This special issue of Theo-Web takes up some of the central aspects that arise from this complex situation. The attempt to categorize aspects relevant to religious education contributes to a critical reflection. What insights can be gained by asking questions handling keywords such as “youth” or “intergenerational justice”? We ask about the possible contribution of religious education to dealing productively with crises, the associated fears and with the real consequences of these crises, but also to what extent those discourses addressing the crises are functionalized.
The Theo-Web special issue is entitled “Last Generation” and thus refers to the current self-designation of a group of climate activists, who of course do not represent the entire young generation. However, a rather pessimistic view of their own future seems to be typical, which is reinforced by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East as well as by economic factors such as inflation and a lack of affordable housing, i.e. concerns about their own future. This is confirmed by the trend study “Youth in Germany 2024”. What is new about young people's political statements is that their parents' and grandparents' generation are being held accountable both as beneficiaries of a lifestyle unencumbered by environmental concerns and as actors of political and economic power in a way that has not been the case since 1968 – when the focus was different. Consequently, the idea of intergenerational justice is reflected in several articles in this issue.
The climate movement itself is changing. In the meantime, the German “Fridays for Future” movement have distanced themselves from Greta Thunberg due to her statements on the Middle East. The eschatological dimension which has been unmistakably brought up by the “Last Generation” remains and underlines the seriousness of the situation and the immediate need for action. The question of whether and how Christian apocalyptic ideas can be educationally productive against this backdrop is also the subject of several contributions.
The editors of this special issue are aware of the danger of taking up current topics in science, namely a certain blindness to previous or still existing discourses that already reflect similar content and structures. In fact, the immediate and future dangers of climate change as the central concerns of the “Last Generation” have been the subject of religious education for sustainable development (rBNE short for “religiöse Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung”) for some time. Magdalena Breit reconstructs the religious education research discourse on rBNE by tracing the thematic contours of recent years and pointing out still existing research desiderata. Maike Domsel also takes a reconstructive approach in her interdisciplinary overview. Therefore, she analyses how journals of educational science, psychology and sociology between 2020 and 2023 are dealing with crises. Claudia Gärtner reflects on the apocalyptic mood in the “Last Generation” against the background of biblical apocalyptic speech. She explores the potential of apocalyptic thinking for politically oriented religious education for sustainable development. Cosima Quirl investigates the question of intergenerational justice from an educational and philosophical perspective. According to Quirl, a post-humanistic understanding beyond anthropological narrowing is required to handle the consequences of the climate crisis appropriately. For Simone Birkel, rBNE means more than just taking up a current topic in religious education, but a radical rethinking in religious education. In this way, education can initiate or support the socially necessary transformation. Boris Kalbheim addresses the internal contradictions of the “Last Generation” and marks the concerns and objectives that can be seen as fundamental questions to social systems and thus transcend climate protection.Alexander Maier's historical approach draws parallels between today's climate movement and the youth movement of the first third of the 20th century, particularly with regard to apocalyptic ideas. Simone Ziermann also looks at apocalyptic ideas of the “Last Generation” and recalls the hope-giving potential of Christian apocalyptic speech in religious education processes. Lena Tacke, Vanessa Henke, Stephanie Spanu and Jan-Simon Zimmermann point out how important it is to integrate rBNE in the curriculum of teacher education in universities. The climate crisis has evoked feelings of fear for the future and pressure to act in young people in particular, which have become the basis for their political engagement. Georg Bucher takes climate emotions as the starting point for religious education. JuliaLemke, Magdalena Buddeberg and Vanessa Henke make clear that the emotions caused by crises can lead to profound hopelessness. The chances of success of rBNE also depend fundamentally on whether it is possible to take these emotions seriously and address them in the educational process.