Religion and Education in Europe

Robert JacksonSiebren MiedemaWolfram WeißeJean-Paul Willaime (Editor)

Religion and Education in Europe

Developments, Contexts and Debates

2007,  Religious Diversity and Education in Europe,  Band 3,  286  pages,  E-Book (PDF),  26,90 €,  ISBN 978-3-8309-6765-1

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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.

press

In my opinion this first REDCo publication is a clear, insightful book, which deserves careful reading by everyone interested in future developments regarding religious education in Europe.
Paul Vermeer in: Journal of Emprirical Theology. 21, 2008.

"Ohne Zweifel handelt es sich um eine wertvolle Veröffentlichung, die beispielsweise in Seminaren über Religionspädagogik in Europa verwendet werden kann oder einfach zur Information für Interessierte. [...] In dieser Hinsicht stellt das Buch einen wichtigen ersten Schritt und einen viel versprechenden Anfang dar."
Friedrich Schweitzer in Zeitschrift für Pädagogik und Theologie 2/2008, S 208 f.

The book is highly innovative and deserves special attention for several reasons. [...] There can be no doubt that this is a very valuable volume and that diverse audiences will be able to profit from it. [...] the book could function as an introduction to religious education or to religion in Europe.
Friedrich Schweitzer in: Teaching Theology and Religion. 01/2008.

Dieser durchgängig englischsprachige Band wendet sich der Problematik in der ganzen Breite zu und sucht zunächst eine umfassende Wahrnehmung, um daraus Perspektiven für die Zukunft zu entwerfen.
Jens Walter auf: www.lehrerbibliothek.de vom 14. Mai 2007.

Das Buch reflektiert die konzeptuellen, historischen und gesetzlichen Aspekte der Rolle des Religionsunterrichts in Schulen und versucht einen ersten Vergleich durchzuführen.
Bert Roebben in: Religionspädagogische Beiträge, 63. 2009.