Eszter is an associate professor at the Lutheran Theological University in Budapest where she leads the Department of Religious Education.  She is involved in teacher training, postgraduate training and doctoral courses. Eszter leads the working group that is responsible for the curricula of RE in the Lutheran Church in Hungary. She is the responsible editor of the RE textbook-series in the Lutheran church, the co-author of six RE books and author of several publications on Christian education, church schools and RE.

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In this keynote, the role of existential questions in learning within RE will be addressed, starting from the specificities of local RE in Hungary. Where are questions placed in contemporary denominational RE? How are they present in the religious texts and narratives on which denominational RE is based, and in the discourse in the classroom? For what and how do they empower us? The discussion will be based on the observations of denominational RE, and will be responded to by non-denominational RE professionals.

Arniika Kuusisto is Professor at the Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland, Guest Professor at Karlstad University, Sweden, and Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of Education, University of Oxford, UK. Her research focuses on the place of religion in educational arenas and children’s and young people’s values and worldviews. She has led three Research Council of Finland (Academy of Finland) funded research projects, most recently ‘Growing up radical? The role of educational institutions in guiding young people’s worldview construction’ (2018-2023), and the presently on-going ‘Child in Time: Existential Resilience in Early Childhood’ (2023-2027).

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This keynote focuses on supporting children and youth in worldview construction and existential resilience in the timely glocal settings. The climate crisis, wars, and other world situations have contributed to many children and youths’ existential anxiety and lack of meaningfulness. The project  ‘Child in Time: Existential Resilience in Early Childhood’  aims to locate educational means for counteracting these.

Dr. Fahimah Ulfat is a Professor of Islamic Religious Education and Subject Didactics at the University of Münster. She specializes in empirical research using social science methodologies to explore the beliefs and knowledge concepts of Muslims. Her additional research interests include interreligious education, Jewish-Muslim relations, the intersection of gender and religion, and the use of virtual reality in teacher training. Dr. Ulfat’s work is notable for its interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from various fields to address contemporary issues in religious education.

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The relationship between Jews and Muslims has been shaped by centuries of coexistence, intellectual exchange, and conflict. Today, these relations are often overshadowed by contemporary tensions and misunderstandings. This presentation explores how a nuanced historical perspective can contribute to strengthening religious education—by challenging essentialist narratives, embracing complexity, and fostering mutual understanding. Drawing on the multifaceted history of Jewish-Muslim encounters, we will discuss pedagogical strategies that empower learners to critically engage with history and develop inclusive visions for the future.

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Bert Roebben is professor of religious education at the Faculty of Catholic Theology of the University of Bonn. Previously he was teaching in Leuven (B), Tilburg (NL) and Dortmund (D). He is extraordinary professor at the Faculty of Theology of Stellenbosch University (RSA). He is passionate about teaching and researching learning processes in the field of religions and worldviews in a European context.

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“What young people need is not religious tranquilizers, religion as a diversion, religion as entertainment, but spiritual audacity, intellectual guts, power of defiance!” These are the words of the Jewish philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel at the 1962 conference of the “Religious Education Association” in Chicago. They remind us of the idea that RE is all about moral integrity and spiritual resilience – even more in today’s world of crisis and turmoil. The keynote will be discussing empowerment in RE and teacher education, building on provocative thoughts of the conference.

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