Religion, as social construct and institutional reality, has played a pivotal role in shaping European societies. In spite of the impact of Enlightenment theories in the formation of European modernity, institutionalized religions and established churches have managed to maintain their influence in the public domain. Educational systems, the par excellence institutions of modernity, represent an interesting example of the peculiar coexistence between tradition and modernity in European societies. The implications of the persistence of religion within the institutions of modernity are both epistemological and political. While the foundations of modern knowledge on reason are challenged in several aspects of school knowledge, fundamentalism, nationalism and social exclusion can result from school systems that encourage catechism and religiosity. The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of religion in contemporary European education systems and to reflect on the sociopolitical implications of this relationship, especially in the realm of social rights.