ABSTRACT
Following some preliminary remarks on how and to what extent Religious Pedagogy (as conducted in the German context) has to do with public affairs and the common good, the paper mainly focuses on three questions: Firstly, does it make sense to introduce distinctive religious and theological perspectives into Religious Education (RE) at public schools (or should we prefer to inform pupils about a range of religions and worldviews)? Secondly, how can interreligious learning take place in RE when dealing with a heterogeneous range of pupils with either strong beliefs (based in different faith traditions), a sense of indifference, or even a large amount of scepticism regarding religious interpretations? Thirdly, which principles should be guiding RE teachers to adequately face the challenges connected with religious plurality in the classroom, vivid interreligious encounter, and controversial discussion on religious truth claims?
The background against which I would like to answer these questions is a twofold one: the German system of RE based on Art. 7.3 Basic Law (the German constitution), which is to be further developed facing a plural and mostly secular society, on the one hand, and the basic assumption that religions will remain important “options” (Charles Taylor) for interpreting “modern” ways of life on the other hand.
