This study aims to map the trends, themes, and directions of the study of religious moderation education in Islamic and Catholic schools through bibliometric approaches and systematic literature review. This study departs from the increasing urgency of religious moderation education in responding to intolerance, polarization, and the challenges of living together in a multicultural society. The study used a hybrid design with Scopus indexed article data sources. The literature selection process follows the PRISMA flow, from 484 initial documents to 359 articles that meet the inclusion criteria. Bibliometric analysis is conducted to identify publication trends, countries, affiliations, authors, journal sources, and keyword co-occurrenceence, while systematic literature review is used to synthesise the theme, focus, and tendencies of the research substance. The results show that publications have increased sharply in the last five years and are dominated by the Indonesian context. The most prolific states, affiliates, and journals come primarily from Islamic educational colleges and publications, while the contribution of Catholic perspectives begins to strengthen through the themes of interfaith dialogue, religious literacy, and peace education. The keyword analysis places religion, education, Islam, tolerance, Catholicism, and religious moderation as the main nodes, which indicates that this field is developing at the intersection of religious education, attitude formation, and interpersonal relations. Religious moderation is not enough to be understood as a curricular content, but as a pedagogical, relational, and institutional process. This study concludes that religious moderation education in Islamic and Catholic schools has a substantive meeting point in building inclusive, dialogical, and socially responsible religious diversity. This study has implications for the importance of strengthening the curriculum, teacher capacity, and school culture that supports interfaith education.

The phenomenon of declining spiritual awareness among adolescents has become a serious challenge in modern education. Schools are expected not only to produce intellectually intelligent generations but also students with strong spiritual character. This study aims to examine the spiritual values internalized through Qur’anic literacy practices among students at SMAN 6 Tangerang Regency and to explore how these values shape students’ religious and moral character.This research employed a qualitative approach with a case study method. Data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews with Islamic Education (PAI) teachers and students, as well as documentation of Qur’anic literacy activities. The data were analyzed using data reduction, display, and verification techniques.The results indicate that Qur’anic literacy practices at SMAN 6 Tangerang Regency are implemented through three main activities: morning tadarus (recitation), tahsin–tahfidz (reading and memorization), and thematic tadabbur (Qur’anic reflection). Through these activities, five dominant spiritual values were found to be internalized among students: (1) sincerity, (2) discipline, (3) gratitude and inner peace, (4) responsibility, and (5) social empathy. These values are developed through habituation, teacher role-modeling, and shared spiritual experiences within the school environment.The findings reinforce Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and Zohar & Marshall’s concept of Spiritual Intelligence, suggesting that spiritual values can be transmitted through continuous social interaction and reflective religious practices. The study concludes that Qur’anic literacy practices serve as an effective medium for fostering students’ spirituality in public schools, as they enhance not only religious literacy but also form a spiritual habitus that encourages positive behavior and emotional balance.

Globally, including in the practice of Islamic da'wah. The presence of social media, video platforms, and communication applications allows for the wider, faster, and more interactive dissemination of da'wah messages. However, this transformation also presents challenges such as religious disinformation, blurred scientific authority, and the commodification of da'wah in the digital space. This research uses a qualitative approach using literature study methods and descriptive-analytical analysis of various scientific publications, research reports, and da'wah phenomena developing in digital media. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques to identify patterns of da'wah transformation, opportunities, and challenges emerging in the virtual society. The results show that the transformation of digital da'wah is characterized by changes in media, methods, and actors. Social media such as YouTube, Instagram, and podcasts have become the primary means of disseminating religious messages. Digital da'wah offers significant opportunities to expand audience reach, increase youth participation, and present a more creative and interactive da'wah model. However, challenges arise in the form of fragmented religious authority, the spread of unverified religious understandings, and the potential for religious polarization in the digital space. The transformation of Islamic preaching in the digital era demands the adaptation of more contextual Islamic preaching strategies, digital religious literacy, and strengthening the scholarly authority of Islamic scholars in the virtual space. Integrating classical Islamic preaching values with technological innovation is key to maintaining the quality and sustainability of Islamic preaching in the digital society.

This paper examines the evolution of tolerance from its mythological and philosophical roots in the ancient world to its contemporary role in interreligious and interethnic relations. It argues that the Balkans, far from being a perpetual zone of conflict, represent a microcosm of coexistence in which religious diversity has shaped identity, culture, and politics. Combining comparative historical analysis with empirical data collected among university students in Macedonia, the study explores how religion continues to function as a fundamental marker of belonging even in secularized societies. Drawing on religious studies, sociology, and security theory, the paper analyzes the dual role of religion—as both a force for peace and an instrument of political mobilization—and identifies education and religious literacy as among the most sustainable paths toward peacebuilding and global security.

The growing complexity of socio-religious challenges in multicultural societies such as identity polarization, digital intolerance, and limited interfaith engagement calls for a transformative approach in Social Studies education. This study aims to develop and examine an integrative learning model based on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy (CCRL) and the Love-Based Curriculum (LBC) to foster social transformation. Using a qualitative exploratory case study design, this research investigates the implementation of the CCRL-LBC module at Universitas Islam Negeri Datokarama Palu in collaboration with the Leimena Institute. The findings indicate that the model operates through three core competencies personal, comparative, and collaborative-integrated with Panca Cinta values and the Heart-Head-Hand framework. The model is enacted through experiential learning, interfaith dialogue, and community-based collaborative projects. It enhances higher-order thinking skills, cross-cultural religious literacy, empathy, self-awareness, and collaborative capacity across identities. This study highlights the integration of cognitive, affective, and social praxis dimensions within a transformative learning framework. It contributes theoretically to value-based transformative learning and practically offers an innovative model for multicultural Social Studies education, promoting religious moderation, inclusive citizenship, and sustainable social harmony.

Abstract Introduction Muslim patients often avoid medicines containing ingredients prohibited by their faith (haram), such as alcohol, gelatine, or porcine derivatives. While Islamic law permits exceptions based on necessity (darura) or biotransformation (istihala), the way these principles influence medication adherence and shape patient–healthcare provider (HCP) interaction is underexplored.[1] Aim To explore how Muslims in the UK apply Islamic moral reasoning to medication adherence decisions involving medicines containing haram ingredients. Methods Muslim adults from diverse ethnic backgrounds were purposively sampled through mosque-based recruitment strategies, including post-Friday prayer announcements, poster advertisements, mosque-affiliated social media, and key informants. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were undertaken online through Zoom, exploring participants’ experiences of using or declining medicines they considered haram. Transcripts were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis (RTA), with themes constructed inductively.[2] Interview development was informed by a prior scoping review and mosque-based public and patient involvement (PPI), within a qualitative, interpretive approach. Two co-authors independently coded a subset of transcripts to enrich the reflexive process, and feedback from face-to-face member checking allowed the final theme summaries to be refined and validated. Sampling was guided by information power and thematic depth in line with RTA; the study did not seek data saturation but focused on contextually situated theme development. Data interpretation was guided by the Necessity-Concerns Framework (NCF) and locus of control (LOC) theory. Results Thirteen adult Muslims with a range of ethnic heritages participated in the study. Four main themes were developed: (1) halal as worldview; (2) motivations for consumption; (3) minor illness or major disease; and (4) personalised care. These themes reflected how participants perceived illness severity, the semantic framing of ingredients, and the extent to which HCPs were viewed as trustworthy, culturally competent, and responsive to religious disclosure, all of which shaped adherence decisions. The rulings of darura (necessity) and istihala (biotransformation) were applied flexibly in chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Participants commonly avoided prohibited medicines for minor conditions, instead favouring complementary and alternative therapies perceived as natural and aligned with their religious beliefs. Conclusion Islamic moral reasoning influenced how participants engaged with medicines deemed haram. Supporting adherence requires pharmacy practice that incorporates religious literacy, responds to concerns about transparent labelling, and invites faith-sensitive communication. These steps may support patient-centred care by aligning religious and ethical reasoning with treatment decisions. In doing so, they may foster trust, enhance adherence, and support more equitable care for Muslim patients. Strengths of the study include its depth and reflexivity through RTA, as well as the use of member checking. However, transferability may be limited due to the sample being primarily mosque-based and from a single UK region.

This study aims to analyze the implementation of multicultural values ​​in Islamic Religious Education and Christian Religious Education learning at SMP Negeri 2, Kualuh Selatan District. This study uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive case study method to gain a deep understanding of how multicultural values ​​are integrated into religious learning in a school environment with diverse religious backgrounds. Data collection techniques were carried out through observation, in-depth interviews with the principal, Islamic Religious Education teachers, Christian Religious Education teachers, and students, and supported by documentation studies. Data analysis used the interactive analysis model of Miles and Huberman which includes data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing, while data validity was guaranteed through source triangulation and method triangulation. The results of the study indicate that religious teachers at SMP Negeri 2, Kualuh Selatan District have a good understanding of multicultural values ​​based on their respective theological perspectives. Islamic Religious Education teachers understand multicultural values ​​as a form of tolerance based on the teachings of the Qur’an and Islamic values, while Christian Religious Education teachers emphasize the value of universal love in Christian teachings as the basis for respect for fellow human beings. The implementation of multicultural values ​​in religious education is carried out through various strategies, such as collaborative learning, interactive discussions, the use of diverse learning media, religious literacy programs, and worship practices that emphasize mutual respect among students of different religions. This study concludes that religious education can be a strategic tool for instilling multicultural values ​​and strengthening tolerance among students in a pluralistic school environment.

The article explores how employees in the Church of Sweden understand knowledge about the Christian tradition and interprets these reflections through the analytical framework of religious literacy. The study is based on semi-structured group interviews with church employees. The findings show that knowledge is understood both as familiarity with Christian tradition and as interpretive and relational practice. The article argues that, in an ecclesial context, religious literacy involves not only interpreting tradition but also articulating and communicating its meanings in contemporary contexts.

A systematic review of emerging technologies and their impact on adolescent well-being and religious identity.

The development of digital media has significantly transformed patterns of religious literacy, including within the context of Hinduism. Religious websites no longer function merely as information platforms but have become discursive spaces that shape religious understanding, attitudes, and character formation. This study aims to analyze the management strategies of the melekHindu.com website in developing Hindu religious literacy in the digital era. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, with data collected through literature review, non-participant observation, and in-depth interviews with the website manager, editor, and contributors. Data were analyzed using Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis to examine the relationship between text, discursive practices, and social context. The findings indicate that value-based content management, editorial curation, and community participation play a crucial role in strengthening religious moderation and Hindu character education. The study concludes that melekHindu.com functions as a reflective and transformative digital literacy medium that supports the development of moderate, ethical, and contextually grounded Hindu religious understanding.

The relevance of the topic is related to the importance of developing religious literacy among students, since the formation of deep knowledge about a particular religious doctrine is possible by using elements of the theological approach in education. The inclusion of elements of theology in the educational process in a vocational college and any other secular educational institution poses a significant problem due to the need to comply with the principle of separation of education from the Church. This article is devoted to the search and description of ways to include elements of theological knowledge in religious disciplines in the context of secondary vocational education. The study is based on modern achievements in the field of didactics, as well as on cultural, historical-contextual, phenomenological and problem-based approaches to teaching religious studies. The novelty of the work lies in the development and substantiation of the idea of ​​including the doctrinal aspects of Orthodoxy in the teaching of religious studies using the indicated approaches. The result of the study is methodological recommendations for teaching religious studies with the inclusion of theological aspects in the context of secondary vocational education.

ABSTRACT This study analyzes the representation of religion in ten editions of geography textbooks used in Chinese junior high schools, employing a framework of superdiversity and educational equity. Informed by Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital and Freire’s critical pedagogy, the analysis explores how certain forms of religious knowledge are emphasised while others receive limited attention within textbook narratives. The patterns identified include: (1) a focus on the ‘Big Three’ – Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism – at the expense of a broader belief systems; (2) the depiction of religion in largely abstract terms, with limited connection to lived social and cultural contexts; and (3) minimal engagement with ethical discussions related to equality, diversity, and social responsibility. Taken together, these patterns indicate that textbook representations tend to standardise and simplify religious knowledge, which may constrain students’ opportunities to engage with religious diversity in more nuanced ways. By situating these findings within international discussions on curriculum development and religious literacy, this study highlights the role of geography textbooks in shaping students’ understandings of cultural difference and coexistence. It argues for curriculum reflection and revision that place greater emphasis on inclusivity, critical awareness, and intercultural dialogue in geography education.

This practitioner action research (AR) study examines how K–12 social studies educators understand and use the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Religious Studies Companion Document for the C3 Framework (RSCD). Survey data from 118 educators indicate uneven familiarity with the framework, selective use of its components, and inconsistent classroom use frequency. Qualitative findings highlight challenges related to facilitating discussion, navigating constitutional and community considerations, assessing student learning, and accessing classroom-ready resources. Findings suggest that strengthening professional learning, differentiated instructional supports, and practical implementation tools may help translate national guidance on religious literacy into more consistent classroom practice.

ABSTRACT This paper examines how British Muslim undergraduates in the UK negotiate belonging in higher education (HE) as a temporal and relational process rather than a stable outcome. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 30 British Muslim students across two universities in the West Midlands, a region of comparatively high Muslim visibility, the study traces how belonging is produced, unsettled, and reworked through everyday institutional arrangements. While the West Midlands is not treated as representative of the UK HE sectors, its demographic density renders the mechanisms shaping belonging particularly visible. The analysis identifies three overlapping configurations of belonging: disruption and extended liminality, strategic adaptation and everyday placemaking, and confident integration and legacy-building. To interpret these trajectories, the paper introduces the Muslim Identity Intersectional Matrix (MIIM), developed through reflexive thematic analysis. MIIM uses temporality as its organising logic to trace how recognition and risk are distributed across intersectional identity positioning, agency and practices, institutional structures and resources, and social representations and policy atmospheres. Findings show that students respond to exclusionary or ambiguous conditions through calibrated self-presentation, tactical placemaking, and peer-based care infrastructures. Across both sites, the pace and durability of belonging were shaped by the reliability of faith provision, staff religious literacy, peer density, and predictable governance routines. Belonging remained contingent and reversible where securitised policy climates heightened perceived risk and constrained voice.

This study offers a critical interrogation of the role played by superficial religious understanding in the rise and persistence of violent extremism in Nigeria, with specific emphasis on Boko Haram and related insurgent formations. While a vast body of scholarship has examined the structural foundations of extremism such as poverty, unemployment, state fragility, corruption, and political marginalization far less attention has been devoted to the ways in which shallow religious literacy and distorted interpretations of sacred texts facilitate radicalisation. Drawing on qualitative interviews, documentary analysis, and a broad review of secondary literature, this article demonstrates that limited religious knowledge enables ideological manipulation, legitimises violence through selective and decontextualised scriptural interpretations, and weakens community resistance to extremist doctrines. The findings reveal that superficial engagement with religion functions as a critical interpretive vulnerability that extremist actors exploit to transform social grievances into morally sanctioned violence. The article argues that sustainable counter-extremism strategies in Nigeria must therefore go beyond militarised responses to include strengthened religious education, improved clerical training, and institutionalised interfaith dialogue.

This study presents an autoethnographic account of teaching a mandatory Christian general education course at a Christian-founded university in South Korea with a diverse student body. It explores the challenges, pedagogical strategies, and student responses that shaped the course, highlighting how the author navigated tensions inherent in this context through “teaching Christianity as it is” and fostering critical inquiry. Conceptualized as an education for “literacy seeking understanding,” the study argues that Christian general education can be reconceived as a site for cultivating critical religious literacy.

This research article discusses analyzing the implementation of the Islamic Boarding School curriculum at the Tahfidzul Qur'an Dormitory of MAN Surabaya City which combines the traditional values of the Islamic boarding school with the demands of educational modernization. The focus of the research is directed at how the curriculum is designed, implemented, and its impact on the religious character and competence of students. The formulation of the problem in this study includes: how to integrate the tradition-based pesantren curriculum and modernization in the Tahfidzul Qur'an Dormitory of MAN Surabaya City; how pesantren learning strategies are applied in the dormitory system; and how the influence of the curriculum in shaping the religious character and spiritual competence of students. The research uses a qualitative case study method with data collection techniques through interviews, observations, and documentation. The results of the study show that the pesantren curriculum at the Tahfidzul Qur'an Dormitory of MAN Surabaya City not only maintains pesantren traditions such as sorogan, bandongan, and worship habits, but also integrates modern technology-based learning models, projects, and strengthening religious moderation literacy. The integration of these two approaches has been proven to be able to improve discipline, worship skills, religious literacy skills, and tolerance attitudes of students. Thus, the curriculum developed becomes a new pattern of Islamic education in public schools that has a pesantren style that is relevant to the needs of the modern generation without leaving the roots of Islamic scientific traditions.

Terrorism persists not simply because of its violence or ideology but because the networks that sustain it are embedded in the everyday relations of markets, politics and faith. This article analyzes the social logic of terrorism financing by integrating sociological theory with recent research on the misuse of charity, informal value transfer systems and digital currencies. Empirical evidence from Kazakhstan and Central Asia is combined with international examples of hawala systems, crowdfunding platforms and cryptocurrency campaigns. The study highlights three levels of analysis: micro-level interpersonal trust and kinship ties, meso-level religious and ethnic communities, and macro-level transnational networks supported by states and ideologues. The findings underscore the need for counterterrorism policies that address social and theological drivers alongside financial controls. Religious literacy, interfaith dialogue and inclusive economic development are identified as critical components of sustainable prevention. This study reconceptualizes terrorism financing as a morally legitimized social process by showing how religious obligation and social capital translate trust into transnational resource flows.

The focus of this study was to determine the influence of religious literacy and multicultural teaching competence on the teaching self-efficacy of Religious and Moral Education (RME) teachers in public basic schools within the Kumasi Metropolis. The research employed a cross-sectional survey design with a sample of 308 RME teachers selected through the stratified sampling technique from 165 basic schools across 14 circuits. Data were collected using questionnaires and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that religious literacy significantly and positively influenced teachers’ self-efficacy (β = 0.487, p < 0.05), accounting for 23.7% of the variance. Similarly, multicultural teaching competence demonstrated a strong positive effect on teaching self-efficacy (β = 0.711, p < 0.05), explaining 50.6% of the variance. Finally, the study found that religious literacy and multicultural teaching competence together contributed 52.2% to RME teachers' teaching self-efficacy (SD = 0.692, p < 0.05, R² = 0.522). The study recommended that the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) should design and mandate regular in-service training programmes focused specifically on religious literacy for RME teachers. Also, it was recommended that pre-service and in-service training should emphasise awareness of personal biases, deep knowledge of learners’ cultural and religious backgrounds, and practical skills for culturally responsive pedagogy.

Healthcare and religion are deeply intertwined facets of human experience. Each has existed as long as the other, and influences between them are accordingly protean. This is true globally and especially in the USA, one of the most religiously diverse industrialised nations but, ironically, also one plagued by a paucity of religious literacy (RL). This paper will argue that US healthcare settings are particularly treacherous areas regarding the lack of RL. Although recent decades have witnessed increased awareness of the importance of religion/spirituality (R/S) for patients, the ability of healthcare providers to incorporate R/S in the care of their patients is lacking, due largely to a lack of RL. This paper will examine how work in this area has been limited by a lack of agreement on how to define RL, by several barriers to the religiously literate provision of spiritual care, and by the lack of a quantitative instrument with which to measure RL. Reviewing four prominent notions of RL-based on (1) Knowledge, (2) Understanding, (3) Faith and (4) Practice-this paper will further argue that one of these (understanding) is most amenable to application to healthcare but is informed in important ways by the other three, which function better together with the one.