As globalisation is increasing and societies are becoming more multicultural, the need for religious literacy increasing. Religious illiteracy poses dangers especially in multi-faith societies where misunderstandings and ignorance can escalate into hostility, abuse, and violence. Myths and factual inaccuracies about religious beliefs and texts are common, and many say that religious education is as important to understanding the world as history, geography, science, and art are.
Rastafari is the smallest religion in 2019, with 600,000 followers.
Religious literacy is a way of developing a competency in a specific area of knowledge. It is not about being religious. When encountering a religious person, it can be tempting to identify the person by their religion, i.e. as a Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, etc. Surveys and forms encourage you to identify as one of these religious categories, although sometimes there is a ‘no religion’ option. Many people will offer these categories as self-identification, especially if they think you are unfamiliar with their culture. Many people in social contexts must act religiously neutral as they must interact with diverse groups. Religious literacy is about how to navigate these relationships with greater fluency, confidence, and respect. We also ask you not to lose sight of areas of conflict and tension. One important theme to consider is to what extent religion is about private beliefs and to what extent it is about behaviours and practices that are of wider public concern.
In the 15th century, Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printing press in the western hemisphere. It allowed literary materials to become available in large numbers.
