Religious Education, Radicalism, and Peacebuilding in Southeast Asia: Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Social Resilience

Abstract

Religious education has become increasingly important in Southeast Asia as societies confront the intertwined challenges of radicalism, intercommunal tension, and fragile social cohesion. In a region marked by deep religious diversity and uneven conflict histories, educational institutions play a critical role in shaping how young people understand faith, authority, difference, and peaceful coexistence. This article examines how religious education can function as a strategic arena for countering radicalism and promoting peace in Southeast Asia. It adopts a qualitative and theory-driven approach informed by peace education, critical pedagogy, and social learning perspectives. The analysis draws on comparative regional literature, policy discussions, institutional debates, and documented educational practices related to religion, tolerance, and peacebuilding. Attention is directed to curriculum orientation, pedagogical style, institutional culture, and the broader social environment in which religious learning takes place. A comparative reading is used to identify both recurring patterns and context-specific educational dynamics across the region. Religious education emerges as an important preventive mechanism when it promotes critical reflection, ethical responsibility, and inclusive understandings of community. Peace-oriented religious learning therefore offers a more sustainable response to radicalism than approaches that rely only on reactive security measures. The article contributes to the field by providing a regionally grounded framework for understanding how pedagogy, religious formation, and peacebuilding intersect in Southeast Asia.