The article attempts to consider the features of religious education in Russia and European countries in the conditions of active informatization of society. In the context of the problem of religion virtualization, various models of religious education in secondary and higher education in European countries are analyzed. The key method of the presented research is a comparative analysis, which allows comparing the models of religious education in Russian Federation and Europe. Analytical reviews, reports of the expert community of Russia and Europe, a large body of scientific publications of domestic and foreign authors on the impact of informatization on religiosity are used as an empirical basis. The article examines the basic approaches to religious education in Russia, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the countries of Scandinavia and the Balkan region. It is noted that at the moment there is no single European model of religious education, and four basic types of religious education can be distinguished (secular, confessional, non-confessional, mixed). There is an increase in the influence of information technology on the religious sphere over the past 20 years. This process also affected the pedagogical sphere, which manifested itself in “mediatization of religion”. As part of the educational process, this circumstance puts before the teacher the need to improve their digital competence, master new tools of the digital environment and online communication.
Key words: religious education, informatization, online technologies, education in Europe, youth.
DOI: 10.56429/2414‑4894‑2023‑46‑4‑23‑44