The Palgrave Handbook of Religion in Public Education

“This volume provides an indispensable survey of the recent transformations facing the teaching of religions and worldviews in societies marked by increasing pluralization and secularization. Its great strength is offering a truly international perspective, drawing on both theoretical insights and empirical investigations. Together, these contributions offer a thought-provoking analysis of educational issues vital to shaping 21st-century citizens.”
—Mireille Estivalèzes, Professor of Education, University of Montreal, Canada
"This is a deeply researched work treating diverse arenas of religion in public education in a comprehensive yet very readable manner. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the relationship of religion and education in a public sector.”
—Chae Young Kim, Professor of Religious Studies, Sogang University, South Korea
This handbook brings together the latest international research surrounding religion in education. Chapters examine the central question of (non-)religion within state-governed education, as well as teaching about religion in schools and other institutions at all education levels. They address global and societal developments such as the reappearance of religion in the public sphere, secularisation, migration, radicalisation, social harmony and the role of religion in cultural heritage. This interdisciplinary volume presents research-based perspectives which employ empirical, theoretical and philosophical approaches, from scholars at different career stages, and with diverse religions, worldviews and backgrounds. The handbook will appeal to scholars, students and policymakers in religion and education, as well as practising teachers and those with a background in religious studies, theology and philosophy.
Martin Ubani is Professor of Religious Education at the University of Eastern Finland.
Stéphanie Tremblay is Professor of Religious Studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada.
Alexander Unser is Professor of Catholic Theology and Religious Education at TU Dortmund, Germany.
Susanne Garvis is Professor of Early Childhood Education at Griffith University, Australia.
 
 

List of contents

Introduction; Alexander Unser, Stéphanie Tremblay, Martin Ubani, Susie Garvis.- Part I:Key Concepts, Transitions and Challenges.- Part I Introduction:Key Concepts, Transitions and Challenges; Martin Ubani, Stéphanie Tremblay, Alexander Unser and Susie Garvis.- The (D)evolution of Religion in Public Schools in Quebec? Dia Dabby; Worldview Education in an Increasingly Post-Secular World; John Valk.- Religious Conceptions of Moral Values as Existential Signposts in Secular Ethics Education; Olof Franck; The Relationship Between Religious Beliefs and Sciences in an Educational Context; José-Luis Wolfs.- The Rise of Non-Religious Pupils and its Implications for Religion in Public Education; Alexander Unser.- The Contribution of Religion(s) to Education for Sustainable Development; Claudia Gärtner.- Religious Freedom and Sexual Citizenship: Using the Weapon of Law Against Sex Education in the United States; Claude Proeschel.- Creationism as a Persistent Obstacle to Evolution Education in the United States; Glenn Branch.- Anti-Colonisation, Religion and Education in Africa South of the Sahara; Yonah Hisbon Matemba.- Part II: Policy, Legislation and Curricula.- Part II Introduction:Policy, Legislation and Curricula; Stéphanie Tremblay, Alexander Unser, Susie Garvis and Martin Ubani.- From the implementation of laicity to the fight against Islam: effects of legal developments on the professional practices of primary school teachers in France; Laura Foy.- Religious and Citizenship Education in Belgium: A European Policy Perspective; Leni Franken and José-Luis Wolfs.- Worldview Confusion in Finnish Public Education: the Case for Religion and Worldviews in Religious Education; Martin Ubani.- Religion in Philippine Public Education: A Review of Government Attitudes and Policies; Rito Barring.- Learning to be Israeli Jews: Judaism in the Israeli state (mamlakhti) school system; Michael Gillis and Adi Sherzer.- In the Name of Secularism: The Decline of Religion in School Subjects in Quebec; Stéphanie Tremblay and Line Dubé.- Questions raised by the presence of religions in state schools in Hungary; Eszter Kodácsy-Simon.- Religious Education in Hong Kong Schools: Complexities and Multiplicity; Kerry J. Kennedy, John Chi-Kin Lee and Kuralay Bozymbekova.- School Religious Education in Colombia: Accomplice to Violence or Builder of Peace? Bonilla Morales.- Religious Education in Zambia: Critical Reflections on Policy and Practice (1964 to 2024); G. Kamanga M. Simuchimba and J. L. Ilubala-Ziwa.- Part III: School Pedagogy, Teaching and Learning.- Part III Introduction:School Pedagogy, Teaching and Learning; Alexander Unser, Susie Garvis, Martin Ubani and Stéphanie Tremblay.- Assessment and Evaluation of Religious Literacy Education; Kate Soules.- Disciplinary Learning in Norwegian Religious Education from a Plurality of Perspectives – Individual Convictions and Academic Conventions; Lars Unstad and Camilla Stabel Jørgensen.- Religious Education as a Component of Cultural Education: Potentials for Public Education; Konstantin Lindner.- How Can Educators in Secular Public Schools Address Religious Bullying? A Step-by-Step Discussion on Using Religious Literacy; W. Y. Alice Chan.- What Is Important in Life? The Centrality of Social Relationships in Building Existential Resilience in Young Children in Finnish ECEC; Katri Pardon, Lotta Uusitalo, Lassi Lavanti, Lari Launonen, and Arniika Kuusisto.- Building Resilient Classes through the Worldview of Islam; Vahdeddin Şimşek and Mualla Selçuk; Regenerative Religious Education for the World in a Time of Crisis; Patricia Hannam; Part IV:Professionalism, Leadership and Teacher Education; Part IV Introduction:Professionalism, Leadership and Teacher Education; Susie Garvis, Martin Ubani, Stéphanie Tremblay, Alexander Unser.- Spirituality in Australian early childhood education and care; Susanne Garvis, Anne Keary, and Haoran Zheng; The Gap Between Finnish Teachers’ Ideal Perception of Worldview Dialogue and Their Praxis; Elina Hirvonen and Jenni Pieniniemi; Religion in Japanese Public Education; Kiyonobu Date; Religious Education in Brazilian Public Schools: Between Pluralism and Secularism; Guilherme Borges.- Rethinking the imbalance in a resource-oriented way. Educating Religious Education teachers against the background of current challenges and development trends in the Orthodox Religious Education; Yauheniya Danilovich.- Religious Education in Greece: integration of teaching scenarios and Open Educational Resources in the teaching process; Vasiliki Mitropoulou.- The professionalization of teachers of Religious Education as a basis for the legitimacy of teaching Religious Education in public schools in Germany and England; Rob Freathy, Friedrich Schweitzer, Henrik Simojoki, and Stephen G. Parker; Concluding Remarks on Religion in Public Education: The Yesterday, Today and TomorrowMartin Ubani, Susie Garvis, Alexander Unser, Stéphanie Tremblay.

About the author

Martin Ubani is Professor of Religious Education at the University of Eastern Finland.
Stéphanie Tremblay is Professor of Religious Studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada.
Alexander Unser is Professor of Catholic Theology and Religious Education at TU Dortmund, Germany.
Susanne Garvis is Professor of Early Childhood Education at Griffith University, Australia.  

Summary

This handbook brings together the latest international research surrounding religion in education. Chapters examine the central question of (non-)religion within state-governed education, as well as teaching about religion in schools and other institutions at all education levels. They address global and societal developments such as the reappearance of religion in the public sphere, secularisation, migration, radicalisation, social harmony and the role of religion in cultural heritage. This interdisciplinary volume presents research-based perspectives which employ empirical, theoretical and philosophical approaches, from scholars at different career stages, and with diverse religions, worldviews and backgrounds. The handbook will appeal to scholars, students and policymakers in religion and education, as well as practising teachers and those with a background in religious studies, theology and philosophy.

Product details

• Assisted by: Susanne Garvis (Editor), Stéphanie Tremblay (Editor), Martin Ubani (Editor), Alexander Unser (Editor), Alexander Unser et al (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer International Publishing
• Languages: English, German
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 15.01.2026
• EAN: 9783032028891
• ISBN: 978-3-032-02889-1
• Illustrations: Approx. 785 p. 30 illus., schwarz-weiss Illustrationen
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Education > School education, didactics, methodology; Soziologie, Religion, Curricula: Planung und Entwicklung, Bildungsstrategien und -politik, Soziale Gruppen: religiöse Gemeinschaften, Sociology of Religion, Religious Studies, Religion, allgemein, Politische Bildung und Zivilgesellschaft, Curriculum, Secularisation, auseinandersetzen, Curriculum Studies, Citizenship Education, School and Schooling, Religious Education, state-governed education