“Religious education for all?”
Study on the contribution of the constitutional law of religion to a plural society
A new study by legal scholar Prof. Dr. Hinnerk Wißmann of the University of Münster’s Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” asks how “religious education for all” challenges the current constitutional law of religion. According to this instructional model, pupils learn together – regardless of their religious and ideological convictions. The book “Religionsunterricht für alle? Zum Beitrag des Religionsverfassungsrechts für die pluralistische Gesellschaft” (Religious Education for All? On the Contribution of the Constitutional Law of Religion for a Plural Society) has recently been published by Mohr Siebeck.
A “religious education for all” challenges the applicable constitutional law of religion, the basic assumptions of which – an optimistic combination of amiability towards religions and neutrality of the state – are in many ways put to basic tests. The example of religious education can be used to ask more detailed questions: with whom can the state cooperate, who themselves are not allowed to know any religious truth? Is the separation of religions inevitable, or can integrated solutions be pursued without abandoning the particular justification of religious freedom and truth?
Contribution to a plural society
There has been an attempt at such a solution in Hamburg for some time now. Legal scholar Prof. Dr. Hinnerk Wißmann peels back the layers of current law to find that further development must take into account the justification and limits of cooperation between the state and religious communities in order to make a legitimate contribution to a plural society. (Mohr Siebeck/maz)