Title: Embodied Religious Education in Bali: Ritual, Ethics, and Character Development
Authors: Ni Wayan Sri Prabawati Kusuma Dewi; Luh Dewi Pusparini; I Made Redana; Ni Made Anggreni; Ni Wayan Sariani Binawati; Ni Nyoman Perni; Gusti Ayu Agung Riesa Mahendradhani
Volume: 10
Issue: 7
Pages: 60-69
Publication Date: 2026/07/28
Abstract:
This study examines Balinese Hindu religious rituals as a form of embodied religious education and explores their role in the internalization of Hindu ethical values and children's character development. Unlike conventional approaches that emphasize cognitive learning, embodied religious education views religious learning as an experiential process involving bodily participation, sensory engagement, emotional experience, social interaction, and spiritual practice. Employing a qualitative library research approach, this study analyzes Hindu scriptures, including the Bhagavad G?t? and Upani?ads, together with scholarly works on embodied learning, religious education, and character education. The findings indicate that children's active participation in ritual practices enables them to internalize ethical values such as dharma, satya, ahimsa, bhakti, seva, and Tri Kaya Parisudha through observation, repeated practice, and communal involvement. Ritual participation also fosters essential character traits, including discipline, responsibility, empathy, cooperation, self-control, respect, and social responsibility. The study concludes that Balinese Hindu rituals function not only as religious and cultural traditions but also as holistic pedagogical practices that integrate spirituality, ethics, and character formation. By introducing the concept of embodied religious education, this study contributes to contemporary scholarship on religious and character education while highlighting the educational significance of ritual participation in nurturing morally responsible and spiritually grounded future generations.