Wolfram Weisse Athens 9 October 2007

1. Wolfram WeisseAthens 9 October 2007 The European REDCo Project as a research base for Council of Europe developments in teaching about religious diversity in Europe

2. REDCo Religion in Education. A Contribution to Dialogue or a factor of Conflict in transforming societies of European countries • Start: March 2006 • Duration: 36 months • EU-funds: 1.188.000,00 Euro

3. Objectives • to establish and compare the potentials and limitations of religion in the educational systems of selected European countries. • to analyse approaches and constellations that can contribute in making religion in education into a factor for promoting dialogue in the context of European social coherence. • to lay the foundation for our understanding of the contribution that religion in education can make towards the transformation processes underway in various European countries. • to gain the necessary historical depth of perception and analytical clarity in order to address the current problems of, and perspectives on, the core questions of dialogue and conflict between European identities.

4. Participatingcountries • Germany and Norway: Established churches and move towards religious pluralism. • The Netherlands and England/Wales: Established churches and a long (though not unchallenged) tradition of religious pluralism. • France and Spain: Predominant catholic countries with an increasing religious and interreligious opening and a public discourse on new approaches of Religion in Education, on Catholic RE and on an Islamic RE. • Russia and Estonia: Strong religious traditions, which have long been marginalised by Communism. In recent years, both societies have become increasingly open towards religious influences.

5. Members of REDCo-Consortium • Prof. Wolfram Weisse, University of Hamburg (D), (Coordinator) PD Dr. Thorsten Knauth • Prof. Robert Jackson, University of Warwick (GB) • Prof. Jean-Paul Willaime, Sorbonne University, Paris (F) • Prof. Siebren Miedema, Dr. Ina ter Avest, Free University Amsterdam,and Prof. Cok Bakker, University of Utrecht (NL) • Prof. Geir Skeie, University of Stavanger (NOR) • Prof. Pille Valk, University of Tartu (Estonia) • Prof. Muhammad Kalisch, Dan-Paul Jozsa, University of Münster (D) • Prof. Udo Steinbach, Hamburg (D) • Prof. Vladimir Fedorov, Prof. Fedor Kosyrev Russian Christian Academy for Humanities, St. Petersburg (Russia) • Prof. Gunther Dietz, Dr.A. Alvarez Veinguer, University of Granada (Spain)

6. Theoretical Background I Interpretive approach • Representation:Religions should be presented not as homogeneous and bounded systems. • Interpretation: Students should not be expected to set aside their own presuppositions. • Reflexivity: Students should re-assess their own ways of life; they should be constructively critical of the material they study; and they should maintain an awareness of the development of the interpretive process, reflecting on the nature of their learning.

7. Theoretical Background II • Religious Education We concentrate on the contribution of RE both to personal development and to social responsibility and social cohesion. • Citizenship-Education RE has the potential to incorporate European and global ideas of citizenship, helping children debate issues relevant to a plural society. • Religion and Identification Neighbour-religion, Non-foundationalist view, Identity-formation.

8. Methods For text analysis, we refer to mainly hermeneutical methods. For empirical methods, we all use the following: • Participant observation, • Semi-structured interviews, • Questionnaires (qualitative and quantitative) • Videotaping of RE-lessons for interaction analysis. Empirical studies, targeting students in the 14-16 year age group, will look into individual perceptions of dialogue or conflict within the different national contexts. These will include a dual perspective - of the subjects' own perspectives and - analyses of observed teaching in both dialogue and in conflict situations. Our subject selection will also allow for gender-specific results.

9. Preliminary Results • No religious adherence: School is main forum for religious themes. • Belonging to a religion: School is main possibility for interreligious contacts. • Many pupils have prejudices, but are also keen to enter into dialogue. • Many pupils want interreligious understanding on both levels: the personal and the societal one.

10. Expected Results The findings of this programme will contribute • to the development of a European strategy in the field of religion and value systems that can serve as an orientation for personal development, but remain open to the emergence of a collective ‘European identity’ (which must, however, be understood as plural and dialogic rather than as monolithic). • to a better understanding of how questions of religion and religiosity for children, young people and students can be anchored in the educational process. • to promote an understanding of the values held in common and develop mutual respect, both in different European countries and in Europe.

11. Perspectives • respecting other positions (even in disagreement) rather than prioritising one’s own opinion, • not regarding religion and culture as monolithic but rather as determined by a multiplicity of human beings in daily practice and changeable, • establishing bars against the ideological abuse of religion and its instrumentalisation for political conflict

12. Peaceful coexistence and Cooperation • Introducing religion into public school curricula in Europe not only offers potential for better interpersonal relations, it can also contribute to the overall pace of innovation and growth of society. • Stronger cooperation between the Council of Europe and REDCo: - The Council of Europe supports REDCo, e.g. in its dissemination programmes, - REDCo participants are able and willing to offer an expanding and improving research base which the Council could make use of.