Both in a local Norwegian educational context and in an international educational context, students with a religious faith and identity may encounter a critique of religion that is legitimized in the idea that it is a necessary basic condition in a modern secular society that religious faith are made available for critique (Bangstad, 2009: pp. 57, 58, Furseth et al., 2015). At the same time, there are general discussions about whether religion can be an important contribution to public discourse and opinion formation (Calhoun et al., 2011, pp. 18, 19). But the students can probably also encounter widespread antipathies that may have a background in historical events such as class struggle and the exercise of power by religious institutions. Understood within a local context, Norwegian religious history is also dominated by Protestantism and Pietism, with an emphasis on inner faith and repentance, where a schism is established between personal Christians and "the others". Norwegian society can also be understood as one of the most secularised in Europe, where having certain forms of religious belief can be experienced as a stigma and a risk of being socially discredited (Vassenden & Andersson, 2010).

In two articles, one peer-reviewed and the other recently completed, I draw attention to students who participate with a religious faith in the joint conversations in the classroom and some of the challenges they may face. Firstly, challenges related to the fact that the students, when they are to participate in the joint conversations in the classroom, have to give language to their religious faith and their religious experiences, secondly, challenges related to the fact that they may face critique of religion, and thirdly that they may also face antipathy towards religion.

In this presentation I will discuss three reasons why I have used fiction to exemplify the three forms of challenges that students may face when participating with a religious faith in the joint conversations in a Norwegian classroom. The discussions will mainly focus on three issues:

How can doubts about whether it is possible to have a conversation with students about religious beliefs and challenges they may face in the joint conversations in the classroom, make it appropriate to use examples from fiction?

How can the use of examples taken from fiction to gain an understanding of students 'experiences in an emotional and aesthetic way be understood as showing respect for students' experiences?

How can using examples taken from fiction contribute to interviews in the future? The third question is discussed in the light of a continuation?

In this presentation I will discuss three reasons why I have used fiction to exemplify three forms of challenges that students may face when participating with a religious faith in the joint conversations in a Norwegian classroom.

The approach in the work has been to use fiction as exemplifications and to prepare a way of thinking that makes it possible to bring the issues into conversations with the community of colleagues. Assisted by the fictitious lens, the result can bring important perspectives to the field of education and pedagogical discussion about students' democratic participation.

Bangstad, S. (2009). Sekularismens ansikter. Oslo. Universitetsforlaget Calhoun, C.., Juegensmeyer, M. & van Antwerpen, J. (2011). Introduction. I: C. Calhoun, M. Juegensmeyer, J. van Antwerpen (Red.). Rethinking Secularism. New York: Oxford University Press. Furseth, I. (2015). Innledning. I: I. Furseth (Red.). Religionens tilbakekomst i offentligheten? Religion, politikk, medier, stat og sivilsamfunn i Norge siden 1980-tallet. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. Vassenden, A. & Andersson, M. (2010). Whiteness, non-whiteness and `faith information control´: religion among young people in Grønland, Oslo. Ethnical and Racial Studies, 34:4, 574-593, https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2010.511239