Teaching about Religious Diversity in the
Public Sphere: European Policy
Initiatives
Robert Jackson
Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit
Diversity shapes Europe’s Future
The contribution of intercultural and interreligious education for living
together in Europe
Intereuropean Commission on Church and School
International Association for Christian Education and the Protestant
Academy in Berlin
Berlin September 18, 2008
Summary
 Context
 Theoretical
Debates
 Policy Development
 Conclusions
CONTEXT
Global Context: Religion in Public Space
Negative events – global, regional and local






September 11, 2001 in USA
Afghanistan and Iraq wars/occupations
Bali, Casablanca, Jakarta, Istanbul, Madrid,
London, Mumbai etc
Inter and intra religious conflicts globally
European issues: Civil disorder in N. UK
towns in 2001 and France in late 2005; The
‘Cartoons’ affair 2006 – Denmark etc
Positive ‘social capital’ – eg Desmond Tutu,
Dalai Lama, religiously based movements for
peace and justice, interfaith networks etc
Intellectual Context: Religious Plurality &
Late Modernity
 ‘Plurality’ descriptive; ‘Pluralism’ normative

Traditional plurality


Modern/postmodern plurality

instant communication
globalisation
erosion of cultural boundaries

multiple influences on identity



religious and ethnic diversity
Interaction of ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’
plurality in describing the religious
landscape
DEBATES
Academic Debates
1.
2.
3.
Public and private space religion in the public sphere
Epistemology and Pedagogy
Aims of teaching about
religions
Debate 1: Religion in the Public Sphere
Jürgen Habermas
 In the formal public/political sphere
(parliaments, ministries etc), political
institutions to stay neutral regarding religion
 The (informal) public/political sphere is the
setting for communication between religious
and non-religious people


religious people can bring insights into public
debate
religious people can gain insights through
dialogue with others
Debate 2: Epistemology and Pedagogy

Scientific realist positions
objective knowledge about religions (as with
scientific knowledge)
 no personal contributions from students
 teacher as academic authority


Hermeneutical positions
Knowledge objective but transactional
 education about and from religions
 Student-student, student-teacher dialogue
 personal engagement with issues

Debate 3: Aims of Teaching about Religions
Teaching about religions in order:
 To develop knowledge and understanding of
religions as part of knowledge of human culture
and history
 To promote tolerance of difference (within limits)
and respect for the right of people to hold a
religious belief – learning to live together
 To promote communication between people of
different beliefs (inter-religious; inter-cultural;
democratic citizenship)
 To assist students in formulating their own ideas
on religion
POLICY
DEVELOPMENT
Policy: Education in/about Religions:
Contextual Factors
Historical tradition
 history of Church/State relations
 the nature and degree of
‘multiculturalism’ in society
 Socio-political/economic systems
 Geographical position
 European/international/global
influences

Policy: Current National Policies in Europe
Types of RE in European Public Schools
 Educating into religion


Educating about religion


Religion is taught from a descriptive and
historical perspective
Educating from religion


a single tradition is taught by insiders
students consider different responses to
religious, existential and moral issues
European and International turn

Whatever the system, students need to have
knowledge about a range of religions and beliefs
Policy: International Institutions and
the study of religions in schools
UN/UNESCO
Delors report (1996) – learning to
know, to do, to live together and to be
 Learning to live together includes…
‘developing an understanding of

others and their history, traditions
and spiritual values’
Policy: International Institutions and the
study of religions in schools
United Nations

Alliance of Civilizations –
‘Religious leaders, education policymakers,
and interfaith civic organizations should work
together to develop consensus guidelines for
teaching about religions’ (HLG Report 2006)
 Clearinghouse of information on Education
about Religion and Belief for the UN Alliance
of Civilizations – website project
 Conference in Copenhagen October 2008 including interface with the Islamic world

Policy: European Institutions and the
study of religions in schools

EU (27 states)




European Council (heads of state and the
president of the EC) - teaching materials
reflecting Europe’s cultural, ethnic and religious
diversity to combat racism
European research – eg EC REDCo Project –
religion, education, dialogue & conflict – 9
European universities – 2006-2009 – from research
to policy and practice
Council of Europe (47 states)
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe ODIHR (OSCE) (56 states)
Policy and Practice: Council of Europe

Intercultural Education and the Challenge
of Religious Diversity and Dialogue 20022007 (DG IV) Ministerial Policy Declaration 2008?; book in English
& French 2007

Interfaith Dialogue and Human Rights 20002006 (ongoing) (Malta 2004; Kazan 2006: Commissioner for Human
Rights)



European Centre for Human Rights and
Citizenship Education, including religion
(Oslo) (2006 onwards; established late 2008)
Exchange on the Religious Dimension of
Intercultural Dialogue (2008 ongoing)
White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue (2008)
Council of Europe draft policy: developing
intercultural competences through…





nurturing a sensitivity to the diversity of
religions and non-religious convictions …
ensuring that teaching about the diversity of
religions and non-religious convictions is
consistent with the aims of education for
democratic citizenship, human rights etc…
promoting dialogue between people from
different cultural religious/non-religious
backgrounds;
developing skills of critical evaluation and
reflection with regard to …different religions
and non-religious convictions
combating prejudice and stereotypes vis-à-vis
difference …
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE/ODIHR)
Toledo Guiding Principles


Composition of the drafting group
interdisciplinary and inclusive – lawyers,
academics, educators, representatives of
faith/belief groups of different kinds
Human rights foundation
 freedom of religion or belief predicates
plurality;
 plurality requires tolerance of difference;
 tolerance of difference requires at least
knowledge and understanding of the beliefs
and values of others
Toledo Guiding Principles
Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about
Religions and Beliefs in Public Schools 2007


‘to contribute to an improved understanding
of the world’s increasing religious diversity
and the growing presence of religion in the
public sphere’
‘to assist OSCE participating States in
promoting the study and knowledge about
religions and beliefs in schools…as a tool to
enhance religious freedom and increase
tolerance’
NGOs: Tony Blair Faith Foundation




Face to Faith - to engage secondary school
students in discussion about the role of faith
in their lives, communities and globally
Through videoconferences, students from
around the world will participate in a
facilitated, interactive conversation building
awareness & understanding of issues facing
global inter- & intra-faith relations
Pilot study autumn 2008, working closely
with the Global Nomads Group
a full programme to be launched 2009
RE and Interdisciplinary Studies
‘RE’, ‘TaRB’, ‘religion education’ can contribute
to or collaborate with other fields
 Citizenship education
 Intercultural education
 Human rights education
 Global/world affairs education
 Peace education

School ethos, procedures, governance,
relationships (internal/external)

But…There is a need for specialists in the
study of religions…Religion must not be
‘integrated out’!
CONCLUSIONS
Conclusions







Policy makers/educators need to be aware of –
and participate in – the key debates
Policy makers/educators need to allay fears - to
be sensitive to different national contexts and
voices (including religious ones) within them
‘TaRB’ aims need to be consistent with a broad
EDC (intercultural, human rights, global, peace)
Initiatives by European/international bodies are
complementary – excellent that different bodies
increasingly are working together in this field
More dialogue with non-Western bodies needed
A supply of specialists in the study of religions is
needed internationally
More European/international research,
development, teacher training needed – Oslo
Centre and other consortia