The Making of Religious Pluralism in Italy: Discussing Religious Education from a New Generational Perspective

Abstract

Italian society continues to be seen as homogeneous in religious terms and the teaching of Catholic religion in state schools as a pillar of the historical and cultural heritage of the Italian population, as sanctioned by the 1984 Concordat between the State and the Catholic Church. But profound changes have been under way since that Concordat, with migrant families settling in the country and their Italian-born offspring now attending Italian state schools. How do they feel about religious education at school? How do they view the Italian model of secularism and religious pluralism in Italy? What do they see as Italianness? A qualitative, focus-group-based investigation into secondary schools in a northern Italian town enables us to bring out these students’ demand for change from a generational standpoint and see beyond education into religion to possible ways to educate about and from religions, creating new horizons for religious pluralism (even) in Italy.

Hybrid Muslim identities in digital space: The Italian blog Yalla

“…Catholicism is deeply embedded in Italian society, politics, and education (Frisina, 2011), and the Catholic Church plays a prominent role in civil society (Garelli, 2007). Furthermore, mainstream media tends to represent Italian identity as intrinsically Catholic (Ardizzoni, 2007).…”

“…Strategies of religious adaptation are visible in Italy among young, second-generation Muslims (Frisina, 2011), and among mixed couples where one partner practices Islam (Cerchiaro et al, 2015). Muslims, especially women, often negotiate their identities by articulating discourses that resist the political use of secularism (Salih, 2004).…”

“…Italy is a predominantly Catholic country where around 75 percent of the population self-identifies as Catholic and an even higher percentage have been baptized Catholic (Doxa, 2014). Catholicism is deeply embedded in Italian society, politics, and education (Frisina, 2011), and the Catholic Church plays a prominent role in civil society (Garelli, 2007). Furthermore, mainstream media tends to represent Italian identity as intrinsically Catholic (Ardizzoni, 2007).…”

“…The overwhelming presence of Catholicism in the Italian public sphere is usually considered to be compatible with the secular character of the Italian state and its recognition of the principle of religious freedom. According to Frisina (2011: 272), this happens because Italian society is based on a ‘Catholic model of secularism’, which is ‘founded on the social representation of Catholicism as the cultural basis of the nation’s identity’. According to this model, Catholic values inspire secular values and act as a wellspring from which the country’s ethics and morality can emerge, thus making them intrinsic elements of Italian history and society (Joppke, 2013; Mancini, 2010).…”

“…Muslims are estimated to comprise around 2 percent of the Italian population 1 (CESNUR, 2014) and Islam is the fastest growing religion in the country (Pace, 2013). Strategies of religious adaptation are visible in Italy among young, second-generation Muslims (Frisina, 2011), and among mixed couples where one partner practices Islam (Cerchiaro et al, 2015). Muslims, especially women, often negotiate their identities by articulating discourses that resist the political use of secularism (Salih, 2004).…”