PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

The plurality of religion and education in European regions was mirrored in the countries we had chosen to study. The wide religious and societal spectrum covered by these countries and the challenges of social transition they face can be briefly summarised as follows:

Germany, with two established churches (Catholics and Protestants) and Norway with one (Lutheran) are moving towards religious pluralism.
The Netherlands and England/Wales both have established churches (respectively Reformed, Catholic, and Anglican), but can also look back on a long (though not unchallenged) tradition of religious pluralism.
Traditionally majority-Catholic France has a laical system facing a rising number of challenges through the increasing relevance of religion in public discourse. Spain as a predominantly Catholic country faces an increasing religious and interreligious openness which is mirrored in an increasing public discourse on new forms of Catholic RE and new approaches to an Islamic RE.
Russia and Estonia both have strong religious traditions (Lutheran in Estonia, Orthodox in Russia) which have long been marginalised by Communism. In recent years, both societies have become increasingly open towards religious influences.

Affiliated members from other countries:
Dr. Nektaria Palaiologou from the University of Western Macedonia in Florina/Greece was an affiliated member of REDCo. She was particularly responsible for the implementation of research and collection of REDCo-questionnaires in Northern Greece, an area which is characterised by its distinctive multiculturalism. She had also the responsibility for the analysis of the data in cooperation with her colleagues Professor Argyris Kyridis and Assistant Professor Ifigeneia Vambakidou.