Religion and Interfaith Education for Peacebuilding: An Integrative Review of Curricular and Pedagogical Approaches
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14421/r0xjp466Keywords:
interfaith education, peace education, religious pluralism, curriculum, peacebuildingAbstract
In increasingly plural and polarized societies, religion continues to play an ambivalent role as both a source of conflict and a potential resource for peace. This article presents an integrative narrative review examining the contribution of interfaith education to peacebuilding, with particular attention to curricular and pedagogical implications within formal and non-formal educational settings. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature from peace studies, religious education, theology, and educational research published predominantly within the last 10–15 years, the study synthesizes conceptual, empirical, and policy-oriented sources. While adopting a global and comparative perspective, this review also engages Islamic ethical traditions and educational contexts in Muslim-majority societies as integral to contemporary interfaith peacebuilding discourses. Using a thematic synthesis approach, five major themes are identified: conceptualizations of peace in education; religion as both barrier and bridge to peace; interfaith education as a means of fostering religious literacy and ethical awareness; pedagogical strategies for interfaith peace education; and educational outcomes and transformative impacts. The findings indicate that interfaith education supports peacebuilding by addressing cultural and structural dimensions of violence, enhancing dialogical competence, and cultivating empathy, critical thinking, and civic responsibility among learners. Based on this synthesis, the article proposes the Integrative Interfaith Peace Education Framework (IIPEF), which links theoretical foundations, interfaith learning processes, pedagogical strategies, and peace-oriented educational outcomes. The study contributes to the literature by repositioning religion including Islamic educational and ethical perspectives as a pedagogical asset rather than a risk factor, and by offering a coherent framework to guide curriculum development, teacher education, and educational policy in plural societies.
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