Sex education and religion - resistance and possibilities

Starting with the question of why there is so much religiously motivated resistance against compulsory sex education, this article explores and discusses entanglements of norms about sexuality, gender, and religion in education. Based on predominantly Swedish data, the aim of the paper is to offer perspectives on connections between religiosity and discourses about sexuality. The first part centres around religious resistance against compulsory sex education. The second part draws on phenomenology of religions to explore roots for this religiously motivated resistance. In the third part, the perspective is reversed, discussing how and why secular education dismisses religious perspectives and values. The conclusion is that awareness of how arguments are based on differing presumptions about religion offers opportunities for dialogue, and that considering human existence as vulnerable, interdependent, and responsible might be a valuable religious contribution to sex education.