Identity, religion, and education are closely interconnected. Identification with a specific religion shapes individuals’ self- perception and self-representation. These two aspects of identity can be deeply influenced by the ways in which schooling systems approach the concept of religion and religious education, considered as education provided from both an outsider and an insider perspective. The papers in this session bring together case studies from Europe and Asia that provide insights into the relationship between identity, religion, and education. They examine how a sense of belonging to a religious tradition is influenced and shaped by community and state dynamics, both nationally and globally, as well as the spaces within educational settings for negotiating religious identity and its related issues.
This paper presents the research results of a one-year ethnographic field study in a school class in Germany on the topic of negotiation processes of “religion” in the everyday school life of pupils. It will illustrate how non-Christian pupils experienced marginalization and exclusion and examine these situations in detail. To achieve this, religious education lessons, in particular, will be considered, focusing on the understandings of “religion” taught there and the exclusions it creates. After all, if “religion” was negotiated among the pupils, then a significant part of it either took place during these lessons or was initiated by topics taught there. However, while focusing on the manifestations and intersections of violence, this paper argues that these mechanisms can only be adequately understood if the agency of the pupils are also considered. They were often not passive in situations of discrimination but were able to actively shape and turn these situations.
Madrasas, educational institutions for Islamic knowledge, have become controversial in Bangladesh and globally due to religious sentiments and political complexities. Public interest in madrasas and Islamic scholars has surged since the 2000s, but oversimplified views often portray them as scapegoats for societal challenges. State-driven reform initiatives fail to recognize madrasas' unique developmental paths and their ties to society. This paper conducts a comparative review of madrasa education within community and state dynamics to offer a nuanced understanding. Examining Bangladesh's madrasa history from medieval to post-liberation eras reveals socio-political influences. It argues that Islamic education is entangled with modernity, secularism, and globalization amid political turmoil and global capitalism's dynamics.
| Kate Soules | Ksoules@religionanded.com | View |