The Making of Religious Pluralism in Italy: Discussing Religious Education from a New Generational Perspective

Abstract

Italian society continues to be seen as homogeneous in religious terms and the teaching of Catholic religion in state schools as a pillar of the historical and cultural heritage of the Italian population, as sanctioned by the 1984 Concordat between the State and the Catholic Church. But profound changes have been under way since that Concordat, with migrant families settling in the country and their Italian-born offspring now attending Italian state schools. How do they feel about religious education at school? How do they view the Italian model of secularism and religious pluralism in Italy? What do they see as Italianness? A qualitative, focus-group-based investigation into secondary schools in a northern Italian town enables us to bring out these students’ demand for change from a generational standpoint and see beyond education into religion to possible ways to educate about and from religions, creating new horizons for religious pluralism (even) in Italy.