An analysis of spiritual capital in religious education with insights from Türkiye

This study clarifies the concept of spiritual capital (SC) and its relevance to Religious Education (RE) by proposing a model that links theory to classroom practice. Using a systematic literature review with PRISMA-guided screening and thematic analysis, forty-three studies were synthesised. The resulting framework, informed by Verter’s typology and Smart’s model, identifies six components of SC: religious knowledge; morality and ethics; religious materials and objects; religious-oriented groups; religious experiences; and religious beliefs and commitments. Situated within Türkiye’s RE ecosystem – formal and university-based RE, Diyanet’s state-regulated non-formal provision, and informal family/community settings – the model explains how SC operates as both an individual and collective resource shaping knowledge, character, belonging, and civic engagement. It specifies actionable levers for educators: cultivating knowledge ecologies and dialogic engagement; ensuring equitable access to materials, spaces, and opportunities for practice; governing group interactions ethically to build trust and cooperation; and designing experiential, reflective pedagogies that scaffold students’ meaning-making. By distinguishing SC from, yet relating it to, religious capital, the study offers conceptual clarity while translating insights into practical guidance for curriculum and teacher education. The framework advances value-based, holistic education in Türkiye and offers a transferable template for comparative contexts.