Two traditions one ideal: convergences and divergences in Justin Popović and Franz Rosenzweig’s philosophical thought concerning religious education in the public sphere

Representatives of two different religious traditions, Orthodox Christian and Jewish, Justin Popović and Franz Rosenzweig shared the same zeal for education and for the synthesis of theology and philosophy. They both have a common perception of the religious past, according to which the reconnection of contemporary people with the roots of their religious traditions would help transform their personal lives and rebuild society. This connection does not mean returning to the past, but rather using the religious experience of the past to understand and transform the present and the future. Both Popović and Rosenzweig believed that such a synthesis could be achieved through education. The aim of this article is, through the comparative study and critical examination of their pedagogical proposals, to highlight common points of the two religious traditions, Christian and Jewish, regarding the way in which religious faith, as lived experience, can inspire and renew human life in a critical dialogue with the dominant philosophical ideas of the time. At the same time, it points out, mutatis mutandis, the common ground as well as the different perceptions of their thought concerning the role of religious traditions in school-based religious education within the public sphere.