In Europa wird religiöse Bildung an Schulen vorwiegend als konfessioneller Religionsunterricht organisiert. Besonders die wachsende religiöse Pluralität stellt diesen zunehmend vor Herausforderungen. Mithilfe eines qualitativ-empirischen Verfahrens untersucht diese Studie den schulinternen Diskurs um den Religionsunterricht an zwei höheren Schulen Wiens, an denen dieser organisatorisch an Grenzen gerät. Die Studie leistet einen wertvollen Beitrag zu einer kontextsensiblen Religionspädagogik, indem sie die vielfach impliziten Einstellungen zu Religion und Religionsunterricht von Lehrkräften und Mitgliedern des Schulgemeinschaftsausschusses erforscht.

In Europe RE in schools is predominantly organised denominationally. Growing religious plurality in particular is increasingly presenting a challenge for this organisational format. The question of how RE should be organised is currently the Subject of controversial debate within the field of religious education studies. Is an alternative format even thinkable for those who hold responsibility for RE in schools? Research into these often implicit attitudes towards religion and RE is vital for the development of future oriented forms of RE. This study consequently offers a valuable contribution to context sensitive religious education studies.

Religious education at schools in Central Europe

The question of how research on structures and outcomes in Religious Education can be carried out successfully is of current interest in many countries. Next to the more traditional historical, analytical and, more recently, international comparative approaches, empirical research in religious education has been able to establish itself as a major approach to this field. Moreover, the contemporary discussion about comparative evaluation in schools has raised a number of questions which also refer to Religious Education. What competences can pupils acquire in this Subject? Does Religious Education really support the acquisition and development of the competences aspired? Are there differences in this respect between different forms of Religious Education or between different approaches to teaching?