Kannis o, Helsinki Uni e si y, a na.kannis o(a )helsinki. i
Gab iele Molzbe ge , Uni e si y o Wuppe al, molzbe ge (a )uni-wuppe al.de
Facul y o Educa ion and Cul u e, Tampe e Uni e si y
TREPO 2022
ISBN 978-952-03-2733-0 (pd )
Bildung-gospels and adul educa ion
ABSTRACT
The online p e-semina ‘Bildung-gospel: a sal a ion o wicked p oblems?’ was o ganized on
Feb ua y 9 h, 2022, as pa o he Finnish adul educa ion esea ch con e ence in Tampe e Uni e si y.
Due o he exploding ashionabili y o he wo d ‘Bildung’ in adul educa ion p ac ice and poli ics, he
o ganize s asked in he p e-semina ques ions on ‘Wha is he dis inc i e in ellec ual con en and
educa ional mission o (No dic) Bildung and o he cu en ini ia i es o Bildung-gospel?’, ‘How does
he cu en Bildung-gospel ela e o in ellec ual and educa ional adi ions o (No dic) Bildung?’,
‘Wha migh be easons and d i es behind he ise o he Bildung-gospel? Wi h wha kind o
(educa ional) implica ions?’ In i ed expe s p o ided hei esponses on each ques ion, ollowed by
g oup and plena y discussions. The pape b ie ly desc ibes key issues aised by he p esen e s and
o he pa icipan s, and au ho s’ in e p e a ion on esponses o he p elimina y ques ions.
KEY WORDS: Bildung, Folk-bildung, No dic Bildung, Bildung-gospel.
‘When I use a wo d,’ Hump y Dump y said in a he a sco n ul one, ‘i means jus wha I choose i
o mean—nei he mo e no less.’
‘The ques ion is,’ said Alice, ‘whe he you can make wo ds mean so many di e en hings.’
‘The ques ion is,’ said Hump y Dump y, ‘which is o be mas e — ha 's all.’
(Th ough he Looking Glass, Lewis Ca ol, 1871).
BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION
The p e-semina ‘Bildung-gospel: a sal a ion o wicked p oblems’ on Feb ua y 9 h, 2022, was
o ganised as pa o he Finnish adul educa ion esea ch con e ence, because o he as onishmen
among esea che s abou he exploding ashionabili y o he Ge man wo d ‘Bildung’ in cu en
p ac ical, poli ical and esea ch discou ses in adul educa ion. (h ps://e en s. uni. i/ai u2022/p e-
semina -9-2/). I a ac ed o e 100 pa icipan s om 20 di e en coun ies. The online p e-semina
aimed a encou aging discussion and deba e a ound he cu en Bildung-hype, and he main a ge
g oup o his pape a e esea che s o adul educa ion.
Du ing he planning s age o he semina , he p e-semina o ganise s made a b ie mapping o
ini ia i es u ilising he Bildung- ocabula y. I showed ha hey ypically aimed a ackling he wicked
p oblems o he cu en e a, such as he en i onmen al c isis, consume ism, indi idual and social
disin eg a ion and spi i ual desola ion. The ini ia i es esemble many o he pos -ma e ialis ,
me amode nis , in eg al, in some cases e en spi i ualis cu en s and sec s, which p o ide gospels –
sal a ion na a i es - h ough secula eligiousness, inne awa eness, deep inne consciousness and
communali y, accompanied wi h wellness, h i e and happiness, and e olu ion o new humans.
1
Beside educa ional eci als, hey ypically equi e e i alis ga he ings, imme si e, emo ional,
aes he ic and sensual expe iences, mys ic e ea s and encoun e s wi h na u e.
The launching o he wo d ‘bildung’ as a gene al concep may exempli y a wide mo emen agains
a ionalisa ion and s anda disa ion in educa ion. Ini ia i es o e u n o inne - aes he ic, emo ional -
cul i a ion o indi iduali y in educa ion, which would emana e o cul i a ion o socie ies and he
humankind, can be comp ehended as sugges ing al e na i es o mains eam adul educa ion. Ye , he
o ganise s o he p e-semina wonde ed, i he e was some hing dis inc i e in he applica ion o
Bildung- ocabula y in adul educa ion. Ten a i ely his is due o he no ma i e quali y o he ield as
s udy, p ac ice, and policy. While being mo e di ec ly linked wi h economic, social and
en i onmen al policies and agendas, compa ed o so-called o mal educa ion, adul educa ion is
pe manen ly con on ed by he blu ing o analy ical, desc ip i e and p esc ip i e uses o language,
anscending con ex ual and his o ical meanings.
Among he Bildung-gospels, he ini ia i es o he No dic Bildung-o ganisa ion a e mos ambi ious
and closes o adul educa ion. As p ojec s, un by he o ganisa ion, hey ha e also expanded in o
Eu opean and Global Bildung ne wo ks. The e o e, he p e-semina ound hem exempla y o
opening he discussion a ound he wide opic. The in i a ion men ioned ha he wo d ‘Bildung’
doesn’ ansla e in o English. Despi e mu ual in luences, wo ds used in No dic con ex s, such as
Danish ‘dannelse’, Swedish ‘bildning’ o Finnish ‘si is ys’ a e no ansla ions om ’Bildung’. I is
di icul o a oid con using wo dings in a sho , desc ip i e pape , bu we y o sepa a e be ween
Bildung in i s Ge man conno a ion, No dic ‘Bildung’ as a pu a i e No dic e sion o Bildung,
‘bildung’ as a neologism launched o global adul educa ion discou se, and No dic Bildung as an
exempla y o ganisa ion o Bildung-gospel.
2
The dis inc i e a ac ion o Bildung- ocabula y in adul educa ion seems o lie in an app op ia ion
o igu es and in e p e a ions o ‘bildung’ in Denma k and Ge man-speaking coun ies, and in
showcasing No dic coun ies as mos ad anced in he wo ld. They a e conside ed o pa e he way
owa ds uni e sal peace, p ospe i y, democ acy and human igh s. Consequen ly, he No dic Bildung-
websi e p omises ha “based on he e y bes om he cul u al e olu ion a ound he globe, we will
b eak away om he kind o hinking ha has c ea ed he majo p oblems acing humani y… de elop
models and unde s andings ha people a ound he globe can use in o de o c ea e a meaning ul and
sus ainable u u e.”
3
In ac , he Bildung-gospels in adul educa ion seem o ocus on Folk-‘Bildung’,
connec ed o ce ain heo ies o psychological de elopmen o indi iduals and cul u al e olu ion o
socie ies.
The p e-semina was s uc u ed acco ding o en a i e conce ns by he o ganise s, posed as ollowing
ques ions: “Wha is he dis inc i e in ellec ual con en and educa ional mission o No dic Bildung
and o he cu en ini ia i es o Bildung-gospel?” (Theme 1), “How does he cu en Bildung-gospel
ela e o in ellec ual and educa ional adi ions o No dic ‘Bildung’?” (Theme 2), “Wha migh be
easons and d i es behind he ise o he Bildung-gospel? Wi h wha kind o (educa ional)
implica ions?” (Theme 3). Expe s on each heme we e in i ed o p o ide in oduc ions based on hei
iews and in e p e a ions, ollowed by small g oup discussions among pa icipan s. In wha ollows,
we b ie ly desc ibe key issues aised by he p esen e s. A e his, conside ing g oup and concluding
sessions, we e lec on whe he and how ou unde s anding on wha is a s ake in he cu en Bildung-
gospels was ans o med du ing he e en . Bo h sec ions a e selec i e and based on ou own
in e p e a ions, hus no claiming o be ep esen a i e o doing jus ice o he di e si y o iews,
opinions and a gumen s p esen ed du ing he p e-semina .
PERCEPTIONS OF BILDUNG-GOSPEL
Anja Heikkinen om Tampe e Uni e si y, Lo enz Lassnigg om Ins i u e o Ad anced S udies and
Gab iele Molzbe ge om Uni e si y o Wuppe al in oduced hei conce ns ela ed o he hemes
o he p e-semina . They ques ioned whe he he cu en Bildung-ne wo ks and ini ia i es ha e a
dis inc i e in ellec ual agenda and educa ional mission compa ed o o he gospels, which p omise o
sa e he wo ld in he ace o plane a y c isis. Does he dis inc i eness lie in hei me aphysical
explana ion abou he de elopmen o he uni e se, socie ies and indi iduals? Does he ci cula ion o
old idealis ic ideas a ac ollowe s while p o iding an al e na i e o cu en a ionalism and
ma e ialism h ough spi i ualism and emo i ism? O do he ‘hidden agendas’ o he Bildung-gospels
coincide wi h he con empo a y indi idualis , human-capi alis Educa ion-gospel?
As ano he conce n, hey aised he ques ion abou pu posi e exploi a ion o Ge man Bildung and
No dic ‘Bildung’- adi ions, which dis ega ds he di e se c i ical esea ch abou hem. Do he
Bildung-gospels exclude he con ex o he eme gence o he ideas o Bildung/‘Bildung’? Is he
unc ion o he simplis ic selec ion and in e p e a ion o examples - especially G und ig and Danish
Folk high schools - o make he Bildung-gospels accep able? Does his lead o es o a i e and e en
na ionalis endencies in he sal a ion agenda, and unde mine he mission o educa ion as a public
good and a p omo e o c i ical hinking?
The hi d conce n o speake s was whe he he a ac i eness o he Bildung-gospels indica e a lack
in heo y building in educa ional science, especially adul educa ion. Empi ical, policy-led la ge-scale
s udies ha e ma ginalised philosophical and his o ical app oaches in academia in he p e ious
decades. The e o e, is he loo le o non-uni e si y ac o s and hei sal a ion-agendas, when
al e na i es o he neolibe al ide a e sea ched o ? Does his also indica e a econ igu ed o ches a ion
o he public, ‘ he we’, in adul educa ion? Does i demons a e an expec a ion o academics o
become cha isma ic igu es in he digi al media o be success ul in he ( i ual) a endance economy?
Lene Ande sen om he No dic Bildung-o ganisa ion and Ch is in Cieslak om he Eu opean
Associa ion o he Educa ion o Adul s (EAEA) we e in i ed o speak abou he in ellec ual agenda
and educa ional mission o Bildung-gospel. Lene ecalled he ole as he ounde o he No dic
Bildung-o ganisa ion, which also uns Eu opean and Global Bildung ne wo ks. She p o ided a lis o
educa ional and philosophical au ho s which she has used o he de ini ion o ‘bildung’. As he mos
impo an scien i ic sou ce, she men ioned he psychological heo y o sel -de elopmen by Robe
Kegan. The exempla y ole o No dic, especially Danish, Folk-‘Bildung’ was jus i ied by he highes
posi ion o p o es an coun ies in Wo ld Values Su ey and by he economic p ospe i y o No dic
coun ies and Swi ze land du ing he 20 h cen u y. As an ou come o he in ellec ual e o o No dic
Bildung, she p esen ed an illus a ion o he in eg a ed his o ical ad ancemen o communi ies,
indi idual sel -de elopmen , dominan ideologies and e sions o Folk-‘Bildung’. This sugges s ha
No dic ‘Bildung’ cu en ly ep esen s hei mos p og essi e, me amode n combina ion. Ch is in
showed he websi e o he EAEA Bildung-p ojec , which ga he s many cen al adul educa ion
o ganisa ions in Eu ope a ound he ideas o No dic Bildung and Lene’s concep ual amewo k. She
emphasised how impo an and p omising hey a e o us in he adul educa ion communi y, o
p omo e adul educa ion in Eu ope.
Palle Rasmussen om Aalbo g Uni e si y and Ch is ian S i e om Aus ian A chi es o Adul
Educa ion commen ed ex ensi ely on he ela ion o cu en Bildung-gospels o in ellec ual and
educa ional adi ions o Bildung and No dic ‘Bildung’. Palle a gued ha agains his o ical eali ies,
he o e ly posi i e, idealis ic p esen a ion o ‘bildung’ in he gospels is misleading, silencing social

di e ences and ac o pe spec i es. The ideas and implemen a ion o Bildung/’Bildung’ ha e
p ima ily p omo ed alues and ways o li e o he eli es, con eyed h ough an in isible pedagogy
which has been inaccessible o he wo king class. Fu he mo e, Palle ound i inaccu a e o label
Danish Folk-high school as No dic ‘Bildung’, since i s ill is ep esen a i e o Folk-enligh enmen
( olkeopplysning). In ackling wicked p oblems o he cu en e a, p og amma ic and uni e salis use
o he ‘bildung’-concep is de imen al, se ing aside o he mo e pe inen educa ional adi ions and
ideas, such as cu iculum and compe ence-app oach, cha ac e ised by Osca Neg .
Ch is ian p o ided a c i ical his o ical e iew on mani es os and publica ions by No dic Bildung.
While u opias o uni e sal solu ions o maladies o humankind a e no no el ies, he conside ed he
poli ical and economic con adic ions o he cu en ones o equi e special a en ion. He pinpoin ed
allacies and alse consequences in he agenda o No dic ‘Bildung,’ caused by ahis o ical and
decon ex ualized bo owing om bou geois and eli is concep s in he Ge man-speaking Bildung-
adi ion. I shows he igno ance abou he as esea ch a ound Bildung, which indica es i s oo s in
he conse a i e and na ionalis poli ical and economic agenda o he Ge man Bildungsbü ge um.
The neo- humanis ic in e p e a ion o Bildung, as impa ial and indi idualis ic concep , de eloped in
opposi ion o he enligh ened Volksbildung o he wo king class, a ou ing scien i ic, secula and
ealis ic educa ion. Fu he mo e, Ch is ian s a ed ha in on o he his o ical e idence, many
s a emen s abou linkages be ween Ge man Bildung and No dic ‘Bildung’ a e li e ally alse. He
wa ned abou aking he No dic ‘Bildung’-agenda as he guideline o he u u e o adul educa ion,
due o he eclec ic combina ion o psychological concep s and his o ical he o ic, and i s p opaga ion
by he ecen economic and social success o No dic coun ies. Ins ead, Volksbildung would be a
wide concep , no limi ed o adul o con inuous lea ning, emphasising educa ion o all and
enligh enmen as an egali a ian p ocess o indi iduals and socie ies.
Ee a Kallio om Uni e si y o Jy äskylä, Hen ik No d all om Uni e si y o Linköping and
Ch is ine Zeune om Helmu Schmid -Uni e si y commen ed on easons and d i es, and
educa ional implica ions o Bildung-gospels. Ee a localised he Bildung-gospels in o cu en
ashions in psychology and educa ion, ocusing on e ical de elopmen , sel -g ow h, spi i ualism
and wisdom, in opposi ion o mechanis ic ma e ialism and echnological a ionalism. Bildung-gospels
a e ypically inspi ed by ce ain de elopmen al psychological heo ies, which seem close o he
concep s o me amode ni y. The Bildung-mo emen may include emancipa o y elemen s, while
emphasising sel - e lec ion and wisdom. Ye i s educa ional con ibu ion emains con o e sial
wi hou sel -c i ical, genealogical analysis on i s inhe en alues and hie a chical, Eu o-cen ed iews
abou psychological and socie al p og ess.
Hen ik eminded ha Bildung-gospels, especially as o e simpli ied na a i es abou No dic Folk-
‘Bildung’, is a wide and olde phenomenon han No dic ‘Bildung’. Danish Folk high school and
Swedish s udy ci cles ha e been p opaga ed by popula adul educa o s and policymake s as uni e sal
solu ions o p oblems o democ acy, democ acy, inequali y, bad heal h, social ma ginalisa ion,
acism, ake news and so on. Howe e , esea ch has shown he di icul y in ans e ing No dic
solu ions o o he con ex s. The cu en No dic ‘Bildung’-gospels seem o di e in ga he ing
ansna ional en husias s, consul an s and en ep eneu s ins ead o ac o s om uni e si ies, NGOs o
in e na ional aid. Ins ead o c i icising he phenomenon, Hen ik in i ed esea che s o de elop
al e na i e esea ch-based na a i es, sho publica ions on No dic Folk-‘Bildung’ in ela ion o social
and poli ical change, which would be accessible o a wide , also in e na ional public.
Ch is ine assumed ha Bildung- adi ion a ac s Eu opean adul educa ion communi ies, since i
p o ides hem posi i e me apho s such as emancipa ion, ma u i y, sel -de e mina ion. They can
unc ion as collec i e jus i ica ion o hei exis ence be e han neo-libe al discou ses on li elong
lea ning. The app oach in p opaga ion o ‘bildung’ seems no ma i e and uni e salis , igno ing he
inne con adic ions o mode n socie ies, which canno be sol ed by educa ion. To unde s and he
con ex and con adic ions o he Bildung-gospels, c i ical hinking and dialec ical me hods needs o
be p omo ed in academia.
The p e-semina included wo g oup discussion sessions and a concluding session o e lec ions and
ecommenda ions, wi h an oppo uni y o cha . We specula e ha due o he digi al o ma and
imp o ised na u e o he e en , he a mosphe e was ese ed, and pa icipan s a oided c i ical
con on a ions. S ill, ou imp ession om he eac ions and discussions was ha mos pa icipan s
we e a he s uck in hei app oach o Bildung-gospels.
The ue-belie e s we e no a ec ed by he academic a gumen s, a he hey seemed a bi o ended
by being ques ioned. They a gued o he dynamic and open de ini ion o ‘bildung’, le ing people
in e p e and modi y i o hei indi idual and collec i e pu poses o p o iding ools o emancipa o y
adul educa ion in less de eloped o au ho i a ian poli ical, social and educa ional sys ems. The c i ics
poin ed ou in ellec ual, poli ical o pedagogical p oblems, ailu es and dange s o he gospel.
Cau ions we e aised abou he plausibili y o Bildung-gospels as he sal a ion o wicked p oblems
con on ed by adul educa ion, due o he di e si y o popula adul educa ion i sel , bu also o neglec
o majo a eas o oca ional adul educa ion, wo k-based aining and human esou ce de elopmen
in companies. A conce n was also aised abou ce ain ‘bildung’-discou ses becoming hegemonic,
ma ginalising o he app oaches o cu en challenges in adul educa ion. The ligh -minded ound he
gospel as ha mless, indi e en o e en a posi i e phenomenon while aising in e es in No dic popula
adul educa ion. They conside ed he dis ance o discou ses and ealms o esea ch, policymaking and
p ac ice legi ima e and e en bene icial o each pa y. The Bildung-gospel ac i ism may p omo e he
s a us o (popula ) adul educa ion in he academy and in policymaking and encou age adul educa ion
esea che s o mo e om compe i ion o collabo a ion, and o connec wi h policymake s and
p ac i ione s.
NEW (OR OLD) INSIGHTS ABOUT BILDUNG-GOSPELS
The con ibu ions and discussions in he p e-semina con i med he ambi alence o concep s o
Bildung and No dic ‘Bildung’ in he Bildung-gospels, p oblema ising also how we used hem in he
p e-semina in i a ion. They a e u ilised o gi e conc e e uni e sal answe s o he wicked p oblems
global socie y is acing. In he agenda o p oponen s, he adap abili y o concep s o all kinds o
discou ses and p ac ical unc ions and indi idual in e p e a ions, ollows hei p aisewo hy aim o be
eady o any encoun e s and discussions o dissemina e hei message. One o he in ellec ual co es
o Bildung-gospels is he concep o me amode ni y, which is sha ed by many g oups (beside No dic
Bildung, o example Me amode na and Pe spec i a) applying Bildung- ocabula y, and some
esea ch communi ies in psychology and educa ion.
4
The concep o me amode ni y in eg a e
in e p e a ions o cul u al o socie al e olu ion wi h de elopmen al (ego)psychology, ollowing
igu es such as Robe Kegan, Ken Wilbe and O o Scha me . The p e-semina con i med he belie
o hese ideologies in uni e sal “cul u al meme” and ‘ alue’ hie a chies. The No dic (and Swiss, o
some ex en Ge man and US - p o es an ) socie ies a e seen o ep esen he highes s ages o cul u al
and psychological e olu ion, hus i is jus i ied o ake hem as examples o sal a ion o humankind
and he plane . The Bildung-gospels esemble o he spi i ual doc ines in hei belie ha s i ing o
deepe inne awa eness and highe spi i ual s ages is he pa h owa ds cul u al and psychological
be e men . This seems o p o ec hem om ecogni ion and analysis o hei eli is and chau inis
elemen s.
In Bildung-gospels, Danish Folk high schools as a showcase o (No dic) ‘Bildung’ look like a
deco a ion o hei dis inc i e psycho-poli ical ideology, p o iding a conc e e example o adul
educa o s, who a e sea ching o a li ebel o jus i y hei unique and excep ional place in educa ion
and socie y. Ye , in he p e-semina , he p oponen s o he gospels conside ed No dic wel a e s a es
also accoun able o he decline o he ‘p ope ’ No dic ‘Bildung’, despi e hei highes posi ion in he
cul u al and psychological hie a chies. Acco ding o he gospel, No dic ‘Bildung’ is in e p e ed as
being a he o e on in mo ing owa ds ‘bildung’ as me amode ni y. The e o e, he mission seems
o be ha he es o he wo ld should become as No dic as possible, o ad ance beyond he e a o he
wel a e s a e. Due o he uzziness and ambigui y o he agenda, he dis inc i e con ibu ion o
Bildung-gospels o add essing wicked p oblems o he plane - such as en i onmen al deg ada ion,
economic and social injus ice, o ced mig a ion - gained ha dly any a en ion in he p e-semina . S ill,
a de ailed analysis o i s sal a ion po en ial would be mos impo an .
Because he p e-semina was a ached o he Finnish con e ence and he speake s and pa icipan s
mainly came om No dic coun ies, i was unde s andable ha Bildung-gospels we e p ima ily
discussed in ela ion o No dic adi ions. The c i ics showed how simpli ied and misleading i s
na a i e is in compa ison o he di e si y and con o e sies be ween di e en o ms o Folk-
‘Bildung’ (o enligh enmen ) and di e en No dic coun ies. Since mo e widely, he Bildung-gospels
build s ongly on Ge man-speaking adi ion, he lack o de ailed discussion on dis inc ions inside
and be ween Ge man-speaking coun ies was un o una e.
5
A c i ical poin aised by he Ge man
speake s was he con usion be ween concep s and adi ions o Bildung and Folk-‘Bildung’, which
leads he wish ul audience o adop in insically con adic o y aims and ideas o adul educa ion. The
p e-semina was s ill le a showing mis akes and schola ly ailu es, bu no ye analysing he
in ellec ual and educa ional con en o he Bildung-gospels in ela ion o di e se adi ions. While his
would equi e sys ema ic heo e ical and empi ical esea ch in he u u e, opinions abou he need o
eac o he eclec ic adop ion o adi ions, wi hou ecogni ion o hei eli is and disc imina o y
e ec s on social his o y o educa ion, a ied. Many ue-belie e s and ligh -minded ound he in e es
in Bildung and No dic ‘Bildung’ posi i e and bene icial in i sel o hough i be e ha academics
concen a e on popula ising hei own esea ch abou Bildung and No dic ‘Bildung.’ Howe e ,
conside ing he publishing policy o con empo a y compe i ion uni e si ies, he sugges ion sounds
he o ical.
The discussion on in e p e a ions o Bildung and No dic ‘Bildung’ educed ime om e lec ions on
easons, d i es and educa ional implica ions o he Bildung-gospels. Howe e , he assump ion, ha
hese ela e o e oding and weakening disciplina y and heo e ical s a us o adul educa ion in
academia, was con i med. Pa icipan s seemed unanimous ha an impo an eason o he a ac ion
o he gospel is he g owing dissa is ac ion wi h he economis and neolibe alis endencies in adul