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Did you know that people in West Africa had developed inoculation against smallpox long before people in America and Europe? In this blog, which you could share with pupils during Black History Month, you will find a podcast, some articles and suggestions for teaching (KS2 and KS3).

We find Cotton Mather, a Christian priest and slave owner in Boston, whose slave, a man from West Africa, was able to tell him about a technique to innoculate people against smallpox. However it took another 100 years for scientists in Europe and America to apply the technology. Why did it take so long? Have a look at this resource to find out and explore the worldviews that led to this situation.

Kate is a Secondary teacher and Saima is a Primary teacher. We both listened to a podcast called Cautionary Tales by Tim Hartford and found it extremely interesting. The episode that got us talking is called ‘How to end a pandemic’. We have created a padlet containing the episode and suggested teaching ideas, this is referenced at the end of the blog.

The episode opens in Boston Massachusetts where smallpox pandemics ravaged the population every 10 or 15 years between the 1600s and early 1700s. We are introduced to Cotton Mather, a priest and amateur scientist. Mather is also a slave owner, who received a slave from his church congregation as a gift. He named this man, originally from West Africa, ‘Onesimus’. 

Mather was anxious about the constant threat of a smallpox outbreak. He asked Onesimus if he had ever had smallpox in Africa. Onesimus described a strange procedure: a person with smallpox had a blister cut open; the skin of a heathy person was cut and some blister fluid was rubbed into the wound. The recipient fell ill after some days, but not fatally so. When they recovered they never contracted smallpox. Mather began to interview many other Africans in Boston and found that this practice was widespread in West Africa. 

The following year Mather read in the Royal Society’s scientific journal the report of a Greek doctor in Turkey documenting an almost identical procedure. 

As a modern listener it is fascinating to recognize the science of inoculation as a common practice in West Africa and Turkey long before Europe and North America. But what really grabbed our attention was the wall of indifference and outright disbelief with which Mather was received. As Hartford suggests, the white Bostonian, and wider American, scientific community simply could not believe that Africa or Turkey could teach America anything. Years passed before the benefits of inoculation could be brought to America and Europe, years in which many more people died. What this story reveals is the impact of a white view of the world. 

Saima: 

On listening to this story, I was grabbed by the fact that a church congregation bought a slave for the priest. I knew that my year 6 class would be horrified that this happened. The social injustice would have stood out to them and made them question what they had just heard. In schools, we teach pupils about the Christian religion as peace-loving and caring: this part of the story would make children want to use a critical lens to examine the content of what they were hearing. The question to be explored being “What right did the Christians have to buy someone to be used as a slave?” Then, they would dig deeper to explore the racial injustice of white people buying black people. Why did the Christian, white people think they were doing the right thing by buying their priest a black slave?

Kate: 

I was particularly interested in the way white racism, or whiteness, was revealed by this story. A life-saving treatment was ignored for years not because of scientific limitations, but because of a negative view of non-white people. For me this provides a case study that reveals racialized thinking.  We usually look at its results, but not the structures of the thinking itself. If whiteness is a worldview it can be taught and students can be assisted to make sense of it.

Saima: 

With a view to planning for teaching around black history, I would certainly use this story in the classroom with my year 6 pupils. There’s nothing better that eleven year olds like than to get into a really ‘meaty’ subject matter. I know my pupils would want to talk about this discrimination and ask questions themselves. 

Kate: 

We agree that the wider context is crucial in exploring this sequence of events. Learning more about African innovation alone is not the whole story. It is some of the story, but not the whole story. The whole story includes context. The context is whiteness, or a white view of black people. It is the view that stopped men of science, desperate to protect their communities from this devastating disease, from seeing what was before their eyes. It is not so much about black achievement, as the blindness that stops the world appreciating black achievement. The blindness is what I am more interested in exploring. This seems to me to be the unlocking understanding.

Saima: 

Within the context of the Primary phase, we do already study positive black role models. However, we need to move on from there if we want change to happen. Why must we continue to see white people treat non-white people in such a discriminatory manner? We need to take a deep breath and explore whiteness itself. Our curriculum must reflect this need for change if our future generations are to end this cycle of hate and inequality. It’s time to step up and move forward. We must stop being ‘non-racist’ and become anti-racist instead. 

Access the padlet to find the podcast episode plus teaching suggestions and resources: https://padlet.com/REth1nk/dx3b2iou5otywfsk 

Dr Kate Christopher teaches part-time in a secondary school in inner London, is an RE Advisor and is Culham St Gabriel’s Lead Consultant for Professional Development.

Saima Saleh is RE SLE, Year 6 teacher and member of the NATRE Executive.

Karen Longden, RE Lead at St Barnabas CE Primary School in  Warrington, received grant funding from Culham St Gabriel’s to improve children’s’ literacy and develop Religion and Worldviews in the curriculum. In this blog Karen sets out the process and outcomes of this inspiring project.

At St Barnabas CE Primary School our vision is to give our children the knowledge, skills, self-belief and love of learning to ‘let their light shine’. We prioritise the teaching of religion, worldviews and values because we feel it promotes a curiosity within our pupils, about themselves, their peers, their local community and the global community. 

We applied for Culham St Gabriel’s grant funding to connect literacy to Religion and Worldviews. Literacy is a core part of our school vision because it enables all pupils to flourish by developing essential communication skills. Evidence indicates that success in literacy relies on the secure development of language, and that these skills are amongst the best predictors of educational success and economic wellbeing. As a school we are always investigating innovative approaches which will support our pupils. We recognised that a project bringing together literacy and Religion and Worldviews both support pupils’ skills development while broadening their knowledge and understanding.

We arrived at the idea of a ‘Story Tent’ for Early Years, involving both pupils, their carers and local faith representatives. Our aim is to develop language and communication through play sessions and workshops. In connecting literacy with Religion and Worldviews we are developing the ‘whole child’. Through these experiences children and carers have been able to discover the views and beliefs of others in a safe, fun and memorable way.

When children listen to, create or talk about stories their imaginations are fired up and they are fully engaged. These sessions provide an effective model for carers to promote language and literacy skills. Involving carers adds an additional layer of complexity but evidence has proven it has the potential to improve children’s communication, language, and literacy. I am delighted to report we have parents, grandparents and siblings attending. Carers who have experienced high-quality storytelling, questioning and discussion techniques have seen the clear impact of the use of children’s language use and comprehension. 

Additionally, we have involved local faith representatives so children have been introduced to a wide range of traditional tales and faith stories. This provides our families with extra relevance and interest. We wanted to offer memorable experiences, to enhance the impact of children’s learning. This part of the project is developing well. We are fortunate that staff, governors and those in the local community are happy to share their experiences. Liverpool Community Spirit, which offer ‘faith encounter’ workshops have supported us with practical help and resources. 

The group has now developed into a regular weekly session with numbers increasing. We try to create a relaxed social atmosphere so everyone feels welcome, despite reservations they may have. As a school it has enabled us to support families and introduce them to other agencies if necessary, and our parents are forming new friendships and joining new social groups.

Covid has not held us back. As well as the weekly storytelling sessions we have designed whole-school Story Tent events across the summer term, exploring a range of religions. We also have been approached by local primary schools asking if they can be involved.

To other teachers thinking of applying for grant funding, I would say go for it! Culham St.Gabriel’s have been supportive at every stage of the grant process. The funding has helped not only pupils but the wider community, providing learning opportunities and first- hand experiences to help support our children and their families.

More information on the project can be found here

Link to Liverpool Community Spirit: Liverpool Community Spirit 

My three ‘take-aways’ from RExChange 2022…

Living with and navigating complexity

One of the themes running through the conference for me was the complexity of the space we are navigating regarding religion and worldviews. The vibrancy and energy generated through the conference space, with diverse and sometimes conflicting views being presented was to me inspirational. It was fascinating to hear Adam talk about the broken ‘chain of learning’ regarding religion and belief literacy, but his solution was not one of ‘uniformity’, but rather one of shared understanding characterised by contextuality. Culham St Gabriel’s is increasingly partnering with organisations across this ‘chain of learning’ and I hope we can bring some helpful contributions to this complexity. Our new promotional films are one example of this perhaps (see below). One of the positive outcomes for me of the conference was the hospitable nature in which people debated and questioned different perspectives. I thought Gillian Georgiou exemplified this particularly well coming with great humility and openness in her keynote presentation. Perhaps we can move to a place where we don’t just live with or navigate complexity but celebrate it.

Co-existing well

Being comfortable co-existing with those who have a different worldview to ourselves therefore follows from the above. Tom Fletcher CMG’s challenge to us as to whether we are promoting trust and equity, and whether we are using or being used by technology resonated with many of us, I think. Tom’s emphasis on the importance of co-existing well, rather than putting up walls of division lies at the heart of our subject. In particular, I believe a religion and worldviews approach to our subject puts this at the centre. If we understand our own positioning, and approach knowledge as interpreters, we will be able to see the value of different voices and co-exist well. The Culham St Gabriel’s vision sums this up rather well – we want to see a broad based, critically reflective education in religion and worldviews which contributes to a well- informed, respectful and open society. Once again, the Theos animation Nobody Stands Nowhere comes to mind too. This is about truly positive co-existence.

Being courageous

Tamanda Walker ended her presentation by calling for boldness and courage in relation to anti-racist education. Tom Fletcher ended his keynote by saying we need to be brave. In many ways the conference was a clarion call for teachers and other educators to step up, to show that education, particularly an education in religion and worldviews, is key for the future health and well-being of our children and young people; and beyond that for the health and well-being of humanity (I like bold claim!). It was a call for more freedom, curiosity and creativity in school curricula, and to equip our children and young people with skills of diplomacy and problem solving, and to encourage them to be curious and above all, kind.

Thankyou to all our amazing contributors!

New Promotional Films https://www.cstg.org.uk/campaigns/promoting-an-education-in-rwv/promotional-film-collection/

Theos Animation Nobody Stands Nowhere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFRxKF-Jdos

Tom Fletcher CMG expands his thinking of ‘head, heart, hands’ in his book Ten Survival Skills for a World in Flux. Available here http://tomfletcher.global/

Recordings from the conference will be available soon at www.reonline.org.uk

I applied for Culham St Gabriel’s Leadership Programme because I wanted to expand the way I think about RE. I was also interested to see how far I would be able to apply any new insights, ideas or actions to my own school context. Additionally my own future was in the back of my mind. It is always good to have options and think about different pathways, would I want to change schools, Key Stages, or even career, such as to move towards advisory work?

I worked with a mentor, Gillian Georgiou. She was absolutely fantastic. She was patient, reassuring, intelligent and always knew the right way to support me. I found our sessions consistent and fruitful, and I always left the discussions feeling like I’d learnt more, as well as generating even more questions. For me this was an important part of the process.

As part of the Leadership Programme I took two Teach:RE modules. There was quite a lot of choice in modules and I chose topics that I was interested in and would be useful to expand my understanding of. It is hard for teachers to find the time to study and research, and this was another important part of the programme for me.

Thanks to my mentor’s advice and guidance, I was able to balance the demands of the programme. This included continuing to be the best teacher I can be at school, as well as meeting with my mentor to discuss my progress and working on the assignments in a productive way. I was able to balance these competing demands in a reasonable way because we set deadlines and I stuck to them. It is amazing to look back at the year and what I achieved in this time, alongside my usual work as a classroom teacher.

To anyone thinking of applying for the Leadership Programme, Primary or Secondary, I would say that it’s a great opportunity to develop your understanding of the subject. It also gives you the chance to focus on something that takes your interest and develop towards a particular expertise. Through my research for the course I have found the shift to Religion and Worldviews helpful in my thinking as a classroom teacher, it has helped me to guide my thought process with a curriculum from early years through to KS2. This is one way the programme and Teach:RE courses have been extremely useful.

As part of my final module I produced speeches for different audiences. While I often feel that I express myself best in writing, I wanted to challenge myself in speaking my ideas rather than writing. I wanted to consider how I would say my ideas in conversation with others, where perhaps there is little time to think and process. Writing allows you to check and proofread whereas I think a speech can express thoughts more honestly.

Download Naila’s speeches here

Find out about the Leadership Programme here

Last October I jumped at the invitation from Angela Rundle of Wandsworth SACRE to pilot a faith trail in Wimbledon. Not least because during the covid pandemic, real school, let alone school trips had become rare pleasures. As RE coordinator, I was able to prepare Year 6 for the trip with some discussion about expectations and answer some questions. I was wondering if any parents would want to know more details, but perhaps because we had previously been in the habit of visiting a different place of worship each year, there were no concerns.

We started at the white, red and gold Buddhapadipa temple. We are immensely fortunate to have such a fabulous temple close by. After removing their shoes, the children were immediately captivated by the colourful paintings covering the interior walls and ceiling. They were able to see scenes from the Buddha’s life and spot some well-known characters besides. These, plus the dramatically drawn eyes of Mara at the temple door, raised their interest. Seated on the red carpet, a talk from the Venerable Piyobhaso gave a succinct yet detailed overview of the Buddhist faith and how the Thai monks in Wimbledon live.  A walk through the garden with a bridge across the lake imbued all with a profound sense of peace.

Next came Wimbledon Synagogue where we were welcomed by Sharon and Tony. A contrast in building style was immediately apparent. A modern structure with few external clues of what lay within, although the sharp-eyed noticed a tiny mezuzah at the entrance. Inside, a large hall with stylish stained glass windows revealed more evidence of stories of creation and prophets. As we took our seats in chairs, we were all given jewel-bright kippahs to cover our heads. Sharon and Tony invited children to take out the precious Torah scrolls from the ark and display them to us all.

Finally we walked to the Roman Catholic church of Our Lady and St Peter, where the children inspected the stations of the cross and the confessional booths. The priest demonstrated the Eucharist and Angela gave a rousing performance on the organ.

As a non-denominational school with one or two families from each of the six major faiths, each of these holy places was a source of wonder. Visiting three in one day heightened our ability to compare what we’d experienced. The children noticed the similar ways that respect was shown and were also able to reflect on how this resonated or differed from either their own faith’s place of worship or those previously visited with school. A Muslim pupil observed that she felt most connection with the synagogue where similar stories and the lack of visual images felt more familiar to her.

It takes significant organisation to line up three visits and as two schools were involved, everything has to run to time to avoid congestion. However, the outcome is even greater than the sum of its parts, so well worth the effort to arrange it if possible.

When I encountered the new Norfolk Agreed Syllabus, which brings Theology, Philosophy and the social sciences to the classroom, I experienced trepidation mixed with excitement. However, I could immediately see links with other curriculum subjects and clear opportunities for enhanced learning. For example, the new ‘Philosophy’ strand gives children ‘permission’ to ask deep and searching questions. Change is something we might be tempted to avoid, with all the new work and uncertainty it brings, but it also brings positive new opportunities.

After some reflection and time spent with the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus, a multidisciplinary syllabus, we alighted on knowledge organisers as the best way to meet several goals. We wanted to support non-specialists with planning and resourcing as well as cement good practice throughout schools, to enhance all teaching and provide consistency. We hoped that we would be developing a more effective and exciting way of teaching RE that would engage learners.

We predicted that increased challenge and opportunity for complex and reflective thinking would lead to a higher level of achievement in RE. This is certainly something we have seen in practice. We can see that our children are able to articulate complex ideas, as well as express themselves with confidence. We can also see that the children enjoy exploring the religions and worldviews in their local area. We wanted to build an awareness of worldviews in the world around us, as well as develop scholarly thinking in pupils.

Covid presented somewhat of a barrier. We had lost the face-to-face connection and immediacy of learning and conversation in the classroom, which made it hard to assess the effectiveness of our planning. Usually new teaching evolves over time through trial and evaluation. We embarked on this project before Covid hit and assumed we would have this time to assess the foundations of the new syllabus. Due to Covid, we have had to rethink what might need repeating, and building on, to ensure children have secure understanding. We have put a lot of emphasis on the Enquiry Cycle for this reason and we feel this has had a very positive impact on children’s confidence and understanding.

Through translating the Agreed Syllabus into knowledge organisers we have gained new understanding of our own. We love the idea that everyone has a worldview. It is our job to enable the children to critically engage with worldviews in a complicated and ever-changing world. We also find the multidisciplinary approach very helpful for the balance it provides. Theology builds knowledge and information, philosophy enables the children to ask questions and think freely and the human and social sciences give them the opportunity to see the impact a worldview can have in a person’s life and in a society. So far we feel the results have been positive. We are seeing inquisitive learners who want to know more, ask more, to be able to explore and experience more of the world around them.

Other teaching staff across Norfolk have also reacted positively. The syllabus offers a clear intent and steps of progression, which is welcomed. Moreover, questions that engage learners are clear to see. Overall, I am excited about the impact and opportunity to change the presumption that RE is a boring and dead subject. To anyone thinking of embarking on your own project, I would say go for it! Unlock your potential. Be part of change.

Knowledge organisers:

https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/schools/siams-re-collective-worship/religious-education/curriculum-planning/

‘RE in a Broad and Balanced Curriculum’. This practical panning tool provides essential background thinking for developing a multidisciplinary Religion and worldviews curriculum: RE in a broad and balanced curriculum: A practical tool – RE:ONLINE (reonline.org.uk)

In our final edition of summer reading recommendations, we bring you  Islamic art, love and monotheism.

Aliya Azam teaches at Al-Sadiq and Al- Zahra school in West London. She works closely with RE teachers and interfaith groups.
Islamic Art and Spirituality

Seyyed Hossein Nasr

State University of New York Press, 1987

I recommend this book because to me is appears to be unique. Seyyed Nasr describes many aspects of Islamic art, from the chanting of the Holy Qur’an, which is the most central expression of the Islamic revelation, and therefore sacred art par excellence, to calligraphy and architecture which are the “embodiments” in the worlds of form and space of the Divine Word. Through this book the sacred art of Islam is revealed, which has always played and continues to play a fundamental role in the spiritual life of Muslims.

The goal of the spiritual, or inward, life in Islam is to reach the Divine. Seyyed Nasr shows how for Muslims in all societies art provides a climate of peace and equilibrium. Art creates an ambience in which God can be remembered.

For teachers, unlocking Islamic art is a wonderful way to explore Islamic beliefs, culture and spirituality. Islam considers beauty as the necessary complement of the manifestation of the Truth. We could say art is a ‘silent theology’. The language of beauty is a universal language that draws us together and in Islam art is a gate towards the inner life.

Alexis Stones is Subject Lead for the PGCE on Religious Education at the Institute of Education, UCL’s faculty of Education and society.

All About Love

bell hooks

William Morrow and Company, 2016

This incredible book is written from the heart for the heart. The genius of bell hooks is heard through her honest discussions and her call for love to be more crucial in our lives. She reminds us that love is the most important resource for individuals, groups and community. This treatise on love taught me that love is fierce in its strengths. It teaches, guides, forgives and challenges.

As a teacher educator, I encourage student teachers to reflect on their own perspectives and become familiar with the complexities of their own worldviews. All About Love dedicates a chapter to love into fourteen different contexts including justice, spirituality and community. These function as lenses to think about how love manifests across time and space. There are religious, philosophical, ethical, sociological and psychological perspectives that are thought-provoking, humbling and inspiring. It allows me to think about RE on my own terms before I teach.

Kate Christopher is a Secondary teacher and consultant.

The Price of Monotheism

Jan Assman

English translation by Robert Savage

Stanford University Press, 2010

I have become interested in monotheism as a hugely powerful worldview, but one that is rarely the subject of study itself. Someone recommended Assman to me. It is a challenging read, but worth the effort. Assman argues that the shift to monotheism brought into being an idea hitherto alien to the ancient world; the idea of false gods or false religion. Assman states that monotheism is not a distinction between one God and many gods, but between ‘truth and falsehood in religion’ (p. 2).

It is a shift that took millennia. In polytheistic times, pledges and contracts were sealed with oaths of loyalty to a deity. Neighbouring tribes had to establish the corresponding deity in dealing with each other. By 3,000 BCE, ‘tables of divine equivalence’ had been created to allow commerce, allegiance and collaboration among tribes (p. 19). None of this is possible once all other gods are deemed to be false. This is an example of how monotheism changed the way different groups could engage with each other.

Assman is an Egyptologist rather than a theologian, although he appears to me extremely well-versed in theology. His thesis, not unexpectedly, has received significant challenge, such as of anti-Semitism and intolerance, and he spends much of this  volume addressing the challenges. I probably wouldn’t teach this before A Level, and I am not expert enough in Assman’s field to know how outlandish or mainstream his argument is. I recommend it because it reminds us as educators to look beyond the world as we find it and dig a bit deeper. Although so widespread we might take it for granted, monotheism is a worldview too, and as such can be investigated.

Continuing our series of short recommendations from the Religion and Worldviews community, this week we bring you the warmth of the black Pentecostal church, an Ahmadiyya philosophy of the teaching of Islam, and how humans recover after catastrophe. Enjoy!

Alexandra Brown is an RE teacher, poet and academic decolonial practitioner whose work, thoughts and ontology resides in liminal spaces

In My Grandmother’s House: Black Women’s Faith and the Stories we inherit

Dr Yolanda Pierce

Broadleaf Books, Minneapolis, USA, 2021

Following the painful, and yet inevitable, realisation that my previous place of worship was unable to speak to my lived experience as a black woman, whose theological posture uncompromisingly encompasses Womanist theology, radical black queer politics and social justice, this book acted as a gift, a warm embrace, and a timely affirmation, that I too am created in Imago Dei.

In typical Womanist fashion, through the use of stories, and an unapologetic centering of the African-American woman’s lived experience, Dr Pierce successfully critiques rigid Eurocentric-Cartesian approaches to Christian beliefs, practices and rituals, whilst simultaneously sharing the beauty and depth that lies within a Protestant-Pentecostal tradition.

The chapters that explore sacred traditions within the black church such as washing feet, a shared witness of grief on Maundy Thursday and knowledge of Jesus as a personal friend, were truly wonderful to read and acted as gentle reminders that there is sacredness in my embodied experience.

Including elements of Dr Peirce’s book into lessons, will also act as an effective means to help decolonise your lessons and broader curriculum, for example when teaching Christian Practices on the GCSE.

Waqar Ahmedi is Head of RS and author of GCSE and A level textbooks and revision guides. He serves on the NATRE Executive and is part of Birmingham SACRE representing the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK.

The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

English translation by Muhammad Zafrulla Khan

Islam International Publications Ltd, 2010

Available for free here: https://www.alislam.org/book/philosophy-teachings-islam/

My book recommendation is The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

It is based on a lecture given at the Conference of Great Religions in India in 1896 where experts from different faiths were asked to address specific topics based solely on their own holy texts and tenets. These included the physical, moral and spiritual states of humanity, the purpose of life and ways to fulfil it, and what happens after death.

Ahmad cites only the Qur’an to present his impressive exposition and offers a unique insight into Islamic philosophy, ethics and theology, as well as a distinct Muslim worldview of what it means to be human. Additionally, he provides a compelling case for the existence of a Living God.

The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam is a brilliant exegesis – as pertinent today as it has ever been – that will enrich every RE department’s library and enhance the quality of teaching and learning about Islam as part of a diversified curriculum. This and many of Ahmad’s other works also make him ideal as a scholar, thinker and figure to be studied in his own right.

Another great benefit of this book is that it’s available for free in various formats online, as the link above shows.

Ben Maddison is a teacher, trainer and lecturer.

When the Dust Settles: Stories of Love, Loss and Hope from an Expert in Disaster

Lucy Easthope

Hodder and Stoughton, 2022

Lucy Easthope is a disaster recovery expert and this is her memoir. She talks about her involvement in events such as the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and Grenfell Tower fire.

She blends together the practical details of how people deal with recovery after a disaster with reflections on what this tells us about being human. Easthope uses the sociological phrase ‘the furniture of the self’ to explore the internal recovery the people affected by catastrophe. The idea of the furniture of the self is used to explore how we build resilience as human beings facing catastrophe.

I often find myself picking up a book for use in a lesson. I came across this book because I wanted to look at the events surrounding the Grenfell Fire on the 5^th anniversary of the tragedy and found it fascinating. The insights from this book sat at the core of my lesson. It helped to sew together emotions and practicalities. I found it accessible, interesting and thought provoking, and one of those books where you pause after a paragraph and think about what you have just read.

In our ‘summer series’ we bring you a range of reading recommendations from a wide variety of people involved in Religion and Worldviews. As subject specialists, whatever age range we teach, it is always good to know about new books, or books that have helped others with their understanding.

In our first edition, we present recommendations on the ways psychotherapy draws on religious thinking and an investigation into worldviews. Enjoy!

Dr Alastair Lockhart, Director of the Centre for the Critical Study of Apocalyptic and Millenarian Movements www.censamm.org

Religious Thought and the Modern Psychologies

Don Browning and Terry Cooper (2^nd edition)

Fortress Press, Augsburg, USA, 2004

I’d like to recommend Don Browning and Terry Cooper’s Religious Thought and the Modern Psychologies. The second edition came out in 2004, extending the ideas developed in the original 1987 edition which was written by Browning without Cooper. The book excavates the ways in which psychological theories – and especially psychotherapeutic forms of psychology – encode or draw on religious and ethical forms of thought.

While the idea that psychotherapeutic psychologies might have a mixed pedigree, so we can understand them as less than “strictly scientific”, is perhaps not as challenging today as it once was, Religious Thought and the Modern Psychologies was an important milestone in my own engagement with the practical ways that psychological approaches can be examined as “religio-ethical thinking… mixed disciplines which contain examples of religious, ethical, and scientific language”.

Ultimately, for me, the conclusions of the book are perhaps secondary in significance to the core exercise it carries out: a powerful critical archaeology of the complexity of psychological ways of viewing the world, which has implications for how we understand the common ground between religious and scientific ways of thinking more generally.

Kathryn Wright, CEO, Culham St Gabriel’s Trust

Worldview Religious Studies

Douglas J Davies

Routledge, 2022

The opening paragraph of this fascinating, yet challenging book sums up for me why it is an essential read for everyone wanting to explore a worldviews approach to religious education.

Davies begins with a bold claim that worldviews emerge, intensify, and change. From the outset, Davies wants us to grasp hold of the value and importance of worldview thinking for education. For him worldviews are dynamic, and this resonates with me and the ever-changing nature of curriculum in our schools.

Davies follows an interdisciplinary approach offering a provisional framing for how worldviews may be studied in higher education. He begins with a detailed journey through different historical and philosophical understandings of the concept of worldview. He concludes that worldviews can be understood at different levels in relation to meaning-making, attachment, and orientation to the world (p.20). This leads him to offer different concepts through which worldviews may be studied (p.33f). He begins with destiny, identity and hope arguing that these are a characteristic of many worldviews. He advocates for studying ritual-symbolism, such as mantras, creeds, pilgrimage and so on. Related to this is the notion of gift theory whereby ordinary life exists in and through processes of reciprocity. Lastly, he claims that all worldviews have underlying ideas of evil, merit, and salvation; where evil depicts perceived flaws in existence and salvation offers ways of overcoming them (p.43).

It made me wonder whether this could provide a framing for studying religion and worldviews in schools?

The second half of the book offers some provisional classification of worldviews with religious studies, theology and ethics topics in mind. Davies is very open about the need for it to be improved in the future! He puts forward eight types, namely, natural; scientific; ancestral; karmic; prophetic-sectarian; mystical; ideological and ludic. He also acknowledges that there may be overlap between them as worldviews change, and some worldview traditions may sit within many different ‘types’. Whilst I am not completely convinced by his categorisation, one thing that did strike me was the overwhelming sense that we should begin study within a particular context and with people. I would also argue that his approach is a hermeneutical one; he talks about ‘seeing-through’, being human-curious and self-aware. Reflexivity lies at the heart of his approach. He acknowledges that this may be personally challenging (p.123).

This is an important book for the religion and worldviews community. It is not easy to read in places, but it is worth persevering! I would be interested to see if any curriculum designers take up his approach for schools…

You can also listen to Douglas Davies talk about his book at an online Religion Media Centre event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7VPvnfK5TU (from 26:31)

Jane Brooke and I started the REQM in 2012. We realised that while there were quality marks for other curriculum areas such as art, geography and science, religious education would benefit from a similar scheme to recognise and celebrate high quality provision in the subject.

We wanted to create an award that would showcase the best work being done in religious education across the country. What was distinctive about the REQM is that we started with pupil voice – what were their experiences of the subject? Only then did we consider the evidence provided by the subject leader.

Jane and I were closely involved for about five years, before handing over to the brilliant Linda Rudge. At the beginning, we were fortunate to receive seed funding from Culham St Gabriel’s. This allowed us to do the original scoping work with RE colleagues on the criteria, as well as recruit and train assessors and set up the website. We were very lucky to have Sharon Artley on board, as an assessor, website manager and wise sounding- board. After about a year, we arranged for the REQM to be under the auspices of the RE Council. This brought a level of accountability which we needed.

When I look back over 10 years of the REQM, I reflect on how exciting it was to start something from scratch. While we took inspiration from the other quality marks, we ensured that the REQM was distinctive, not least in making sure that evidence required to secure an award was light touch. We had a wonderful launch in the House of Lords, invited pupils and their teachers along with the great and the good, including Stephen Lloyd MP founder of the chair of the APPG for RE.

I very much think the REQM still has value in the RE world. In fact, the ‘quality of education judgement’ in Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework has increased the focus on high quality provision in all subjects, not just the core subjects. Achieving the REQM is solid evidence that a school is taking the subject seriously and that pupils are getting a good deal.

So much I have encountered over the years has delighted me, but I do remember visiting two special schools and seeing the stunning provision and the delight expressed by pupils in the encounters with and experience of appropriately developed provision: no dumbing down there! It has also been interesting working with teachers in school to note how keen they are to share what they are providing for pupils. This becomes a space for reflection, evaluation and to think about next steps.

To teachers today I would say that the REQM represents excellent professional development. You focus on your headline work and achievements for an external, supportive audience. There are also great networking opportunities. To heads and school leaders I would say that pupils and colleagues deserve to have their hard work recognised.

In another 10 years I hope the REQM is still supporting, still challenging and still celebrating brilliant work in religious education in schools.