Religious education as a place of disruption

This paper is oriented around a discussion of the question as to whether religious education (RE) in the public sphere should be regarded as a place of disruption. That is, whether post-pandemic and in a time of climate and ecological crisis, religious education is understood to be serving as a mechanism for inducting children into the existing ways of the world or, whether it should instead be regarded as offering young people the possibility of interrupting the status quo. The question at the heart of this paper turns around a consideration of what education itself should achieve at this point in history and whether religion in educational contexts has something significant to offer. Questions around the nature of religion are addressed through going to the work of Ramon Panikkar, to enable further exploration of an understanding of religion in existential terms and not only as belief and practice. The argument is brought together, exemplified with a case study, asserting that bringing children and young people to 'know and understand' religious matters can no longer be seen as sufficient aim for religious education and why this might matter.