Global terms: Religion and Worldviews

Etymology of “Champing”

Mary Lou Byrne | 20 July, 2026

Last summer my main goal was to share my love of everything RE, history, and camping with my five-year-old little boy Percy. How else would I do this but book a camping trip with the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT)?! This was the beginning of our first ‘Champing’, camping in a church, adventure and the beginning of an idea…hopefully to blossom into something helpful for the RE community and our young people.

Inspiration

Browsing the visitor’s book, I read the comments left by other intrepid ‘Champers.’ It struck me that amongst the many comments about idyllic locations, comfortable camping beds, and beautiful walks, there were also many shared thoughts leaning more towards the spiritual. This didn’t surprise me but the more I reflected on it, the more intrigued I became. Not only were these historic churches (still consecrated with occasional services) being repurposed and perhaps almost marketed to a new (or existing) audience of tourists, but I wondered;

  • To what extent they were still offering visitors a space to dwell or briefly reflect upon spirituality and faith?
  • To what extent and how are these ‘Champing’ sites, or non-champing heritage sites revealing continuity in faith throughout time and what could they reveal about expressions of religious and non-religious worldviews in Britain today?

Current research and the CCT

This is of course an enormous area of research and there is such a wealth of high-quality literature and research to draw upon and learn from already. I would however, like to focus specifically on the Churches Conservation Trust heritage sites in the hope that my further research, and potential resource-building for the RE classroom might benefit those seeking to include local studies in their curriculum in a way that reflects the current shifts in RE. I have secured a helpful partnership with the Learning and Interpretation Officer at the Churches Conservation Trust, and she made an interesting point that there are many CCT sites, which are all free to access with some existing programmes for teachers.

Moving forwards, it is my hope that in partnership, we can incorporate fresh research into the historic and current use of the CCT sites, drawing on rich qualitative research methods to gain a deeper understanding of the motivations and experiences of those visiting the sites, in both ‘champing’ and non-champing CCT churches and heritage sites.

Pilgrimage and curriculum materials

Some of the CCT sites also have fascinating links to pilgrimage and I think they might be well-placed to help examine the ways in which pilgrims and tourists, both past and present, have used the churches. This will also allow reflection on what this might suggest about religious and non-religious worldviews in a local context today. I hope to  draw on existing literature, and develop some high-quality, research-based curriculum materials incorporating ways of knowing and local case studies, with a specific RE focus in CCT churches and historic sites. This will hopefully bring a welcome contribution to local units focusing on pilgrimage, the history of Christianity, and worldviews today.

Next steps

The second year of the CSTG Leadership Scholarship Programme will hold opportunities to undertake the required research before planning and creating a new programme of resources for young people and their teachers, focusing initially on North Yorkshire. After evaluating the pilot project, there will be the opportunity to extend this further.

From the summer where an idea took hold, to a summer where it’s coming together…I hope my journey will offer something helpful for the RE community and inspirational for our young people.

About

Mary Lou Byrne is a Director of Learning, Humanities, in a North Yorkshire secondary school. She leads RE and is an active member of her local SACRE. Mary Lou is currently in her first year of the Culham St Gabriel’s Leadership Scholarship Programme.

See all posts by Mary Lou Byrne

A decade on: What has changed in teaching about humanism?

Luke Donnellan | 30 June, 2026

I can remember my first Strictly RE conference in 2016. We had a stall and a banner, but the Understanding Humanism website hadn’t even launched. Teachers approached to ask ‘Who are you?’ and ‘What is humanism?’ Not everyone. Some teachers were familiar, but general subject knowledge wasn’t strong and many teachers lacked the confidence to teach about non-religious worldviews.

Understanding humanism recently celebrated its 10th birthday and a decade on things feel very different. At Strictly we’re now much more likely to hear ‘We use your resources in our school,’ and ‘Our students love learning about humanism.’

There has been a real sea change in inclusion of non-religious worldviews. NATRE’s survey in 2024 revealed 71% of primary schools were teaching about non-religious worldviews such as humanism, up from 36% in 2016. Secondary schools have moved slower, perhaps as GCSE remains focused on teaching about two religions. However there has still been growth and NATRE’s 2023 survey said ‘Non-religious worldviews, usually Humanism is now taught as commonly and, in some cases, more commonly than some of the religious worldviews at key stage 3.’

Since we launched, the resources on the Understanding Humanism website have been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times; we’ve trained over 3000 teachers, supporting them with their subject knowledge and providing practical ideas for the classroom; and our school speakers have spoken to half a million young people, answering their many insightful questions. (Our speakers say that, however hard they prepare, young people will always surprise them!) We now speak to ten times more young people every year than we did when we started.

We’ve launched over 500 resources for primary and secondary schools, from Early Years to sixth form, including popular animations (such as One life, live it well, with Alice Roberts, and our recent short film What is secularism?), resources to support students taking their religious studies GCSE, our Humanist Heritage website, and our online courses, taken by over 20,000 people. Humanists now sit on 160 of the 170 SACRES across England and Wales, and humanism is referenced on nearly every locally agreed syllabus.

One significant shift in the quality of teaching about the non-religious has been an increased focus on what they do believe in, rather than what they don’t. No longer can an investigation into some of the flaws in the ontological argument for the existence of a god constitute enough to say one has covered non-religious worldviews. Good classroom practice focuses on the ways humanists describe their humanism, the values and goals they hold, the way they live their lives (it’s about much more than atheism). We’ve provided quotes, case studies, and interviews to help illustrate the humanist approach to life.

We’ve also sought to support teaching and learning through models that connect humanist beliefs and values: for example, through the humanist understanding of human nature, our capacities, and our potential. More about this model and our accompanying animation can be found here. I’d love to hear more about what is happening in classrooms. What is working for you? What challenges do you face? Get in touch and let me know.

Much of the positive change has happened not because of changes from the top but because of the good work of teachers on the ground, recognising the need for teaching about religion and worldview that reflects the young people in their classrooms and the world they live in.

There is still, however, a long way to go. Many young people still don’t encounter humanism at school or have the opportunity to hear about non-religious perspectives on life’s big questions. Sometimes teachers still don’t feel confident they have the subject knowledge. There is still a lot of confusion about what is and isn’t a non-religious worldview.

My hope is that we’ll soon see religion and worldviews on the National Curriculum and a subject that will explicitly include the requirement for all young people to learn about humanism – a subject fit for purpose in 21st century Britain. Whatever happens, Understanding Humanism will be here to help teachers with their needs.

About

Luke Donnellan is the Director of Understanding Humanism at Humanists UK where he manages Humanists UK’s school speakers programme, teacher CPD, and the production of educational resources. He is the co-author of Understanding Humanism (Routledge, 2023) and a former primary school teacher.

See all posts by Luke Donnellan

Art, interfaith encounter and searching for meaning in RE

Resource spotlight: Art, interfaith encounter and searching for meaning in RE 

The Cloud of Witnesses Project 

The Cloud of Witnesses project, funded by Culham St Gabriel’s Trust, offers a rich and engaging set of art and interfaith resources designed for both primary and secondary classrooms. Developed alongside a national exhibition, these materials invite pupils to explore how people express belief, identity and experience through visual art. There are materials for lessons for both the Primary and Secondary age group. 

This is a flexible resource that supports disciplinary approaches in Religion and Worldviews, particularly theology, philosophy, human and social sciences. It creates space for careful observation, interpretation and dialogue, while also foregrounding lived experience and diversity. 

As you look at these pupil-facing resources consider these questions 

  • How might using visual art open up different kinds of understanding or questioning in your RE/RME/RVE curriculum?  
  • In what ways can these resources help pupils engage with lived experience across different religious and non-religious worldviews?  
  • Where could this fit within your current units to deepen disciplinary thinking or enrich enquiry? 
May They Be One by Iain Malcolm McKillop
Vishnu and Laksmi dreaming the multiverse by Raji Salan

What does the resource offer? 

The project provides: 

  • High-quality contemporary artwork from a range of traditions and perspectives 
  • Classroom-ready materials tailored for primary and secondary phases 
  • Enquiry-led activities that support discussion, interpretation and reflection 
  • Interfaith perspectives that help pupils encounter both commonality and difference 
  • Clear links to RE curriculum aims, including meaning-making, expression and identity 

Teachers can engage with the materials by exploring the exhibition itself or by accessing structured resources within the education sections. 

How might this support your teaching? 

This resource is particularly useful if you are looking to: 

  • Use art as a stimulus for deeper thinking in RE 
  • Support pupils to interpret and respond to religious and non-religious worldviews 
  • Develop pupils’ visual literacy and questioning skills 
  • Create opportunities for dialogue and reflection across traditions 
  • Bring authentic voices and lived experience into the classroom 
Hear more from Fleur Dorrell about this project.

The materials can be integrated into existing units on belief, identity, or ways of expressing worldviews. 

This is a thoughtful and accessible series of resources that supports both depth and inclusivity in RE. It offers a meaningful way to bring together creativity, interpretation and encounter in the classroom. 

The God Who Speaks

Searching for God: RE and Art – Primary

The God Who Speaks

Searching for God: RE and Art – Secondary

The Knotty Problem of Buddhism within Religious Education in England and the possibility of a National Curriculum

Romana Meereis | 25 June, 2026

Romana Meereis recently shared her research at the June 2026 Association of University Lecturers of Religion and Education (AULRE)/Association of Religious Education Inspectors, Advisers and Consultants (AREIAC) conference.

Why focus on Buddhism in RE?

Before I started my PhD, I tutored Buddhism at GCSE and A-Level and heard from lots of pupils that were they struggling with the material and said that their teachers were too. So, I decided to make the focus of my doctorate on Buddhism in English Religious Education, with the aim of helping the pupils and teachers I had heard from. Three years later and I’ve realised what realistic and feasible change is, and that the curricula we have today is based on fifty-years of compromise, with many people trying their best and continuously advocating for the best Religious Education possible. So, if widespread change is not yet secured (and if it is, it won’t be very quick!) what elements could be amended to improve the Buddhism syllabus in England?

What the research reveals

More recently I have been looking specifically at Buddhism for 11–14-year-olds in England, so these points come directly from that;

  • The use of canonical languages: oftentimes two of the Buddhist canonical languages are used alongside each other, without an explanation of their differences. Sometimes it could make sense, using Sanksrit karma instead of Pali kamma, because karma is already a familiar word in English. But when we get to longer words like dependant origination – Pratītyasamutpāda (Sanskrit) or Paticcasamuppāda (Pali) – things become more difficult and the lack of clarity could do nothing but cause confusion!
  • References and pictures: textbooks for 11–14-year-olds seem to be quite formulaic and want every page to have at least one-two pictures. This can lead to tangentially related pictures being included, some with vague captions, and only provided with references for pictures insofar as their copyright. These factors all together make it more difficult to do any further research, if there’s a photograph of a Buddha statue, the caption only says that it’s a statue, and the reference credits the photographer how can you dig any deeper into the where, when, and how of the statue?
  • Activities: Some activities portray Buddhism as a very-strict monolith in a way that is “unrecognisable” to Buddhists (Fujiwara, 2019). The activity in question (abbreviated), “a man gets a job he needs to support his family, but it would be as a butcher. As a Buddhist, what should he do?” I think they’re looking for an answer around the conflict of not wanting to cause any harm but also needing to earn money.

Rethinking curriculum and resources: possible approaches

Let’s say that we can only change one aspect of RE, below are a few thoughts I’ve had about how this may look in practice, but I would be interested to hear how you would feel about them, or how you would navigate these changes in your classroom:

Scenario 1: The “ideal” textbook

Whilst browsing you have found a new textbook written by specialist academics and it is aimed at A-Level to first-year undergraduates. You buy the textbook, love and use it in your lessons, and then find that lots of the content within goes much further than what is specified in the A-Level syllabus.

Or

You find a new textbook written by academics specifically for the A-Level syllabus but every page has some caveats in it. The academics who wrote the textbook have kept to the syllabus, but as they believe it only demonstrates a fraction of the wide Buddhist traditions, they have honoured that feeling by adding lots of further knowledge, despite understanding that it is not strictly necessary or recognised by the exam boards.

Scenario 2: Curriculum Guidance and exam alignment

A new Locally Agreed Syllabus has been introduced in your Local area and is being implemented in your school. They have overhauled the syllabus, and it now has really detailed section dedicated to Buddhism, with a glossary and lots of additional resources. You teach this to your students and know that they will be taking a GCSE Buddhism option, but lots of what they will be learning is (as above) not strictly necessary or recognised by the exam boards.

Or

The exam boards rewrite their syllabuses to become more detailed and reflect the breadth of Buddhist traditions worldwide. They provide some resources, but haven’t yet released a textbook as they’re unsure if it will be commercially viable.

  • How would you feel if any of these options became a reality?
  • Which would you choose?

Towards a more coherent future for RE

The issues I’m trying to highlight are the knotty problems that arise when different areas of the curriculum change out-of-step with each other. Resources or updated curricula are great, but they can add to a workload if they aren’t supported by other areas. There is a possible resolution to these issues, although it certainly won’t be a perfect one-size-fits-all solution, it could help to streamline processes and allow for more widespread change, with (hopefully) new resources to go along with it – RE being made a part of the national curriculum in England. We’re currently in limbo waiting to find outwhether or not RE will be placed in the National Curriculum, but I’m hopeful, I know that it won’t fix everything, but I believe it will be a good step to creating a curriculum which is more representative across a number of religious and non-religious worldviews, and hopefully will come with good quality specialist-approved resources to remove the burden of finding or making resources from teachers.

Please reach out to me to discuss your thoughts, at romana.meereis@education.ox.ac.uk, or at Linkedin.

About

Romana Meereis is a final year DPhil (PhD) student at the University of Oxford, researching Buddhism within Religion and Worldviews in secondary education. She is currently working with Culham St Gabriel’s Trust and the RE Council supporting work on Buddhism and RE resources. She is passionate about lived religion and improving access to high-quality, inclusive materials for the classroom.

See all posts by Romana Meereis

Hajj

A PowerPoint presentation on Hajj. It has been written by Aliya Azam.

Inclusive Judaism

Inclusive Judaism

The Inclusive Judaism project began in collaboration with Culham St Gabriel’s back in 2020. The goal? To ensure educators teach Judaism in an authentic, diverse, and inclusive way. It is common for students to see Jewish people through a singular lens: Traditional, modestly dressed, and white-presenting. However, this idea only reflects one part of the over 300,000 British Jewish people today.

To address these gaps in Jewish representation, The Jewish Museum London have developed two key resources: The Inclusive Judaism Image Library and Judaism through a Jewish Lens Teacher CPDs. The Image Library is a contemporary collection of free images depicting Jewish life in the UK. Each photo is accompanied by contextual information around the objects and people represented. Our Teacher CPDs support and guide RE teachers on best Jewish pedagogical practices. They are delivered in-person or online.

As you read and watch this resource spotlight you might like to consider;

  • How far does my current teaching of Judaism move beyond a single or stereotypical representation, and what might pupils be missing as a result?
  • In what ways could using contemporary images and contextual information (such as those in the Image Library) deepen pupils’ understanding of lived Jewish experience in the UK?
  • How might I develop my own subject knowledge and pedagogical approach to teaching Judaism more authentically and inclusively, for example through CPD or engagement with Jewish perspectives?

Both resources were created to aid and empower teachers in the classroom. To book an Inclusive Judaism training CPD, reach out: learning@jewishmuseum.org.uk. To start exploring our Inclusive Judaism Image library click here!

Never Judge a Book by Its Cover: Reflections on Druidry as a Lived Worldview

Belinda Twiggs | 30 April, 2026

An unexpected encounter

I first stumbled across a group of Druids, fully decked out in white robes, at Avebury Stone Circle in the spring of 1988.

My first thought was blunt:
What on earth do they think they are doing?

Curiosity got the better of me and I struck up a conversation with one of them. He looked for all the world like Dumbledore, dressed head to toe in white. As he talked, calmly eating a cheese sandwich that seemed tiny in his huge hands, his answers to my questions were thoughtful and profound.

When he finished eating, he reached behind a standing stone, pulled out a harp, and began to play. The tune was beautiful, lively and unmistakably Celtic. Others began to drum and dance.

At the end of the afternoon, he put on biking leathers, strapped the harp to the back of his Harley-Davidson, and roared off.

I learnt an important lesson that day: never judge a book by its cover.

Coming out as a Druid

It took me around fifteen years to feel comfortable wearing a robe in public, and nearly thirty years to ‘come out’ openly as a Druid. Fear of criticism, especially for following something seen as outside the mainstream or a little ‘wyrd’ (the spelling is deliberate-look it up), held me back.

Eventually, though, it felt important to be honest.

Occasionally, this leads to amusing moments. Children sometimes say to me in the dinner queue,
“I saw you on TV last night, Miss. Dad loves Joanna Lumley!”

They are referring to a brief appearance in Home Sweet Home, a documentary filmed at Merrivale Stones on Dartmoor during the 2021 COVID restrictions. The episode shows Joanna Lumley meeting Druids and observing a Samhain ritual. It is short, but it mattered to me as an example of lived practice being seen, however fleetingly, on national television.

Samhain: remembering those who came before us

Samhain is one of eight seasonal festivals celebrated by many (though not all) Pagans. It takes place on 31 October and has ancient roots that long predate Christianity.

This is the time of year when people historically gathered around the hearth, as the days shortened and darkness increased. Stories of spirits and the dead grew more powerful as the light faded. The idea that “the veil is thin” reflects a sense of closeness between the living and the dead.

At Samhain, we honour our well and wise ancestors. Death is something we all face, and taking time to think about loss, legacy and meaning feels both honest and necessary.

For me, this raises an ongoing question:

How can I live my life fully and well, so that my short time here is of value?

Beltane and the turning year

As the Wheel of the Year turns, we now approach Beltane (also known as Beltain or Bealtaine), marking the clear arrival of summer.

At dawn, many of us gather on Haytor on Dartmoor to watch the sun rise. It has become a large public event, with musicians, flaming torches and the Beltane Border Morris dancers. Hawthorn blossom- the second of the May blossoms- is worn in hats and woven into garlands as part of the celebration.

Songs are sung with enthusiasm, including Hal an Tow from Helston’s Furry Dance:

“We were up, long before the day-o,
To welcome in the Summer…”

Later, our Grove meets more quietly (a group where we meet together for rituals and festivals) . Having been up at around 3am to reach Haytor, we take a nap before coming together again. In ritual, we step through an archway, guarded by figures representing the Lord of the Wild Wood and the Lady Ceridwen, before leaping between two fires to symbolise cleansing and renewal.

Druidry as lived practice

For me, Druidry is an authentic and meaningful path that honours nature, the Earth, and humanity’s place within the wider universe.

Through ritual, storytelling and communal feasting (often picnics), we mark the passage of time and celebrate the life-giving role of the sun. These gatherings happen roughly every six weeks and are as much about community as belief.

At the Spring Equinox in 2026, Dartmoor Grove met at Merrivale to celebrate the tipping point towards longer days. I am no longer concerned about how I look in public as a Druid. My practice feels honest, rooted and real.

Why this matters for RE

Stories like mine remind us that worldviews are lived, evolving and deeply human.

When pupils explore religion and worldviews, they are not just learning about beliefs. They are learning about identity, belonging, meaning and how people make sense of their lives.

Never judging a book by its cover is a good place to start.

About

Belinda Twiggs is a Primary RE Lead and teacher, LTLRE Hub Lead, Chair of Devon SACRE, Deputy Education Officer for the Pagan Federation and longtime member of OBOD working with a Grove of Bards, Ovates and Druids in Devon.

See all posts by Belinda Twiggs

The Sentientism Worldview : “Evidence, reason, & compassion for all sentient beings”

Jamie Woodhouse | 30 April, 2026

Part of the excitement of modern Religious Education comes from exploring non-religious worldviews with children, an important element of the REC’s Religion and Worldviews approach. That exploration is timely as around half of UK people now say they have a non-religious worldview.

One increasingly popular modern worldview, that builds on ancient ideas, is Sentientism. You may have seen it mentioned in this RE Today resource or heard about it on The RE Podcast or the What Even Is RME? podcast.

What is the Sentientism worldview?

Like other worldviews, whether religious or not, Sentientism looks to help us with the deep questions like “what’s real?”, “who matters?” and “how can we make a better world?” Sentientism suggests we start answering those questions with a commitment to “evidence, reason, and compassion for all sentient beings”.

Sentience is the capacity to feel or to have experiences like pain or happiness or love or boredom. So sentient beings are, so far, human and nonhuman animals. But, maybe one day, we’ll create or meet artificial or alien sentient beings that should matter too.

Sentientism’s “compassion for all sentient beings” shares rich common ground with religious concepts like ahimsa, compassionate stewardship, ital and avoiding mafsada. At the same time, its “evidence and reason” shares the humble, open-minded, evidence-led naturalistic epistemology of Humanism.

Is Sentientism a new idea?

While Sentientism is a fairly new word, only coined in the 1970s, its core ideas are very old, maybe even pre-human. Naturalistic epistemology and sentience-focused ethics have deep roots in many regions and cultures and times. These themes can be found in African, Asian and ancient Greek thought, for example. Some thinkers even combined these ideas into something very much like an ancient form of Sentientism.

One example is the blind Arab philosopher poet Al-Ma’arri who lived over a thousand years ago. He used a naturalistic approach to challenge religious thinking and wrote about the ethics of veganism long before the word “vegan” was invented. He’s a fascinating historic character to bring into the classroom to complement modern sentientist thinkers like Greta Thunberg, Billie Eilish, Peter Singer and Joaquin Phoenix.

Sentientism seems to be of particular interest to young people as it resonates with their concerns about the environment, their care for nonhuman animals, the threats and opportunities of artificial intelligence (could AI be sentient?) and the risks of misinformation, disinformation, conspiracism, discrimination and exclusionary ethics. Sentientism also provides a secular framework for finding meaning and purpose that many young people find compelling.

An additional attraction of teaching the Sentientism worldview is that its commitment to “evidence and reason” can be a gateway into the wider worlds of philosophy, science and the humanities. Even younger children engage richly in questions like “how can we work out what’s true?” and “who should we care about?” All too often these deep questions are neglected because we’re busy focusing on lists of beliefs and practices and on narrowly intra-human ethics.

 How can Sentientism deepen philosophical thinking in RE?

Children of all ages also enjoy exploring the sometimes radical implications of this simple, pluralistic worldview. One of the most obvious implications of Sentientism is Veganism (see VinEs great resources here), now recognised in UK and EU Equalities Law as a cogent philosophical belief and a protected characteristic. But what about Sentientist Politics, Sentientist Justice and even a Universal Declaration of Sentient Rights? We can reimagine our entire world together.

Exploring the Sentientism worldview can help you bring real philosophical depth into your classroom in an engaging way that feels fresh and relevant to young people. In my own work with schools, I find children’s curiosity and compassion bubbles up with an irrepressible energy when we work on these profound questions.

If you’re interested in digging a little deeper, here’s a recording of a recent “Teaching Sentientism” webinar. I’m also registered with RE Hubs as a nationwide school speaker for Sentientism so I can help you run classes, workshops, deliver assemblies and shape curriculums. Please do get in touch if I can help in any way. And regardless, I’d love to hear you and your children’s thoughts on the Sentientism worldview.

You can find Jamie on BlueSky (and elsewhere) @JamieWoodhouse and @Sentientism. Full links here

Jamie Woodhouse (hello@sentientism.info)

Links: YouTube (suitable for older students and teachers) Podcast Sentientism.info Community (all welcome!) @Sentientism

About

Jamie is working to develop Sentientism (“Evidence, reason, and compassion for all sentient beings”) as a worldview and as a global movement. He hosts the Sentientism Podcast and YouTube, speaks at schools and universities, and has published articles and presented academic seminars on the Sentientism philosophy and its implications. He is building a range of global Sentientism Communities (open to all) that so far span over 100 countries.

See all posts by Jamie Woodhouse

Theologies of Reading

Theologies of Reading

Jennifer Jenkins, RE Facilitator for Coventry and Warwick, presents Theologies of Reading, a wide-ranging set of information concerning the reading of sacred texts. Taken from research, faith-based reading and techniques of interpretation and contemplation, these presentations contain much rich understanding for the classroom.

How do you read with your pupils? How do you help them make sense of sacred texts? Are there multiple interpretations, and how to explore these?

These presentations will help you consider how meaning is made and the relationship of text to reader with guidance and practical tips to try in the classroom.

Available here:

Introduction: this introductory presentation brings the general thinking to you. A script is given in the ‘notes’ function to help you lead a group through the presentation.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam: three separate presentations focusing on reading and interpretation in these three traditions.

Published January 2020.