Section one of this International Handbook attends to the philosophical and theoretical aspects of inter-religious education. The authors who contribute to this section critique current religious educational practice and offer skills, information and criteria for theory building in the area of inter-religious education. Among the contributors to this section of the International Handbook, one is from the United Kingdom, five are from the Untied Statures of America, two from Africa, and there is one contributor from each of Canada, Latvia and Norway. Two contributors are from the Jewish tradition, one from Islam, one from Orthodox Christianity and the others from a range of different Christian orientations. Their theories and philosophies of inter-religious education are informed by a range of perspectives including human rights, feminist theory and the perspective of Jewish-Christian and inter-religious dialogue.

Section two deals with religious education for inter-religious engagement. The body of scholarship contained in this section argues that religious education needs to provide an empathetic understanding of people, their histories and contexts, and the role of religion in their lives. Of the thirteen scholars who will contribute to this section, one is from the United States of America, two are from Ireland, two are from the United Kingdom, two from Canada and the remaining are from Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Israel, Australia and India. Much of this section draws on recent empirical research and it covers such diverse topics as fundamentalism and ecumenism, critical reflexivity, dialogue between Judaism and Islam, Islamic values and the role of Buddhism in promoting inter-religious education.

Section three analyses the connection between inter-religious education and the promotion of social justice and peace. Indeed a concern for justice and peace is common to all religions and can be the focus of inter-religious education. Among the scholars who will contribute to this section, four are Australian, two are German, and the remaining are from Norway, the United Kingdom, India, the Netherlands and Mumbai. Motifs in this section of the International Handbook cover suffering as a lens for understanding the history of religions, inter-religious tolerance, fundamentalism and fanaticism, peace education, theology and the role and critique of all of these in inter-religious education for social justice and peace.

Section four Inter-religious education for citizenship and human rights brings together a number of religious educators, expert theorists, empirical researchers and those working in international educational policy to examine the role of inter-religious education in promoting citizenship and human rights. Scholars will contribute to this section from Switzerland, England, Australia, France, Finland, Russia, Norway, the United States of America, Germany, Sweden and Japan. The chapters in this section will cover the specifically religious dimensions of policy and practice in human rights and citizenship and will draw on the policies and works of international bodies such as UNESCO as well as providing more local perspectives.