Thelem Markus Tiedemann

Religion is not a subject like any other in ethics or philosophy lessons for a number of reasons. It is true that the subject area of religion as such can be considered an obligatory subject area in the school curricula of the philosophy/ethics subject group. However, although religions are highly complex subjects that require a considerable amount of specific cultural knowledge to be addressed, such content is often given little consideration in the corresponding teacher training. Moreover, the relationship between religion and philosophy is itself a very tense one. This volume aims to explore the questions of philosophy didactics and educational theory in this area of tension: What is the actual reason for making religious objects the subject of philosophy lessons? Are religious teachings subjects that can contribute to the ethical education of students, independent of their understanding as believers? Are philosophy and religion complementary educational goods, or are there essential incompatibilities? Is philosophy education a place for religious education or does its task lie primarily in the critique of religion? Is religion possibly part of philosophical education? How can religious beliefs be addressed in a way that is appropriate for philosophy or ethics lessons?