Religious Literacy, Moral Reasoning, and Civic Engagement among Malaysian University Students: A Qualitative PRISMA Review

Abstract

This review synthesized evidence on how religious literacy shapes moral reasoning and how both relate to civic engagement among university students in Malaysia. A qualitative systematic review was designed using PRISMA 2020 reporting logic. Searches were conducted across major academic databases and complementary sources using combinations of terms related to religious literacy, moral reasoning, civic engagement, higher education, and Malaysia. Peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2026 were screened against inclusion criteria focused on university and youth populations, explicit conceptual relevance, and sufficient methodological detail. The final corpus comprised 38 studies, which were coded thematically. The literature converged on three patterns. First, religious literacy was consistently framed as comparative, critical, and dialogic competence rather than mere doctrinal recall. Second, moral reasoning appeared as the mediating mechanism that translated religious understanding into ethical judgment. Third, civic engagement emerged most strongly where institutions created deliberative spaces, community partnerships, and digitally literate participation channels. Malaysian studies emphasized ethnic unity, civic participation, and ethical formation in multicultural higher education settings. Religious literacy does not operate as a purely private religious trait; it functions as civic infrastructure when it cultivates perspective taking, moral deliberation, and public responsibility. Universities in Malaysia can strengthen this pathway by embedding comparative religious literacy, reflective ethics, and service-oriented civic learning into general education curricula.