ABSTRACT
There are a number of theoretical traditions of citizenship that have been addressed from a variety of perspectives. Within these traditions are three main theoretical perspectives that are associated with discussions about citizenship education, and all three have implications for religion and identity. The liberal perspective stresses the autonomy of the individual, the communitarian perspective focuses on the solidarity within cultural or ethnic groupings, while the republican perspective emphasizes ‘civic’ bonds. Republicanism, or at least republican theory, requires a demanding idea of what it means to be a citizen, and calls for a public discourse on the duties of citizenship. It is the theory that often underpins notions of education for citizenship and, because of the high demands it places upon citizens, it is worth exploring in relation to its implications for religion and identity in a democracy.
