TALKING TO INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT EACH OTHER

Interreligious education as radicalization prophylaxis

Abstract

Both in the context of the pandemic and in the context of migration phenomena, a lack of tolerance for ambiguity (Th. Bauer) and, in connection with this, the trend towards the clarification of complex thematic contexts becomes visible. This brings with it the danger of radicalisation and fundamentalism. Experiences from an interreligious teaching research project at the University of Graz, which are outlined in this article, show that interreligious education, which takes place in the form of concretely designed encounters with people from other religions, offers the possibility of accompanying pupils on the path to plurality competence and tolerance of ambiguity. This requires, among other things, open dialogue between teachers and pupils of the religions involved on an equal footing on the basis of the commonalities of the religions, but which does not ignore differences.