A pedagogy of interreligious encounter: religious education in a multicultural boarding school in Indonesia

Religious education in plural societies is increasingly expected to cultivate both strong religious identities and the capacity for constructive engagement across religious differences. While previous studies have highlighted the importance of interfaith dialogue and multicultural education, less attention has been paid to the educational processes through which these outcomes are intentionally cultivated in everyday school life. This study examines how religious education is organised within the multicultural boarding environment of Selamat Pagi Indonesia (SPI) Senior High School, Indonesia. Employing a qualitative instrumental case study design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the principal, religious education teachers, and students, complemented by participant observation and document analysis. The findings reveal three interrelated pedagogical dimensions. First, faith-specific religious instruction enables students to deepen their own religious commitments while respecting the beliefs of others. Second, everyday boarding life creates sustained interreligious encounters through shared responsibilities, social interaction, and collaborative living. Third, institutional practices, including Spiritual Day and participation in religious celebrations, encourage reflective engagement with shared moral values without diminishing theological differences. Rather than treating religious commitment and interreligious understanding as competing educational goals, these practices demonstrate how both can be cultivated simultaneously through intentionally organised educational experiences. Building on these findings, the study proposes the Pedagogy of Interreligious Encounter as an interpretive framework for understanding how faith-based schools may integrate faith formation with everyday experiences of living together in religious diversity. Although derived from a single case, this framework offers a conceptual lens for future comparative research on religious education in plural societies.