Religion and national identity in Greek education

Religion has been an important element in the shaping of collective identities in Europe in the past. In some cases, for example in Southern and Eastern Europe, religious identities have been associated with the emergence of national awareness and nationalism. This paper argues that in many European countries religion continues to be a key component of identity politics, exercised by the state through education. This process is examined with regard to educational policies and knowledge control in the context of the Greek educational system. It is argued that, in Greece, religious instruction extends far beyond the religious education curriculum, a fact that has certain implications for the secularist character of education, for the construction of dominant identities and for social exclusion practices.