The Role of Space and Time: A Comparative Exploration of Religion and Education, Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract The question of how religion in different contexts, including history, impact (religious) education systems will be discussed, to set the scene for further exploration by contributors in this special issue. I present a hypothesis: that new social patterns reflecting the present plurality are not sufficiently accounted for in educational systems, as they rather reflect the traditional religious landscapes. Our focus is Religion and Education, but findings are relevant also for the broader field of Education because of the historic and even present close links between religion, state, and educational systems of different countries.