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After completing my Farmington Scholarship, I was ready for the next step in my journey – to have influence beyond my classroom and school. The Culham St Gabriel’s leadership programme was an excellent opportunity to build networks and with the online webinars and meetings there was a lot of flexibility. 

The programme was a balance between developing literary insight through the different modules and channelling your strengths as a leader to hone and cultivate new skills. My mentor (Olivia Seymour) was amazing – not only did she help me to recognise my own strengths and achievements, but she also reined me in when I went off on tangents. 

The programme has provided me with opportunities to consult with people across the country – dipping in and out of expert knowledge, developing and sharing ideas and resources.

As with anything new, initially I felt a little overwhelmed, especially with the reading. However once I found a balance the exploration of new materials became the key to my motivation. 

The most crucial aspect to leadership in Primary school is not strategic plans but emotional literacy. A leader must have the emotional literacy to inspire others in developing what they do, without adding to the day-to-day pressures teachers face. A leader must take into account a daunting list of factors in order to achieve change without overloading colleagues. Achieving balance is key – I do not claim to have mastered the skill, nonetheless I have begun to recognise the countless small steps that gradually enable change. 

As a leader I acknowledge that not everyone enjoys RE with my passion. However, this should not be a hinderance to their teaching of the subject and I can ensure this does not impact the quality of RE lessons by providing accessible CPD and ample resources which are engaging and enriching for pupils and teachers alike. Adaptable lesson plans with 2 or 3 different activities that can lead to the learning outcome being achieved provides teachers with flexibility to approach a lesson in a way that is suited to their style of teaching. 

The CSTG Leadership Programme has highlighted that for teachers and leaders to be effective, it is imperative to engage with research and wider professional conversations. Pupils must have opportunities to work collaboratively with outside agencies and explore challenging materials. 

As a consequence of my time on the Leadership Programme, I have come to the conclusion that the curriculum needs to be reviewed regularly and revised to incorporate new developments in the subject and changes in society. Only then we can ensure that we are delivering a high quality RE curriculum. 

Teachers must be given independence, with the capacity to make changes and personalise the subject. Only then will they feel inspired and able to step into leadership roles. A teacher needs ownership of their subject to be motivated to develop changes. This is maybe the most important insight I have taken form the Leadership Programme; that teachers need room to develop their own style and that is what the programme enabled me to identify – my own incentive for wanting to be a successful leader.

Dr Kate Gibson, Social historian of the eighteenth century

I am social historian of eighteenth century Britain and I was part of a team of researchers at the Universities of Manchester and Nottingham from 2018 to 2021. We spent three years going through dozens of archives and local record offices looking for diaries, letters and objects like pottery or needlework samplers which people would have displayed in their houses. We ended with over 200 case studies of families or individuals.

We aimed to uncover the experiences of a large range of people. We have items written or made by people of all ages, including young children, business owners who made fortunes in the cotton industry, grocers and shopkeepers, as well as people living in quite severe poverty. For example we found the diary of a man called John Burnthwaite from Cumbria. In the early 1830s he walked around the country selling religious pamphlets, partly because he had no settled home and very little money. For him, his religion was a source of comfort, so when he experienced bad weather or his boots fell apart he prayed to God for guidance, and then gave thanks to providence if he was able to sell enough pamphlets in a particular day. It is through examples such as John Burnthwaite that we can see both the changing economic and physical landscape, as well as deep roots of peoples’ Christian faith.

As part of this research project we have worked with Kate Christopher and graphic designer David Caunce to produce a range of free resources for schools. The lessons are based on the archive documents including maps, needlework samplers, letters and diaries.

Our aim has been to encourage pupils to ask what was it like to grow up, live and work in a growing industrial town. How did the upheavals affect daily life, how did it change how people thought about their place in the world, and did it change their Christian faith? These questions tie in with broader themes such as the economic and social impact of industrialisation, as well as the growing diversity of Christian belief in the eighteenth century.

The resources are designed for KS2 and 3 pupils and arranged around 7 lessons. Each lesson contains background notes and ideas for teaching. Resource packs are given with each lesson so they are ready to be taught. The themes in the lessons are flexible so Primary teachers could apply them across History, Geography and English as well as RE.

Dr Kate Christopher, Teacher and adviser

As a teacher this has been a wonderful opportunity to create resources based on new historical research. This allows teachers to experiment with looking through a historical lens and how it feels in the classroom. I have presented this project to several groups of Primary teachers who have all responded positively to the idea that children can think as historians in RE. They can look at the sources and make sense of them in their own way.

Through these resources pupils will engage with rich, sometimes complex ideas and sources. They gain a glimpse into a past age that illuminates the present. They hear different voices and listen to peoples’ hopes and fears and their daily lives. It is a fascinating glimpse into an era experiencing rapid technological, social and physical change.

These resources support a multidisciplinary approach to Religion and Worldviews in that they provide an excellent example of historical thinking.

Please access the resources through this link: https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/research/projects/current/faith-in-the-town/

We would be very grateful for any feedback.

Check out the main website here, including blogs about the artefacts and sources for your wider interest: https://faithinthetown.wordpress.com/

Dr Kate Gibson is a researcher at the University of Manchester, specialising in the social history of eighteenth-century Britain.

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. Email: kate@cstg.org.uk

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.