Religion and education in Europe

Recent events have resulted in the return of religion as a subject of discussion, both in the public and social domains, and at national as well as at European levels. This shift has a direct impact on the debates about the relationship between religion and education. This book is the initial outcome of the REDCo-project, „Religion in Education: A contribution to Dialogue or a factor of Conflict in transforming societies of European countries.“ The REDCo project (2006-2009) is the first major research project on religion and education to be funded by the European Commission. The project includes ten studies from eight different European countries, plus some collaborative thematic studies. This volume reports the first thematic study, which assesses current issues in religious education and related fields in Europe. Part one includes discussions of European institutions, including the European Union and the Council of Europe, and includes material relevant to all European countries. Part two contains historical and contextual analyses of religion and education in the eight participating countries. The contributions discuss the historical tradition and socio-political background of religion in education, as well as the present context of religion in education, including the nature and degree of multiculturalism, the impact of globalisation, and pedagogical trends. The chapters discuss the changing aims in religious education, questions related to the legal framework, as well as policies and pedagogies addressing issues of dialogue and conflict in school and society. These analyses are a foundation for the project's planned empirical and theoretical work. The final chapter (part three) is a reflection on some of the issues raised in the main body of the book.