Marriage and Bi-confessional Upbringing in the Borderland – reflections around the research

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the strategies of religious choice of partners forming a bi-religious family, taking into account the challenges and potential of such families in the context of religious upbringing of children. The research focuses on multi-religious families in the cultural borderlands, especially the southern and eastern ones, where there is a natural meeting of different peoples, religions and traditions. The article adopts a socio-pedagogical perspective, drawing on historical, social, and religious research to show how religious differences affect child-rearing strategies, such as through religious choice, social ecumenism, and upbringing in an atmosphere of tolerance. The article discusses various approaches to religious upbringing in blended families, such as upbringing according to the mother's or father's religion, with an emphasis on the role of family communication and adaptation to diversity. As a result of the analysis, the potential of bi-religious families, including the development of children's social and cultural capital, but also the difficulties associated with identity conflict and differences in religious perceptions, was pointed out. The paper points to the need for further research, especially in the context of religious education and the role of mixed marriages in social and cultural integration in border regions.