Sacred or profane? : human rights in religious education in Poland

Religious education, understood as education about religion and seen as part of the general educational system, is perceived as a viable vehicle for promoting democratic values via spreading knowledge on religions and promoting mutual understanding, strengthening respect for religious freedom and diversity or civic values and norms. Does confessional religious education fulfil similar functions? This will be explored in the following, especially regarding confessional religious education in Poland. An analysis of the way human rights are understood and used in selected handbooks for religious education of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Pentecostal Churches sheds light on this topic