Theological and Anthropological Foundations of Religious Learning: A Commentary

Abstract

As a commentary on the panel ‘Theological and Anthropological Foundations of Religious Learning’ of the conference ‘Aufbruch zu neuen Ufern’ (Setting off for New Shores), the focus of the present contribution is on the theological and religious education challenges addressed in the panel.1 These challenges can be identified in the academic engagement with Islamic theology and religious education in the European context. The question of the Islamic self-understanding is fundamental in the context of heterogenous societies and pluralist academic discourse in Europe. This question includes many areas and facets and still needs extensive analysis. This is why this commentary can only be a fragmentary representation of this highly complex problem that is only beginning to be explored. Therefore, the ideas that will be worked out here are not to be understood as approaches ready to be implemented but as foundations for discussion. In general, the panel displayed a certain scepticism regarding the focusing of Islamic theology and religious education on the Christian-secular European context. This contextuality leads not only to contempt for the classical Islamic tradition (which in any case includes everything) but also to a watering down of what constitutes genuine Islamic content. This scepticism, which stamped the whole panel discussion on the establishment of Islamic theology and religious education, also constitutes the central focus of the ideas to be explored here.