Representation of Religious Minorities in Lithuanian Confessional Education

This article analyzes the situation of religious minorities in a Christian dominated sociopolitical environment in Lithuania through the confessional religious education (RE) system. Representation of religious minorities based on confessional model thus raises questions on majority and minority rel...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Klimavičiūtė, Iveta (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: George Fox University 2023
In: Occasional papers on religion in Eastern Europe
Year: 2023, Volume: 43, Issue: 2, Pages: 37-59
Further subjects:B Confessional religious education
B Religious Minorities
B religious hegemony
B church-state relations
B Religious Pluralism
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This article analyzes the situation of religious minorities in a Christian dominated sociopolitical environment in Lithuania through the confessional religious education (RE) system. Representation of religious minorities based on confessional model thus raises questions on majority and minority religions' coexistence, whilst the latter neither legally, nor normatively experience such linkage with the State as majorified religion does. The empirical part of the study, based on content analysis of curricula and teaching aids, reveals that although tolerance of other religions is mentioned, there is also a visible hegemony of the Roman Catholic Church, and of Christianity in general. Non-traditional religious communities that are not recognized by the state are considered as belonging to the new religious movements, which are often associated with the words "dangerous," "destructive," etc. Thus, the study reveals legislation shortcomings of RE, dominance of the majority religion, Christian and Catholic normativity both within society as well as the curriculum and teaching aids, and close Church-State relations.
ISSN:2693-2148
Contains:Enthalten in: Occasional papers on religion in Eastern Europe
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.55221/2693-2148.2408