Faith, interreligious education and teacher training in Indonesia

This thesis examines the role and impact of interreligious education in Religious Education (RE) teacher training undergraduate programmes at four prominent Indonesian universities, representing Protestant Christian, Catholic, and Islamic traditions. Focusing on the interreligious courses embedded within these programmes, the study explores both institutional motivations for offering such courses and their impact on trainees’ perceptions of other religions. It situates these findings within broader socio-religious and political contexts shaping the RE in Indonesia. Employing a qualitative methodology, the research draws on institutional documents, including university profiles, curricula, and course syllabi, and semi-structured interviews with programme heads, lecturers, and trainees. The study investigates how interreligious courses foster knowledge, reduce prejudice, and encourage appreciation of religious diversity. It also interrogates how these courses navigate the intersection between theological commitments and pluralistic engagement. Findings reveal that these courses aim to build interreligious competences through a phenomenological approach aligned with faith-based reflection. While lecturers share a common goal of promoting understanding of other religions, trainees exhibit a range of responses – from increased curiosity and empathy to indifference or disagreement. Attitudinal shifts include movements from prejudice to perspective-taking, from doctrinal rigidity to negotiated pluralism, and from exclusion to dialogical engagement. The study contributes to a nuanced understanding of how trainees as future RE teachers develop theological and pedagogical orientations towards religious diversity. Rather than promoting doctrinal uniformity, the interreligious courses encourage critical self-reflection and respectful engagement with other religious traditions. Despite maintaining diverse theological positions, trainees commonly emerge with a deeper respect for religious plurality, navigating tensions between faith commitment and interreligious understanding in both social and educational contexts.