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Freedom of religion and belief in Finnish education

Abstract:
This chapter critically examines the educational dimension of freedom of religion or belief in Finland (1922–2022), a historical frame that presents its shifting cartography freedom of religion or belief in Finnish educational domain. To understand the integral relationship of religion and belief in Finnish education, three critical perspectives are outlined: (1) origins: assessed here as the historical setting for the beginnings of an interrelationship between freedom of religion or belief in education, emergent in the light of Finnish Independence as a means of furthering its political self-determination; (2) orientation: the analysis here details how Finland’s geopolitical positionings have, over a century, consistently progressed in orientations to human rights principles and freedoms, which integrate freedom of religion or belief in and through education, with ever-firmer alignments to related policy developments in the United Nations; and (3) outcomes: focusing on current contexts for freedom of religion or belief in education. The closing section of this chapter elaborates empirical examples of the cultural and societal impacts of such initiatives for the frontline of Finnish children and teachers. Drawing together these interrelated strands of retrospective, the conclusion focuses on the future prospects for freedom of religion or belief in Finnish education.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198869511.013.35

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
Education
Oxford college:
Harris Manchester College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-9381-0103
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
Education
Role:
Author

Contributors

Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
Education
Oxford college:
Harris Manchester College
Role:
Editor
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
Education
Role:
Editor


Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Host title:
The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Education
Pages:
407-424
Chapter number:
23
Series:
Oxford Handbooks
Place of publication:
Oxford
Publication date:
2025-05-22
Edition:
1
DOI:
EISBN:
9780191905841
ISBN-10:
0198869517
ISBN-13:
9780198869511


Language:
English
Keywords:
Subtype:
Chapter
Pubs id:
2101482
Local pid:
pubs:2101482
Deposit date:
2025-03-31

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