More than almost anywhere else, ideological and religious diversity shapes social reality in Europe. This plurality has intensified considerably in recent decades – not least as a result of migration and refugee movements – and has led to profound social and cultural transformations. It opens up new opportunities for encounter, understanding and social participation, but at the same time places high demands on coexistence in democratically constituted, culturally and religiously heterogeneous societies.

These developments make it clear that concepts of interpretation and action are needed that understand religious and ideological diversity not as a threat but as a resource for shaping society. Plurality thus becomes a touchstone for a society's ability to recognize differences as constitutive of its self-image – and an impetus for education that understands diversity as an opportunity for learning and insight.

This is precisely where the thematic focus ‘Theologies of Plurality – Pedagogies of Difference’ comes in: it invites contributions from different theological, religious and educational contexts, as well as theoretical, empirical and practice-oriented contributions that explore this tension and reflect on its consequences for teaching, teacher training and didactic development.

Background

The aim of this issue is to examine theological and religious education issues from the perspective of a theology of plurality and a pedagogy of difference. Possible contributions should explore how religious and ideological plurality can be reflected upon theologically, framed pedagogically and made didactically fruitful – in religious education in schools and outside schools, as well as in other contexts of religious education and in systematic theological reflection.

‘Theologies of plurality – pedagogies of difference’ also raises the question of points of reference and thus of the classical models of religious plurality (exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism). Although these are vivid and influential, they entail considerable problems and dangers: tendencies towards devaluation and isolation (exclusivism), towards appropriating the other by quickly assimilating them into one's own culture, thereby obscuring their enduring foreignness (inclusivism), or towards levelling concrete traditions in favour of an overarching metatheory in which differences lose their significance (pluralism). We are therefore looking for contributions that critically examine, differentiate and further develop these models, for example following modifications such as ‘enlightened inclusivism’, comparative theological approaches or more recent differentiations.

Contributions are invited from the fields of systematic theology, fundamental theology, comparative theology, philosophy of religion, religious education and teaching methodology, as well as studies (theoretical, empirical and practice-oriented). Contributions that bring theology and education into dialogue with each other and question classical models with regard to their concrete implications for religious education are particularly welcome.

Key questions and possible thematic focal points may include:

• To what extent is increased awareness of plurality (contingency, multi-optionality) experienced as unsettling in pluralistic, postmodern contexts, and how can we speak responsibly about truth in view of the need for reliability and clear statements?
• How can the pedagogical perspective be further refined in the context of exemplary challenges in this field?
• How do the truth claims of different religious traditions relate to one another?
• How can we move beyond the tripartite division of exclusivism–inclusivism–pluralism, and what are the systematic-theological and religious-educational consequences of this?
• How can the question of truth and criteria for truth be addressed in religious education (and other areas of education) – especially with regard to non-denominational pupils and pluralistic learning groups?
• If truth – beyond the purely subjective ‘truth for me’ – is understood as a ‘boundary concept’, ‘regulatory idea’ or ‘topos of longing’ (Englert): how does this place of longing contribute to understanding the world not only in detail, but as a whole and in its contextual meaning?
• How can spaces for interreligious dialogue be opened up and shaped along this boundary concept? What role do models and typologies play in this context?
• What models or practices of interreligious cooperation and conflict resolution can be derived from different theological positions on plurality?
• How can classical models of religiously pluralistic theology be adapted or further developed in order to adequately capture interreligious and intrareligious complexity?
• What relevance do the various positions on truth and salvation have for ethical, social or political issues – for example, with regard to social integration, lines of conflict or dealing with plurality?

Possible theoretical points of reference are difference hermeneutics, ambiguity tolerance and contingency sensitivity. These concepts are of central importance for different theologies of plurality as well as for pedagogies of difference. We invite contributions that take up these points of reference and develop them further from a systematic theological and religious educational perspective.

We cordially invite you to write contributions on this topic and submit them for the issue of the ÖRF, which will be published in autumn 2026.

Please send us announcements of your contribution (abstract) on the topic of the issue or texts that go beyond the topic (to be published under ‘further academic contributions’) to the following email address: oerf.redaktion@uni-graz.at. You will receive feedback after an initial check of the form and content. Once you have received positive feedback from us and your contribution is complete, please upload it yourself to our website to initiate the peer review process: http://oerf-journal.eu/

We also request notification of recent publications that should be reviewed, as well as brief descriptions of excellent academic theses in religious education from various locations (master's or diploma theses, etc.)!

The submission process and all relevant formalities can be found on our homepage: http://oerf-journal.eu/

We kindly request that you adhere strictly to the manuscript guidelines!

Responsible for the content of this issue

Prof. Zekirijia Sejdini, University of Vienna

Dr. Lukas Pallitsch, PhD, University of Vienna

Schedule

Please submit proposals for contributions by: 31 March 2026

Deadline for all contributions for the peer review process: 10 May 2026

Deadline for reviews and theses: 15 June 2026

Publication date: November 2026