Conclusions: Religious Literacy Promotes Absorptive Capacity, Inclusion and Reflexivity in Society

Timo Aarrevaara,Tuula Sakaranaho,Johanna Konttori

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-47576-5_7

Abstract

In this book we have sought new perspectives for religious literacy by defining it as a governance function in society. This concluding chapter examines the frameworks for creating new knowledge and skills for actors in the civil service, in other service sectors and industry by considering the expositions of chapter authors elsewhere in the book. As noted variously by the authors, there is no unified scholarly debate on religious literacy, but there is a debate that should be recognised in Finnish society with its expanding pluralism by understanding how secular laws and religious practices intersect will be greatly improved as increased religious literacy develops in Finland. Religious literacy should be seen broadly within civil administration as a key factor in its performance.

Highlights

In this book we have sought new perspectives for religious literacy by defining it as a governance function in society
Accountability, transparency and dynamism are key elements of governance, and we examine this phenomenon with the concepts of absorption, inclusion and reflexivity
There is a need to develop common perceptions that underpin the concept of inclusion as a means of understanding and interpreting religious literacy in the public administration, the third sector and industry

Summary

Religious Literacy and Administrative Practices

Contingencies are effective and efficient features of organisations that support them to do the right things at the right time (Pfeffer and Salancik 2003). Professionalism in administration is the ability to increase absorptive capacity, which refers to recognising and utilising external properties in the actions and work of the administration (Schmitt and Klaner 2015) This comes out well in Teemu Pauha’s and Johanna Konttori’s chapter on the mosque debate. Absorptive capacity means the ability to bring out essential religious themes, consistently deal with religious themes in stakeholder action, and the ability of authorities to bring religious issues into arguments in civil proceedings Another important feature of administration is inclusion as a characteristic of cognitive structures forming common perceptions. The typical feature of the administration is the tensions between existing administrative practices and religious needs, and they call this more precisely a migrant integration—security nexus The result of this inclusion is an increase in capacity that can utilise religious literacy and increase the capacity of civil administration. The administration can find solutions or operational practices for significant religious-based problems in administration (Hamann 2017)

Conclusions

Towards Conceptual Frameworks of Religious Literacy