Open Conference Systems, Theology International Conference 2023

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The Role of Religious Education in Promoting Religious Pluralism
Bernardus Agus Rukiyanto, Maria Wilfrida Meli Amatnua

Last modified: 2023-06-27

Abstract


Given the fact that Indonesian people adhere to various religions and beliefs, an acceptance of religious pluralism is needed. Religious education has an important role to educate students to promote religious pluralism. The goal of this research is to develop religious education for young people amidst the challenges of radicalism and religious fundamentalism. The specific target to be achieved through this research is to get a picture of the role of religious education in promoting religious pluralism. This research applied quantitative method. The research sample was limited to Sanata Dharma University students in Yogyakarta. The result of this study showed that the role religious education in universities to enhance religious pluralism, as well as the pluralist attitude of students, had very good category. The students were taught to become more open to believers of other religions because some lecturers invited students to engage in dialogue or to visit Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), churches, Hindu’s temple, Buddhist’s temple (vihara) or Confucians temple (klentheng). The role of religious education to enhance pluralist attitude can be improved. The result of this study could become a means to find ways to enhance religious pluralism among young people. Moreover, the result of this study could become a model for educators to educate young people to enhance religious pluralism.

Keywords


religious education, religious pluralism, tolerance, university students, Indonesia

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