Perspectives of (Empirical) Islamic Religious Education

Islamic religious education has developed into an independent academic discipline in Germany, inspired by Christian religious education but with a distinct Muslim profile. Its emergence is closely linked to the history of migration in Germany. The discipline took on a pioneering role in the German higher education landscape before Islamic theology was established. Religious education (RE), including Islamic religious education (IRE), is a scientific discipline that deals with the reflection of religious learning and educational processes. It has been utilizing empirical methods for some time to investigate and interpret the relationship between religious tradition and the current life situation of individuals. In IRE, empirical research encompasses a variety of areas, especially the religious attitudes and perceptions of students and teachers and the professionalism of RE teachers. Empirical research in Islamic religious education is increasingly important but is still in an early stage with many open research questions.