Using differences to understand your own context: a new method for comparing religious education

What is it about?

This article presents a new way of doing comparative research in religious education. Rather than trying to find similarities between countries, it focuses on the differences—the “frictions”—that appear when concepts such as religion, education, or secular are understood differently across contexts. By examining these moments of incongruence, researchers can gain new insights not only about the foreign system they study, but also about their own. The method, called mirroring or comparing through contrast, is illustrated through examples from Sweden and India. The article shows how contrasting these two systems of religious education can reveal how deeply cultural assumptions shape what counts as “religion,” “secular,” and “education.”

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Comparative research often assumes that key terms mean the same thing everywhere. This article challenges that assumption and provides a reflexive, interpretive framework for identifying and using conceptual differences as a source of new understanding. The approach helps scholars avoid false equivalences and supports more valid cross-cultural comparisons in education and related fields. It also contributes to international discussions about knowledge transfer by showing that meaningful comparison requires awareness of underlying cultural and linguistic frames.

Perspectives