Uskontolukutaito suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa

Uskontolukutaito suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa by Aini Linjakumpu, Tuula Sakaranaho, Johanna Konttori, Inkeri Rissanen, Ruth Illman, Martin Ubani and Marja Tiilikainen, Gaudeamus, 2023

The right to practice and be respected for one’s own religion, as well as the right to renounce religion if one so wishes, is a fundamental issue of rights and equality, both in Finnish society and in global contexts. For many, religion is a private matter – something that gives comfort and meaning in life, something that ties in with the history of one’s own family, what holidays one celebrates and what food one eats, etc. – but religions also have political, social and cultural dimensions. These dimensions have increased in visibility and importance with globalisation, but also through the religious nationalism and populism that work against diversity by painting a stereotypical picture of a mythical past of uniform Finnish religion and culture.

As religious diversity increases in Finland, a new way of understanding and relating to the role of religions in society is needed, something that is captured in the concept of religious literacy. This type of literacy is widely needed in our society: among educational professionals, various authorities and those who work with integration and culture, but also among people who live their ordinary everyday lives in a context where different worldviews and perspectives meet.

The book Uskontolukutaito suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa (in English ‘Religious literacy in Finnish society’) examines what religious literacy means as a civic skill and as a professional and academic competence. The most important starting points for religious literacy, according to the book, are knowledge and understanding, but also criticism and contextualization. The book is co-written by seven researchers in religious studies, pedagogy, migration research and social sciences, under the guidance of Prof. Aini Linjakumpu from the University of Lapland. It works well as a textbook but is certainly useful for anyone who meets people from different religious backgrounds and traditions.