Viewing archives for Blog

In many ways, embarking on spiritual development involves ‘risking on purpose’. For many pupils there can be a stepping out of the safety of family beliefs and into exploring their own beliefs and worldview. Pupils become aware of the things that influence what they think, feel and believe and begin to recognise the lenses through which they view the world. It can be a moment of vulnerability and uncertainty where changes to spiritual schema can at times feel unsettling as what they think and believe changes.

David Smith, in his book ‘Making Sense of Spiritual Development’[1], rightly encourages us to acknowledge the darker side of spirituality with pupils, addressing how at times spiritual growth and motivations, coupled with our free will, can lead to outcomes that are less than desirable for society (such as using our creativity for evil or fulfilling a sense of belonging but through joining a cult or Neo-Nazi group).  Being open and honest towards the potential downsides of spirituality is important but must obviously be handled sensitively, with knowledge of pupils, their lived experiences and potential vulnerabilities at the forefront.

With regards to spiritual intimacy, Rebecca Nye says “The central factor is probably ‘feeling safe’, a feeling that it is okay to come closer, to surrender to something greater, than my conceptual (distancing) handle on things.” Nye believes spirituality thrives on intimacy- coming closer, delving deeper, taking risks and pursuing passions. It is ultimately a coming closer to yourself, others, the world and the concept of God or ‘Beyond’. Pupils need to feel safe and supported to be able to explore that ‘coming closer’ with a sense of authenticity and lasting value and adults should be aware of the potential of both sides of spiritual development at play in the classroom.

It is clear that spiritual development can, and should, only be undertaken with pupils within a safe and nurturing environment where there are strong, positive relationships between adults and children/young people and wider discussion and engagement amongst peers is well-facilitated to allow for respectful, positive interactions and the freedom for conflicting and contrasting views and beliefs to be expressed and explored. A community of enquiry and a culture of questioning will help to nurture safe spaces for spiritual development in any areas of the curriculum. Safe spiritual spaces, for both teachers and pupils, will maximise the positive effects of spiritual development whilst realistically confronting the potential negatives and exploring how best to help pupils to overcome these when they occur. Some strategies for nurturing ‘spiritual safety’ and supporting ‘risking on purpose’ with regards to spiritual growth might include:

• Embracing a worldviews approach to teaching RE so that everyone in the room feels seen and validated
• Nurturing a questioning culture in the classroom rather than a place for definitive answers
• Allowing for and actively encouraging the asking of ‘Big’ or ‘Ultimate’ questions about God, faith, life and the world.
• Resisting presenting matters of faith as definitive answers but instead allowing time for pupils to puzzle it out, question what they have previously believed and thought, challenging their own and other people’s spiritual convictions peacefully and respectfully and with a sense of curiosity. Creating a community of enquiry that extends to spiritual development itself.
• Embracing the concept of undoing and unlearning, so that spiritual development is also seen as a taking away, an adapting and a reducing, as well as a cumulative, additional process.
• Use of ‘silent debate’ to introduce pupils towards the art of sharing and reflecting honestly before whole class discussions are embarked upon.
• A class charter drawn up to capture the class’s agreement on how each member of the group/class should be respected and listened to when discussing matters of spiritual significance.
• Building in times for listening and making the connection between spiritual growth and vocation for pupils.
• Training for school staff on how to manage difficult conversations.
• Allowing time for private reflection which won’t be shared with anyone else. Journals and prayer/reflection spaces can support this.
• Embracing the two core statements of the ‘protective behaviours’ approach to safeguarding within a spiritual context:

 – We all have the right to feel safe all the time

 – We can talk with someone about anything, even if it feels awful or small

• Developing a ‘network hand’ of trusted adults pupils can turn to specifically with regards to spiritual growth.
• Planning for safe spiritual spaces in the physical environment of the school.

[1] David Smith, Making Sense of Spiritual Development, The Stapleford Centre, 1999

How important can 2 minutes 34 seconds be?

Time can be significant – the reign of the dinosaurs was long and will always captivate me yet sometimes tiny fragments of time are also significant – the famous football coach Brian Clough said it only takes a second to score a goal. I’d like to add to that – it only takes 2 mins 34 seconds to make you question everything! This is what happened to me.

The new animated film from the Theos Think Tank ‘Nobody stands nowhere’ by Emily Downe completely stopped me in my tracks! 2 mins 34 of film stuffed with powerful questions and statements. If you haven’t seen it please do – if I was still teaching I would be using this in so many ways!

So why am I so affected by it? Is it because my way of life has been to just get on with things? Always being aware that I was never the sharpest tool in the box? Have I just not really stopped and thought about Who I am or why I am the way I am?

Could it be that I just haven’t thought about my worldview? This film has changed that.

The film opens with the narration

‘What is your view of the world? How do you see things? What makes you who you are?  On what do you base your decisions? Why did you react like that?’

Wow – all this delivered over vibrant and thought-provoking animations… suddenly I asked myself these questions for what felt like the first time, particularly the reaction one.

As the film continues more engaging material emerges – everyone has their own worldview and the lens we look through is affected by our upbringing, surroundings or religion – sounds so obvious but over the years I have never really considered the different subtle and unsubtle things which have shaped my worldview. As I look back now I can see moments in my life where shifts were made. Big changes like when my family relocated from the West Midlands to Dorset when I was 13 leaving everyone and everything I knew behind.

The film goes on to say that our worldview changes throughout life – wouldn’t it be great if we all realised and accepted that? I am not the man I was when I was 18, 21, 33, 40 , etc my worldview has changed so much. I can recognise that I was deeply unrewarding as a youth and am eternally grateful that my family and some good friends have stuck with me through that process – now my worldview is ensuring everyone I come into contact with is helped by me where possible and given the chance to flourish. As a teacher I would always advise new teachers to my school to always think before speaking and acting ‘never give a message you wouldn’t want to receive’ – some of my colleagues were permanently cross and rude to students, unsurprisingly they did not gain much respect or co-operation.

The film goes on to say that we have a personal worldview, it shapes how we live but we need to recognise the worldviews of those around us – even if we have much in common on the surface our lenses will be different and consequently our worldview will be different too – how fascinating to see and understand a different worldview to our own?

One of the final questions raised is ‘Where does truth lie?’ – so much can come from this; truth claims from religions and worldviews, media bias and enforced stereotypes, ‘knowledge’ passed down from families as well as things that directly happen to us or those we know.

This film challenges us to think about, examine and understand our worldview, then recognise the right of others to a completely different personal worldview. We need to be perfectly happy that we are all different, able to share our world with those who are different but have just as much right to inhabit the space as we do.

I think this film is an exceptional teaching aid for all phases – there are so many ways you can build from it.

Next time you have 3 minutes to spare and a cup of whichever beverage your worldview favours, please watch this and reflect upon your personal lens.

This week we’d like to highlight the following blog on the Religious Education Council of England and Wales website where Dr Kathryn Wright, our Chief Executive and Chair of the RE Council Education Committee opens up the conversation about religion and worldviews.

https://www.religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk/news/religion-and-worldviews-a-conversation/

Kathryn says, ‘It was a privilege to write this blog for the RE Council and share some of the current thinking within the Education Committee about a shift to a religion and worldviews approach. As I began writing it struck me that our religion and worldviews community is very much thriving and alive with debate and discussion at the moment. I wanted to encourage everyone to be part of the conversation’.

Engagement, likes, views and follows have become an everyday vernacular for most. Willingly or not, you probably know the meaning behind these terms; and perhaps even try to play the numbers game yourself. No doubt your students are a part of this world, too. So much so, that phones and other devices have taken to adopting “wellbeing” monitors, in order to keep your eyes safe and focused away from the screen (every now and then).

As educators of RE, we are more acutely aware of using terms such as wellbeing, mindfulness and so forth. We will immediately make the links and jumps to dharma and ahimsa, and how yoga has had its own wash and rinse through popularism. However; who is to say that these terms, amongst many other extremely important terms, can’t have a relationship with social media?

I, for one, have found myself swirling down the rabbit hole of tiktok only to find myself faced with religious connotations, iconography and debate all in the space of 30 seconds.

Hear me out. As a preface, religion at its core is a set of belief systems and rituals followed by a number of people. If I were to present it in a modern context, it might look something like the following:

The profile: Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama to friends)

The followers: Buddhists (376 million)

Likes: Probably over the follower count – Buddha makes a guest appearance in every quotable ornament available.

Engagement: I’d imagine a line graph where the trend over time increases as it expands from South Asia, to the rest of the world.

If Buddha were to have a social media account in present day, there’s also no forgetting the amount of trolling he would receive; on top of the heated comment section under all of his posts. And that’s just it. Even with all of the followers, discussions and viral posts; how is one to fact check this all? It’s rather like one of life’s big questions: who IS God?

Having said that, the relationship between user and the internet has become a distinguished yet also important link. The rise of the Social Media Imams, Pastors and Yogis has transcended trendy to genuine normality. Believers and non-believers alike follow these individuals for daily, usually 30 second doses of inspiration, foods for thought and sometimes even comedy. With the on-the-go lifestyle many have no choice but to adopt, the instant gratification of a duaa on your fyp (for you page), or a quick yogic stretch reminder may actually play into your rounded and organised daily routine. There’s always a but though, isn’t there.

How is this impacting the perspectives of our students, as well as non-students of RE?

Well firstly, they’re viewing it. Some even actively engaging and creating their content for the world to see. More exposure to RE, great! However, fact checking, references and reliable sources go straight out of the window. It’s based on cultural experiences, shared languages and lived experiences. More so, it transcends the language barrier, dismantling the idea that regardless of background, we can’t understand one another. Can this help us as teachers, though? In my opinion, yes. It’s a bridge to forming a relationship with students based on something they are familiar with; on top of the fact that it is a part of their learning. On face value, it might just appear to be a clip of a popular song laced with some imagery here and there, but truly creators have exceeded expectations and used knowledge of worldviews and religions in clever, and funny ways.

Now of course, it won’t all be prudentially appropriate; however, what you may find is your students fact checking it themselves, critiquing or even evaluating the effectiveness of these clips.

Take these as examples:

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMefQe99N/

Have your students gained a sound enough understanding of the old testament to see the humour in this one?

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMefxc4Y1/

As we encourage debate and discussion, ultimately every worldview, at its core, believes they are the right path. Even if they do have shared commonalities.

Faith is often personal, embedding within it religion and spirituality. Thus, the binary of a mobile phone, also a personal device holds the same structure of expression as that of personal faith. Prayer times could be observed by a religious person in private, and accompanying scripture shared publicly via an Instagram story. This act invites other people to partake of a private experience and make meaning of it for themselves, and can it infiltrate the classroom? I don’t see why not.

So the next time you scroll past a mantra on TikTok, the user uploading it probably had personal intentions behind it, too.

The recent Ofsted Research Review has sparked much debate and discussion particularly on social media. The review sets out what it understands by a quality education in RE. In terms of the curriculum this is defined in terms of three types of knowledge:

• Substantive
• Ways of knowing
• Personal

One of the questions which struck me as I read the review, was how we theorise the relationship between these three types of knowledge. This is illuded to in the report (see Interplay of knowledge in the RE curriculum), but I felt I needed to think about it creatively. I like to think in pictures. So, what I offer here is an analogy. It is not perfect, but I hope it will help us to understand a little more about the interdependence of different types of knowledge.

Let us weave a knowledge tapestry….

The curriculum– this is like a developing tapestry. In theory it may have an ‘end point’ (i.e., end of formal education) but in my opinion it continues through our lifetime as we develop the three different types of knowledge.  Therefore, it might be described as an unfinished tapestry. This emphasises the flexible nature of curricula. Yet this fluidity still enables the tapestry or knowledge to build over time into a beautiful masterpiece….

Substantive Knowledge – this is the warp. These are the threads on the loom over and under which other threads are passed to make the tapestry. Without this there would be no tapestry! The warp is laid out at the beginning with a clear sense of what you are going to produce. There is some intent here. Choices must be made about how many threads, how wide the tapestry will be and so on. This is like the choices that must be made in relation to the substantive content. Ofsted talks about illustrative content that leads to an end goal.

Ways of Knowing or Disciplinary Knowledge – these are threads of the weft. They are woven in and out of the substantive content. This is important. Unless they are woven into the content, they will not contribute to the overall tapestry.  This means that as pupils’ journey through the substantive content they learn about and use a range of tools and methods such as interpretation, observation, analysing data and so on.

Personal Knowledge– these are also threads of the weft. They are also woven in and out of the substantive content. Our own positionality, our own worldview is woven into what it is we learn about. This means being self-aware, recognising and reflecting on how we relate to the ‘warp’ or content. This is a process of reflexivity.

So, now is the time to think about the tapestry you are creating, what choices will you make to build towards and create a masterpiece….

References:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-review-series-religious-education

When I think of my most used sentence of 2021, it is oddly not ‘you’re on mute’ it is ‘this is a really exciting time for RE’. After years of being the underdog, we are finally able to show our academic rigor. From the exam reform to having an OFSTED lead for RE, everything is starting to come together. Whilst all this is happening the wonderful Dawn Cox and Louise Hutton come out with ‘Making Every RE Lesson Count’ as though by magic.

Since reading the book, I have waved it in every ITT, SACRE and Network meeting I have been a part of. Such an exciting book, released at the perfect time. These are (a few of the many) reasons why I loved it so much:

The sections make the book easy to navigate. As someone who must read a book cover to cover and not jump around, it has taken me a while to adapt to edu-books but ‘Make Every RE Lesson Count’ has helped with this change. If you are heading to a meeting, or considering your department’s priorities, then you can choose the aspect such as modelling or feedback and read it with ease.

The layout of chapters make it so clear why that aspect is needed. As opposed to other edu-books, it is lovely to be walked through a concept. The pattern of anecdote, why does it matter?, practical applications and reflection questions, will have you nodding and agreeing instantly. The anecdotes set the scene brilliantly. We have all been there, and they are not placed there to make people feel bad, but rather to consider ‘well now what?’. With the practical applications, there are examples that you can put directly into your lessons. Examples like how to use Frayer models in the chapter on Challenge and timelines in the chapter on Explanation, are wonderful for showing how the theories can be done in the classroom.

It is all about RE. If you are someone who thinks ‘I have read everything about teaching ever’, well you have not! Cox and Hutton pull together various aspects of research and teaching and applies them directly to RE itself. As someone who is sometimes overwhelmed by research, I loved being told exactly how it would fit in to my classroom.

It is not just for secondary teachers. A question I receive a lot about research, books and activities is ‘is it only for secondary?’. This is for RE Classrooms. If that’s EYFS, primary, secondary, or even ITT, it’s full of hints and tips that will develop Religious Education holistically. My SACRE has just bought a copy for every primary RE lead in our catchment area.

Overall, what Louise and Dawn have created here is an excellent foundation to what an RE lesson needs to look like!

Voices of children and young people.

This was the question that many teachers posed to their pupils last term for our inaugural Blog Competition. We had an amazing number of entries and it is clear that everyone has a view on Religion and Worldviews (or Religious Education). At the end of this blog you can see the names of all the winners, but here I want to draw out some of the key themes and creative ways in which pupils want to advocate for our incredible subject.

An education in Religion and Worldviews enables us to understand diversity in our world.

The diversity of our complex world was a recurrent theme. Bloggers spoke of everyone being different, having different worldviews and the importance of appreciating this. Many felt that studying Religion and Worldviews brought a genuine, real and authentic understanding of the lived experience of being a religious or non-religious believer. For many blog writers, Religion and Worldviews is about the nature of humanity; understanding who and what we are as human beings with all the complexity and divergence that this brings.

An education in Religion and Worldviews increases our knowledge, providing global and historical perspectives.

The importance of knowing about and understanding religious and non-religious worldviews came through very strongly in many of the blogs. Young people spoke about the importance of understanding historical contexts to comprehend the way things are today. They highlighted the interweaving of history with religion. Many felt that knowledge acquisition led to respect and to challenging some of the media stereotypes of some worldviews.

An education in Religion and Worldviews supports development of positive values.

Bloggers talked about the many values they felt an education in Religion and Worldviews promoted. These included peace, respect and empathy. A number talked about the way in which this was modelled in their schools by safe spaces being created to talk about controversial issues.

An education in Religion and Worldviews helps you with your future career.

From the youngest to the oldest, bloggers highlighted the value of Religion and Worldviews in terms of future career paths; professions highlighted included law, international development work, counselling, mental health services, diplomatic roles and journalism. Many more spoke about the importance of the subject for simple daily interactions with people they meet.

An education in Religion and Worldviews offers something more…..

For many of our bloggers though the subject offers something more…. It sparks the imagination and curiosity, it empowers and opens doors of communication, it unlocks a tapestry of ideas and enables young people to develop their own patchwork of views. It gives each one of them confidence to talk about religious and non-religious worldviews in the public sphere.

For our bloggers, an education in Religion and Worldviews is considered vital so they are prepared for the real, complex society in which we all live. They want to be able to navigate this world and begin to make sense of it. They want to have knowledge, understanding and skills, but also values and attitudes which will enable them to be confident, free- thinking participants in this ever-changing global landscape.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR WINNERS!!

Key Stage 1

Winners

Areilla, Newbold and Tredington Primary School

Abhijot, Clifton Primary School

Harnoor, Clifton Primary School

Highly Commended

Namanpreet, Clifton Primary School

Ishana, St Andrews (Barnsbury) Church of England Primary School

Key Stage 2

Winners

Soha, Old Trafford Community Academy

Catherine, Lythe Church of England Primary School

Nancy, Newbold and Tredington Primary School

Emily, St Andrews (Barnsbury) Church of England Primary School

Highly Commended:

Sohani, Clifton Primary School

Farzad and Idris, Old Trafford Community Academy

Avineet, Clifton Primary School

Hunter, Pickhurst Junior Academy

Key Stage 3

Winners

Matthew, Thomas Gainsborough School

Abby, Saint Francis Xavier School

Arwen, St James’  Senior Girls School

Maxwell, The Bishops’ Blue Coat Church of England School

Cara, King’s Rochester Preparatory School

Highly Commended

Skye, Prenton High School for Girls

Maisie, The Morley Academy

Brooke, Prenton High School for Girls

Niamh, The Bishops’ Blue Coat Church of England High School

Vanessa, Goldington Academy

Ella, Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School

Olivia, St Mary’s Catholic School

Key Stage 4

Winners

Scarlett, Fulston Manor School

Caitlin, Goldington Academy

Lucy, Cox Green School

Maisy, Hagley Catholic High School

Highly Commended

Meadow, Saltash Community School

Jordan, Saint Francis Xavier School

Lily, Albany Academy

Pennie, St Hild’s Church of England School

Zama, Bradford Academy

Key Stage 5

Winners

Ashton, Old Hulme Grammar School

Ella, Highworth Grammar School

Jessica, Highworth Grammar School

Anna, Hagley Catholic High School

Megha, Langley Grammar School

Highly Commended

Reva, Langley Grammar School

Philippa, Old Hulme Grammar School

You can read all of the winning blogs on RE:ONLINE

Kathryn Wright, on behalf of the Judging Team 2021

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may develop God-consciousness.” (Quran 2:183)

Every now and then, a notification will pop up on our phones. It will ask us to complete a software update so that the applications, functionality and performance of our devices will work to its optimum level. I would like to think that the month of Ramadan is the ‘software update’ for our souls where the one who fasts, once the month is over, can perform to his or her optimum level for the rest of the year.

Contrary to what many may perceive, both within and outside the Muslim community, Ramadan is not about food and drink. The aim of Ramadan, as the Quran verse mentions, is God-consciousness. If I don’t feed my pet for a day, it has fasted. If I do similar, I would ask myself if I am better than this pet of mine when in reality, Islam teaches me that the human being is the highest of God’s creation. When I fast, I am aiming to defeat my animal nature and tap into the divine nature that God breathed into us. This is what fasting aims for – defeating the animalistic desires (food, drink, sex, anger etc.) and realising the divine nature through becoming God conscious.

Here I will explain 3 levels of fasting using familiar language:

Grade E Fast

If I was to get an E grade for one of my A-Levels, I would have passed but in all honesty, it may not open the door to many opportunities. An ‘E-grade fast’ is where I simply abstain from food and drink for a day. However, I may not change any vices I may have such as anger, bad language etc.

Grade C Fast

If I was to get a C grade for one of my A-Levels, I have more than passed and it will open the door to some opportunities. A ‘C-grade fast’ is where I do not just abstain from food and drink for a day but my ethics become virtuous too. Whilst usually I may road rage when someone is driving slow in front of me, whilst fasting I remain calm. I remove my vices and transform them into virtues.

Grade A* Fast

If I was to get an A* grade for one of my A-Levels, I have reached the peak of my subject area and it will open any door for me. An ‘A*-grade fast’ is where I quash my animalistic desires, become virtuous but also activate my divine nature in some form of union with God. Union with God means that I would do everything that God is pleased with and avoid what He is displeased with. My will becomes the same as His where He is pleased with me and I am always pleased with Him.

Imam Ali, the first Shia Imam (whose death anniversary is also mourned by Shia Muslims this month), summarises these levels of fasting well: “Some people get nothing from fasting except hunger and thirst.” Every Ramadan I always aim to achieve an A* with my fasting. It is a struggle and there are days where I achieve an E or C grade. However, I know that if I do achieve the A* one day, I will have the best of software upgrade for my soul that will help me function properly all year around.

We all know that it can be challenging to encourage our students to access beyond what they need to know and to stretch their understanding on content and concepts within their specification. So many of the students that I have taught have a default mode that is often activated when they reach a certain point in their learning. This default mode comes into play when their perception of learning is complete. This can be when a series of questions is complete, when something becomes too challenging or when the last line of an exam question response has been written. My concern in this instance raises the question of how much potential is stifled prematurely and how many students could go further in their learning.

Originally inspired by Doug Lemov in Teach Like a Champion I wanted to create a culture where students realised that the reward for right answers in lessons is higher challenge that takes the form of harder questions and more challenging material. That completion of work translates to the setting and eventual completion of more demanding concepts. What I can say is that this is easier said than done but when my students started thinking like scholars they were taken to places in their learning which was beyond their wildest dreams! In this blog, I will take you on the journey that I went on with my GCSE and A Level classes in getting them to think like scholars in their RE lessons by discussing the implementation and outcome of the scholarship reading programme.

What is it?

The Scholarship reading program is a tool that encourages students to read beyond the revision guide or core text. It works alongside lessons and introduces students to material that is challenging, a primary text and is designed to create that ‘out of your depth’ feeling until the students come to terms with the reading and start to gain a steady footing of mastery. The material that is selected has been anything from extracts of undergraduate journal articles, scholarly texts or scripture.

Implementation

As in any case when you are establishing routines and rituals, the scholarship reading programme is easier to embed from the outset of meeting a new class. This way, students will be accustomed to your way of working and it is something that can be filtered into the lesson, rather than becoming a bolt on at the end of the lesson. In this sense, the teacher can also use it in a flipped learning way. In this instance, the teacher will set the material in advance of a lesson and then the discussion of the scholarly material can be unpicked and analysed when teaching that theme. This works particularly well when teaching the themes because there is a lot of material available, but likewise can be utilised when teaching the study of religions. In the case of the latter, this high challenge material can be pitched by the teacher to the students as material that would not usually be taught until A Level. The advantages of this method are twofold. Firstly, it empowers the student because their teacher has faith in their capability of understanding the material but implementing it in a flipped learning approach allows for higher level of engagement as the students know that the material will feature during an integral part of the lesson.

Lockdown 2.0

Initially, this article was going to be purely based on the physical classroom with face to face teaching being the focus. However, the rapid developments in technology and more specifically, teaching with technology has transcended limits beyond our imaginations. With this in mind, I wanted to share with you how this reading programme could be implemented within a digital setting. During the start of remote learning, my school set up Google Classrooms for students to be able to work remotely. This was the ideal platform to be able to continue the Scholarship Reading Program. In this case a new article was scheduled every week and had a blank document to go alongside it. After the students had read, listened or watched the material, they evidenced their engagement on the document and handed it in for me to check. At the end of each half term, I awarded virtual certificates of engagement to the students and this was something that was also celebrated during our live lessons together.

Outcome

This is the part of the blog where I share the impact of the reading programme and in doing so I’m going to be brutally honest after running this with KS4 and 5 classes for two years. The honest truth is that different classes will take it to different places and more specifically, different individuals within the class will take it to different places. Year 10 and 12 classes have had the highest engagement and have got the most out of it (presumably because I have taught them from the start of the course and this is all they know their GCSE or A Level to be). Year 11 has been mixed with one class not engaging in a single piece of reading despite my best efforts in encouraging them to do so remotely! Despite this, my message is clear and that is to stick with the program and see it for what it is; that being a tool that exposes students to a deeper understanding of their course and something that acts as a yardstick by introducing students to content in RE that will be covered in A Levels and beyond.

Saturday 6^th March 2021. A date that, for many, will go down in religious history forever. During his visit to Iraq, Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, sat with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani in his home and they both had a conversation. It was the first time in history that a Pontiff had met his equivalent in the Shia world [1]. It does not matter that we did not hear the contents of their conversation. It was private (although Francis revealed some brief areas they spoke about). It does not matter that there was no joint statement made by both following their 45-minute encounter. What matters is the world was able to witness on this date two people of faith who possess possibly some of the largest followings on the planet making a symbolic gesture; they had a chat about how the world can get better. This is inspiring.

In my opinion, the Shia and Catholic traditions have a natural affinity. I am lucky enough to experience in my personal life too with people close to me. Catholics believe that Jesus has divinely mandated successors who lead the Church. The Shia believe that Muhammad had divinely appointed successors who lead the Ummah. Catholics believe in the Immaculate Conception of Mary and Shia Muslims believe Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, is too born sinless and pure. Both are also intercessors and a means towards the Divine. Mary is the mother figure of redemption in Catholicism as is Fatima in Shi’ism, foreshadowing the later tragedies of their respective sons (the crucifixion of Jesus and the killing of Hussain). The focus on the suffering of Jesus emphasised by Catholics and the passion of mourning the tragedy of Hussain by the Shia cannot be ignored either. It is not uncommon to see Iraqi Catholics visit the shrine of Hussain in Karbala to pay respect to his martyrdom.

Those who witnessed the brief news clips and images would have been struck by what they saw. For me it was a powerful moment that will stay imprinted in my mind. The contrast of Sistani in his black robes and Francis in his white locked in eye contact with awe was a wonderful sight. The images of them both holding hands bidding each other farewell, somewhat in a joint prayer, brought a tear to the eye. It is reported by those present that Francis, before leaving the building, took one last look at the room. Perhaps he was taken aback by the run-down alley Sistani lives in contrasted with the grandeur of the Vatican. Both hold the equivalent positions in their own faith traditions but their surroundings very much differ. Ayatollah Sistani is peacemaker with a love for justice. His actions contributed to the extremist Sunni group ISIS being defeated. He asked his office to make a statement asking the Iraqi people to protect their lives and religious heritage when the assault of ISIS became unbearable. Most of the Iraqi people unflinchingly obeyed him. He is a man with such global influence, yet he shuns photograph opportunities (with only handful on the internet), high profile meetings and lives in the most basic home.

Although contrasting in lifestyle, appearance and some beliefs, I believe Francis and Sistani have the exact same mindset. They believe just structures make peace and this doesn’t happen by itself. This meeting was a symbolic gesture of two men of faith with huge following in the world meeting on the same level because they have the same worldview – you need justice to create peace. Although Catholic-Shia dialogue has been happening for a very long time, this brought them even closer together. Ayatollah Sistani, due to his old age, is a very frail person physically. I have witnessed this in the times I have had the privilege to share an audience with him. He even needs support lifting his hand in order for him to shake someone’s hand. The fact that he stood up twice, once to greet and once to bid farewell, for the Pope demonstrates the respect he had and an example to me the manner I must conduct myself with others too. In my view, Pope Francis chose the absolute right person to meet in his first dialogue with a Shia authority.

Sistani lives right opposite the shrine of Imam Ali, the first Shia Imam. Imam Ali told his governor once: “People are of two kinds: either your brother in faith or your equal in humanity” [2]. It is a wisdom I live by in my whole life and it dictates my professional life too. When Pope Francis landed in Baghdad, a large banner with this wisdom was displayed for him to see. The meeting between the minarets and bells was inspiring to me because the ethos of Imam Ali was epitomised through this. It gave me hope that if two global faith leaders can humble themselves to each other’s level to make the world a better place, then maybe we can do this as well. In a tough year for everyone, this moment gave me a further spring in my step as a RE practitioner and be able to say I was alive when this happened.

[1] Most Shia Muslims, during the occultation of the 12^th Imam, adhere to the institution of Marja’iyyah (religious authority) where they follow a high ranking Shia authority in matters of religious practice. The authority believed to have largest following in the Shia world is Grand Ayatollah Sistani. Other well-known authorities include the late Grand Ayatollah Khomeini and his successor Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, known as the Supreme Leader of Iran. More information on this concept can be found in Bdaiwi, Ahab and Hussain, Zameer (2017), 3.6 Marja Taqlid. In GCSE Religious Studies Shi′a Islam: Beliefs and Practices. Al Khoei Foundation.

[2] Nahjul Balagha (Peak of Eloquence), Letter 53