Religious Literacy
Religious Literacy Webinar Series
Religious literacy is an essential skill for engaging thoughtfully and constructively across diverse beliefs, values and worldviews. This webinar collection explores how deeper, contextual understandings of religion can strengthen dialogue, critical thinking, empathy and peaceful coexistence.
Beginning with Sowing Seeds of Peace in October 2024, the conversations bring together educators, researchers and interreligious dialogue practitioners to examine religious literacy in formal education, lifelong learning and peacebuilding. The three-part Nurturing Seeds follow-up series in 2025 then takes this discussion further, exploring how religious literacy can inform global policy, support conflict transformation and foster more inclusive learning environments.
What You’ll Discover:
- Religious literacy as a foundation for empathy, critical thinking and peaceful engagement
- Contextual approaches to understanding religion in global policy and diplomacy
- Practical insights for conflict transformation, social cohesion and interfaith engagement
- Inclusive approaches to religious literacy in schools and lifelong learning
Sowing Seeds of Peace: Building the Foundations
Sowing Seeds of Peace: The Role of IRD Organisations in promoting Religious Literacy in Education as a Contribution to Peace, October 2024
This foundational webinar, developed in collaboration with the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, explores why religious literacy matters in diverse societies and how it can be integrated into formal education and lifelong learning. Bringing together perspectives from education, policy, interreligious dialogue and conflict transformation, the discussion considers how informed engagement with religion can strengthen global citizenship, mutual understanding and social cohesion.
Nurturing Seeds: Religious Literacy in Practice
Nurturing Seeds, Religious Literacy as a skill for peaceful engagement July 2025
This three-part follow-up series to “Sowing Seeds” explores religious literacy as a practical skill for navigating complex societal challenges. Co-hosted with the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, it brings Kate Soules into conversation with experts working across policy, peacebuilding and education. Together, they consider how contextual approaches to religion can inform diplomacy, support conflict transformation and foster inclusion in learning spaces.
Episode 1 of 3
Seeing Clearly: Contextualising Religion in Global Policy
Erin K. Wilson introduces the lived religion approach and its relevance for diplomacy, humanitarian coordination and multilateral engagement. The conversation considers how religious literacy can support more informed and inclusive responses to the realities of global policy.
Episode 2 of 3
Bridging Divides: Contextualizing Conflict – Practising Religious Literacy for Peace
Dr Dicky Sofjan examines religious literacy as a practical resource for peacebuilding in contexts of conflict and division. Drawing on experiences from across Asia, the discussion highlights locally grounded and multi-faith approaches to social cohesion and inclusive conflict resolution.
Episode 3 of 3
Learning to Engage: Designing for Inclusion
Daniel del Nido explores how religious literacy can strengthen inclusion and respectful engagement in schools and other learning spaces. The discussion considers practical approaches to curriculum design, teacher support and whole-school learning across religious and non-religious differences.