Finding a Way Forward: Interreligious Education and Religious Education in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Interreligious education in Aotearoa New Zealand schools is at what might be described as an embryonic stage. The religious composition of the country is becoming increasingly pluralistic partly as the result of immigration, while the census returns indicate an increase in the number of people affiliated to no religion. Recently, there have been a number of initiatives sponsored by government and religious groups to encourage interreligious education. Intercultural and interreligious education is becoming an increasingly important issue for schools from local, national and global perspectives. This chapter examines the place of Religious Education in Aotearoa New Zealand and identifies some current research related to bicultural education with implications for interreligious education in Catholic and other schools.