Volume 67, Issue 3

This article deals with a critical analysis of the currently popular concept of “inclusion”. It wants to show that the idea of „inclusion“ is not as new as the term, thus trying to trace the roots of this idea to the 17th century. The article also shows that inclusion currently remains a social utopia whose implementation in the face of the prevailing conditions at schools and in society is still far away.

This article discusses the diverse interpretation of the term ‘inclusion’. As a result, there are different consequences in the development of inclusive educational systems. This interdependency between a definition and its effect on an educational system is shown using the example of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The basis for the reflections is the report “Development of an inclusive education system until the year 2020”, in which the author was involved.

This article discusses possible contributions of a theory of recognition to our understanding of inclusion. Therefore, Axel Honneth’s version of recognition-theory is presented. The author shows that - in terms of inclusion - this theory mainly offers a differentiated picture of the relationship of equality and difference and suggests a meaning of the popular phrase ‘participating in society’.

This article aims at perceiving the opportunities and limits of inclusive religious education in a certain perspective. Using the example of dealing with obvious handicap the article reflects on the conscious handling of boundaries in the context of inclusion. The importance of border crossings, border experience and boundary awareness will be discussed. Theological und pedagogical contexts are differentially considered.

Teachers of Religious Education have divergent views on the inclusion of students with special needs in mainstream classrooms. Therefore, a sample of 6 RE teachers were asked for their views on the topic, including their professional self-image and how it affects their attitudes and beliefs about inclusion and social integration at schools. The main objective of the study was to describe the interplay between the teachers’ experiences and their power of interpretation (‚Deutungsmacht‘).

This article discusses the relationship between the demand for inclusive education and denominational education that is taught in denominationally separate groups. The author identifies a number of respects in which such a form of Religious Education comes into contradiction to the principles of inclusive education. In the last part, he specifies a number of demands that denominational Religious Education must fulfill in order to become inclusive. Among others, these demands include that Religious Education must be open for all children and youth, that it includes dialogue and cooperation with other forms of Religious Education and that it addresses the philosophical and theological presuppositions of inclusion.

‘Inclusion’ is a catchword which indicates both a paradigm shift and a challenge in the field of religious education and the didactics of religion. In this paper basic principles of inclusive didactics will be explained and applied to concepts of religious education. It can be shown that inclusion has not yet been accepted as a central topic within religious education. There are intersections, however, and some aspects of inclusion are indeed discussed here already. Finally, the paper raises some essential questions for a - still to be developed - concept of “inclusive religious education”.

The article discusses how the Human Rights principle of inclusion might be implemented in confirmation classes. A religious education of adolescents which doesn’t exclude people with special needs challenges the pedagogical competencies of ministers, as they have to adapt their teaching methods and contents. Moreover, the article focuses on how team work within confirmation classes can be established. What are the challenges and chances in the specific educational setting of the congregation? What alternatives are there to memorizing and reciting, that adolescents with special needs might not be capable of? What kind of team workers might be gained and educated? Finally, the authors discuss how the Church can meet these challenging needs by structural transformation and financial support.