Kassel: Teaching student strengths interreligious dialogue in the synagogue!

Kassel: Teaching student strengths interreligious dialogue in the synagogue!

Kassel, Deutschland - The University of Kassel has formalized a cooperation with the Sara Nussbaum Center. This cooperation is intended to help promote and sharpen inter -religious skills among future teachers. As part of this initiative, excursions with students from the teaching positions of Catholic and Protestant religion take place in the synagogue, which are offered at least once per semester. These new offers support the study profile "Interreligious Competence", which is available at both institutes for theology, Protestant and Catholic theology and is intended to deepen understanding of the interreligious dialogue.
The Institute of Catholic Theology also offers the module "Ecumenical and Interreligious Competence", in which aspects of Judentism are also dealt with. Ute Clement, one of the contact persons for the project, emphasizes the need to make authentic religious positions in interreligious learning visible. She points out that inadequate knowledge of Judaism can not only fuel uncertainties, but also prejudices.

Ilana Katz emphasizes the importance of these intercultural skills for prospective teachers and demands that the SARA-Nussbaum center actively integrate Jewish perspectives into university training. Significant personalities were present at the opening, including Ute Clement, Ilana Katz and Prof. Dr. Martin Bauspieß. A central point of the event was the disapproval of the use of Israeli politics as an excuse for anti -Semitism, which is of particular relevance in the context of interreligious learning.

interreligious dialogue in Europe

The interreligious dialogue is of crucial importance in the 21st century Europe. Society is multicultural and multi -religious, and people of different faiths live closely together. Therefore, a lived dialogue between the religions is of great need. The Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia is currently actively promoting such initiatives in order to strengthen the understanding of the religious roots of other cultures. Interreligious skills are seen as a key qualification that is essential in today's plural society.
The tasks of the regional church pastor for interreligious dialogue include the promotion of encounters between people from different beliefs and the processing of theological fundamental questions. In addition, the advice and further education of communities plays an important role.

religious dialogue in response to social challenges

In the past few decades, the interreligious dialogue has increasingly developed in Germany. Since the 1980s, the focus has been primarily on relationships between Christians and Muslims. The discussion about the "struggle of cultures" and the "dialogue of cultures" is gaining explosive. In view of important social challenges, especially after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the dialogue between religions receives a new urgency. The interreligious dialogue is seen here as a way to bring the different social groups together.

The challenges and tensions in the interreligious dialogue should not be underestimated. The clashes are often characterized by different expectations and approaches, especially between Christians and Muslims. The question of whether the dialogue can go beyond identities is also important and need extensive discussion.

At the University of Kassel, about 20 percent of all enrolled people study, of which 323 students were enrolled for a religion subject in the winter semester 2024/25 alone. This course is now enriched and optimized by the new cooperation with the SARA-Nussbaum center by more integrating intercultural and interreligious perspectives. This not only diversified the course offer, but also promotes sensitivity to religious issues. Ends like this are essential at a time when understanding of cultural and religious diversity is becoming increasingly important.