Religion and Interfaith Education for Peacebuilding: An Integrative Review of Curricular and Pedagogical Approaches

Abstract

In increasingly plural and polarized societies, religion can generate conflict while also providing resources for peace. This study examines how interfaith education contributes to peacebuilding and explores its curricular and pedagogical implications in formal and non-formal settings. Using an integrative narrative review, the study synthesizes conceptual, empirical, and policy-oriented literature from peace studies, religious education, theology, and educational research, published predominantly over the past 10–15 years. A global comparative perspective incorporates Islamic ethical traditions and educational contexts in Muslim-majority societies. Thematic synthesis identifies five interconnected areas: understandings of peace in education, religion’s ambivalent role, religious literacy and ethical awareness, pedagogical strategies, and transformative educational outcomes. The findings suggest that interfaith education contributes to peacebuilding when it connects religious understanding with dialogue, ethical reflection, and engagement with cultural and structural violence. Its contribution extends beyond familiarity with religious diversity to the cultivation of empathy, critical thinking, dialogical competence, and civic responsibility. The synthesis also highlights the potential of Islamic educational and ethical perspectives to enrich interfaith learning. On this basis, the study proposes the Integrative Interfaith Peace Education Framework, connecting theoretical foundations, interfaith learning processes, pedagogical strategies, and peace-oriented outcomes. It concludes that religion can serve as a pedagogical resource for peacebuilding. The framework offers conceptual guidance for curriculum development, teacher education, and educational policy in plural societies.