Varje dag möts barn från olika kulturella och religiösa traditioner i förskola, i klassrum och på skolgårdar. Barns möte med religion är både komplext och dynamiskt – och i ett mångkulturellt samhälle är grundläggande kunskaper om religionernas värld nödvändigt för alla.

Barn i religionernas värld lyfter fram perspektiv och frågeställningar som är relevanta för att förstå hur religion kan påverka barns liv i olika traditioner och delar av världen. Boken behandlar både barns plats inom några av världens större religioner, som kristendom, islam, judendom, buddhism och hinduism, och frågor om traditionsförmedling, etik och religionsfrihet. Genom en unik inblick i hur religioner uttrycks, tolkas och översätts i barns liv – i hemmet, i skolan, i vardagen och under årets högtider – ges perspektiv från stora världsreligioner och samtida andlighet. Författarna behandlar teman som traditionsförmedling, religionsfrihet, etik, undervisning och identitet.

I denna andra upplaga har samtliga kapitel reviderats och nya kapitel har tillkommit. Boken vänder sig till lärare, lärarstudenter och alla som vill fördjupa sig i barns plats i religion och religionsundervisning. Den erbjuder både teoretiska perspektiv och konkreta exempel, och fungerar som en introduktion till vidare studier om barn i religionernas värld.

The topic of religion, in general, and Islam, in particular, is currently of intense debate, frequently discussed in public forums globally and attracting significant attention, analysis, and criticism—especially from the mass media, which often attributes religion as an explanation for various social, cultural, and political phenomena. In many countries these discussions have directed attention towards places of Islamic education, such as Muslim schools, mosques, and Islamic organizations, with a focus on the often controversial and contested manner in which they have been depicted in the media, in public discourse, and, indeed, within Muslim communities themselves. This chapter argues that a comparative approach to the study of publicly funded Islamic education can enhance public comprehension of Islamic education and its intersection with crucial educational and societal elements. Comparing the religious education programmes across various Western countries poses a considerable challenge due to the distinct historical, cultural, social, and educational backgrounds unique to each nation. These factors contribute to significant differences in approaches between countries. Nevertheless, undertaking comparative analyses across national borders presents an opportunity to gather substantial empirical data but also to learn from each other.comparative studies, education, Islam, Islam in Europe, religion and education

In this article, we explore pedagogical approaches in Islamic Supplementary Education (ISE) in Norway by presenting the narratives of two Qur’an teachers. Drawing inspiration from narrative research and microhistory, we examine their stories and experiences of teaching ISE in the context of an increasingly multireligious society. When we employ Watts’ dimensions of religious scripture and Rosowskys concept of faith literacy, we find that the teachers advocate for various dimensions of the Qur’an in relation to the knowledge deemed most beneficial for Muslim children in Norway. Finally, we explore the potential implications of our findings for teachers in mainstream education.

Sociological studies have shown that teenagers in larger Swedish cities from ‘poor result schools’ participate in extra-curricular activities connected to religion more frequently than others, and that involvement in such religious activities is positive in terms of educational outcomes for pupils from the lower strata of the social hierarchy. These findings raise new questions about supplementary Islamic education, as this is one type of religious extra-curricular activity found in many such areas. The article is based on interviews with students as well as observations from four Swedish mosques. The purpose is to discuss how we can understand the potentially compensatory effect of supplementary Islamic education. Thus, the emphasis is not on the traditional core of Islamic education, but on what we can call co-curricular Islamic educational activities, such as football, homework help, and mathematics.