Interreligious and peace education in plural school settings Potentials and challenges from the perspective of religious pedagogy

Abstract

This article examines the potential of interreligious education to deliver peace education in school settings, with a particular focus on the perspectives of Islamic religious education teachers. Empirical analyses indicate that interreligious learning processes not only transmit knowledge but also promote the development of dialogical competence, empathy, and the ability to navigate pluralistic contexts. At the same time, the findings reveal structural challenges and asymmetric acceptance dynamics, which are reinforced by processes of othering. Many Islamic religious education teachers develop counter strategies – so-called ‘counter-othering’ – to assert themselves against perceived marginalization. However, these strategies also carry the risk of reinforcing new forms of exclusion. The study highlights that in order to realize the full potential of interreligious education to deliver peace education requires to go beyond facilitating interreligious dialogue and to critically engage with societal power structures. Achieving interreligious education at eye level thus necessitates educational policy frameworks that dismantle structural inequalities and establish the equal status of all religious traditions.