ABSTRACT
In their book, Religious Education (RE) in a Pluralist Society, P. Hobson and J. Edwards highlight a number of methodological positions associated with pluralism. Religious inclusivity is hinged on a bigger conversation in scholarship about multicultural education. With a pervasive religious culture, religious pluralism is defined subjectively to exclude all forms of anti-religion or humanistic forms. By contrast, non-confessional RE shares the value of rational autonomy and encourages the exploration of many religious truths or that religious ‘truth’ can be discerned from multiple religious realities. A religiously literate student would therefore be able to recount, state, explain and recite religious content without necessarily believing or disbelieving the knowledge being reproduced. Sustainable Development Goal 4 has the aim to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. It is worth highlighting that in contemporary Western and pro-Western society pluralism has become a “new” ideology for inclusive RE.
