As a result of the processes of globalization and increasing pluralism, it has become increasingly important to democracy that citizens are able to participate in critical discussion, take the perspective of others, and articulate their opinions. Therefore, it is vital that students are able to acquire dialogic competence for democratic participation at school. Teaching through dialogue puts high demands on the teacher. One of the reasons for this is that some issues, especially those of a political or religious nature, can be controversial. In this article we discuss the role of the teacher in dialogue concerning contentious political and religious matters. We argue that the teacher can operate in many different ways: As facilitator, moderator, motivator, and Devil's advocate. In short, there is no single correct rule applicable to all cases. Consequently teachers must be able to make sound pedagogical judgements on the basis of the situation at hand.