From October 27 to 29, 2025, the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin hosted the Polish-German expert colloquium “Religion as a Social Force: The Contribution of Christianity to Education and the Promotion of Democratic Cohesion in Germany and Poland.” The conference was organized by Dr. Mariusz Chrostowski (Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt) and Prof. Dr. Paweł Mąkosa (John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin). The event was funded by the Polish-German Foundation for Science.
At the heart of the discussions was a question of equal relevance to both countries: What concrete role can—and should—religion play in serving democratic culture, education, and social cohesion?
Participants explored perspectives on religious education in schools, the responsibility of the Christian tradition in political processes, religion as both a resource and a potential risk in pluralistic and increasingly secular societies, as well as pedagogical approaches to overcoming social polarization.
The conference program brought together a variety of disciplinary perspectives and gathered scholars from Poland and Germany, who presented the following papers:
- Prof. Dr. Maciej Bernasiewicz: The role of religious culture and moral education for the condition of contemporary societies – considerations on the margins of the dispute over the place of religious education in Polish schools.
- Prof. Dr. Oliver Hidalgo: The relationship between religion and politics and its implications for political education and democracy education.
- M.A. Anna-Maria Meuth: Contemporary local democracy and interfaith groups: challenges and opportunities.
- Prof. Dr. Jarosław Horowski: “We forgive and ask for forgiveness.” Christian religious education and building the foundations for transitional justice.
- Prof. Dr. Alexander Unser: Religious literacy, empathy and the willingness to act for the common good: key contributions of religious education to a democratic culture.
- Dr. Julia Lis: Beyond Society – Theology from the Catacombs?
- Prof. Dr. Paweł Mąkosa: Religious Education and the Promotion of Adaptive Capacity in Individuals and Communities Facing Contemporary Challenges.
- Prof. Dr. Simon Kolbe: The Role of Religion in Post-Migration and Secularizing Societies: A Source of Social Capital or a Threat?
- Marcin Gazda: Religious Education in the Face of the Challenges of Cultural Pluralism: Between Identity and Openness.
- Prof. Dr. Marek Rembierz: Religion as a culture-shaping force: questions about Christianity’s contribution to education and the promotion of human dignity.
- Dr. Tomasz Adamczyk: Religion in the Public Sphere: The Function of Values in Social Discourse.
- Dr. Dr. Mariusz Chrostowski: Teaching Religion in Divided Societies: Theological and Pedagogical Pathways Beyond Polarization.
- Dr. Dominik Kiełb: Construction of religious identity in the educational process: between individualism and community.
In addition to the public conference sessions, internal working meetings provided space for in-depth dialogue. These focused not only on the need to strengthen religious literacy in the European context, but also on exploring future opportunities for Polish-German research collaboration.
