Woolf Institute: ‘Living in Harmony’ and ‘Gender in the Religious Experience’
Resource Spotlight: Woolf Institute: ‘Living in Harmony’ and ‘Gender in the Religious Experience’
February 2025
Arguably there is no better time for teachers of Secondary School aged pupils to be looking at resources focusing on Living in Harmony and Gender in the Religious Experience.
The ‘Living in Harmony’ resources began as a research project considering how various faith communities have lived together over centuries in the Middle East, fostering and facilitating the borrowing, adapting and integrating of traditions into a shared local culture. It explored how, in diaspora, cultural sharing carries on.
A series of materials have been created for secondary schools, but also useful to others for subject knowledge, exploring how Jews, Muslims and Christians have lived alongside and learned from one another throughout history. There are videos, written content and activities which teachers can place into their own lessons or use the fully prepared lesson plans. The resources are focused across three areas
The resources in the ‘Gender in the Religious Experience’ were developed from a research project on Religious Sisterhood: Encounters of Gender, Religion and Belonging Today. The resources include video interviews interspersed with videos from social media, and accompanied by discussion guides and lesson plans, all exploring gendered dimensions of various aspects of religious life from diverse viewpoints and lived experiences of Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The resources are made up of video interviews interspersed with videos from social media accompanied by discussion guides and lesson plans and are organised across 4 areas
Scholars from the Woolf Institute are also available to visit your school to talk about the topics covered in these two sets of materials.
Understanding Christianity
Understanding Christianity is a substantial resource aimed at supporting RE teachers’ work in teaching Christianity.
With funding from Culham St Gabriel’s Trust, Jerusalem Trust and Sir Halley Stewart Trust, the resource has been created by the Church of England Education Office in Partnership with RE Today.
Built on Theological concepts, the project aims to help teachers support pupils in their learning about Christianity.
This resource is a useful part of teaching and learning about religion and belief and should be used alongside other resources focused on the wide range of religions and beliefs relevant to the UK.
What answers might be given by Buddhists and other people to questions about life and suffering?
What answers might be given by Buddhists and other people to questions about life and suffering?
An examination of Buddhist beliefs about life and suffering.
For 8-12 year olds. Originally written by Dave Francis, updated in April 2019.
Key words and concepts
Kamma / karma: Action. Intentional actions that affect one’s circumstances in this and future lives.
Bhavachakra: the ‘Wheel of Becoming’ or ‘Wheel of Life’.
Yama: ‘The Lord of Death’ or ‘Demon of Impermanence’. Yama is often pictured as the monster holding the Wheel of Life, symbolising the fact that suffering and death comes to all living beings. He is also known as a protector of Buddhism and Buddhists against evil.
Buddha: the ‘Awakened’ or ‘Enlightened’ One. Many Buddhists believe there have been many Buddhas through history, but that the Buddha of our age is the enlightened person Siddattha Gotama (Pali) / Siddhartha Gautama (Sanskrit), who lived in what is now Nepal around 2,500 years ago.
Dhamma / dharma: Universal law; ultimate truth. The teachings of the Buddha.
Some of these terms are also key concepts. Here is some further background to some of these to help you prepare for the teaching and learning activities:
Kamma / karma: The Buddha taught that effects depends on volition. This marks the Buddhist treatment of kamma as different from the Hindu understanding of karma.
Dhamma / dharma: In this banquet, pupils investigate Buddhist ideas about life, truth and suffering. In particular they focus on the symbolism within the Bhavachakra as a way of finding out what Buddhists believe about the ‘bad attitudes’ that can lead away from true happiness and towards increased suffering.
Wheel of life: Also known as the ‘Wheel of Becoming’. Presented here in diagrammatic form, showing the Buddha preaching / teaching in each of six realms of existence. The Buddha is working to save beings and to help them towards enlightenment whatever state they find themselves in.
Learning activities
This sequence of learning activities is built around the Bhavachakra – the Buddhist ‘Wheel of Life’, below. The image is available as an A4 pdf page in the . downloadable version of this resource. Please go to the end of this resource to download the entire resource, including the Bhavachakra.
Explain that pupils are going to investigate how the Buddha is believed to change the lives of people, animals and spirit beings, wherever they find themselves. This will help their investigation of what people believe about life and suffering.
Remind them that the Buddha was a great teacher who lived around 2,500 years ago, and that his followers are called Buddhists. They believe that the Buddha, through his own great efforts, found out the best way to live. Explain that Buddhists believe that every action has a consequence for good or ill and that in the diagram you are going to show them this is symbolised in different ways. Every form of being, wherever it is, is subject to this law of cause and effect, known as karma. So – human beings and animals cannot avoid cause and effect, and even if you think there are worlds beyond this one – like heaven and hell – karma still works.
Put the Bhavachakra image up on a whiteboard and take them round the diagram, especially the six worlds of existence, showing how there is suffering everywhere, but that in each world the Buddha is there to help. Explain that it is possible to take this account of six worlds literally, i.e., that beings may be reborn in different worlds, but that it may also apply to our lives here and now in terms of the way people behave. Ask pupils what it might mean to behave ‘like an animal’ or a ‘hungry ghost’, for example.
On the board, put six ‘bad attitudes’ that might be linked to each state of being: Jealousy, Selfishness, Willful ignorance, Pride, Greed and Planning To Do Evil. Can pupils think of examples where each of these might lead to bad consequences? List some of these on the board. Ask pupils to imagine interviewing people who had done these bad actions. What questions would they ask and what answers / excuses do you think they would receive? Compare answers across the class.
Provide pupils with a printed version of the Wheel of Life. Ask pupils to work in pairs to recall aspects of the Wheel, labelling the different sections with key points about what Buddhists believe is being illustrated/symbolized.
Encourage pupils to discuss the details of the picture in their pairs and then to share ideas on the most interesting or puzzling aspects. Prompt their thinking by asking how they can tell that one figure in each of the six ‘worlds of existence’ is the Buddha [He is the largest figure; he has a halo; he carries something to help the beings in that realm]; whether they can think of other religions that picture special people in this way [e.g., Christian Saints, Jesus, Sikh Gurus, etc]; whether they can work out what kind of beings are living in each of the six parts of the main picture, and so on.
Now ask pupils to note what the Buddha is carrying in each world. Ask pupils to imagine that a being in each world has a chance to ask the Buddha ONE question. Pupils can work out their ideas in small groups, write them down, then compare across the class. Keep a note of the questions for the final activity (below).
Point out the monster [Yama] holding the whole wheel in its mouth and ask: Why does a monster hold the wheel of life? [Because, Buddhists believe, all of life is in the grip of suffering and ]
Explain that you would now like them to work out how the Buddha might be helping the creatures in each Divide the class into six groups.
Recap the six realms shown in the Wheel of Life and their meaning:
Realm of the gods or ‘devas’: devas enjoy pleasure and relaxation, however those who live in this realm become used to luxury and cannot achieve Enlightenment.
Realm of the demi-gods: beings in this realm are powerful but angry.
Human Realm: although some human lives are hard, because a human can learn and understand, this realm holds the potential of Enlightenment.
Animal Realm: animals are driven by survival, hunger and competition; their existence is impulsive, they cannot attain wisdom or insight.
Realm of the Hungry Ghosts: these beings are never satisfied and always hungry; they live in a perpetual state of craving that is never sated.
Hell Realm: greed, anger and hatred characterises the hell realm where those inside suffer in various ways
Print out an image of each realm for each group, including information about the realm. Groups think of what it must be lie to live in this state of mind- such as a hungry ghost or an angry demi-god. They crate a modern example to describe this state of mind and explain to the class.
Talk as a class how the buddha might help beings in all the realms, or people in all of these states of mind. Refer to the Buddha’s gifts:
The lute
Flaming sword
Alms bowl
Book
Jar of nectar
Flaming torch
In groups pupils discuss the symbolism of one of these gifts and how it would help people in a specific realm or state of mind. Listen to answers.
Explain that Buddhists believe that the Buddha’s teaching can help everyone to stop suffering, wherever they are [by stopping self-centred desires]. Many Buddhists use paintings of the Wheel of Life to meditate on. They might look at each section and carefully consider what it means for them. Other Buddhists prefer not to use such paintings for meditation, but instead to meditate on a single thought or point. Ask pupils to say which method they think might help a Buddhist to lead a happier life and to give some reasons.
Remind pupils of the questions they wrote for the Buddha and ask them to choose three of the best. Ask them to work out in their groups what answers they think the Buddha might give to these questions, bearing in mind the ‘gifts’ that he is carrying in the Wheel of Life pictures. What answers would pupils give if they were being asked those questions?
Resource Spotlight: Subject Knowledge for Teachers – Islam
January 2023
We are delighted to kick off 2023 with a new book by popular author, teacher and adviser Dr Chris Hewer. For years Chris has researched, written and taught around the idea of ‘Christian-Muslim relations’, and the theological interaction between Islam and Christianity. Chris has gained a rich expertise in understanding Islam which makes him a valuable source of subject knowledge for teachers.
Whatever the teacher’s own background and worldview, for the majority of the time in the Religion and Worldviews classroom, we will be teaching a tradition, belief or way of life that we do not follow ourselves. We need accurate and reliable subject knowledge to provide the basis for lessons.
Chris’s new book is of great benefit for teachers of Islam, especially at GCSE. The GCSE specification requires a knowledge of the differences between Sunni and Shi’a practices and subtle differences in belief, as well as an understanding of how these differences developed. However these distinctions are important for teachers of Islam of all age groups. Main website: https://chrishewer.org/ GCSE guidance: https://chrishewer.org/g-c-s-e/
The book details the events leading up to a seismic moment in Islamic history; the martyrdom of Hussain. Find out about the influential figures and concerns at the time, as the Islamic community was expanding rapidly, and finding its feet as a powerful new arrival on the world stage. Encounter big themes such as justice, equality and sacrifice which will help you bring the story to life for your students.
The section on Chris’s website is called ‘Hussain and Justice’. Here you will find additional material for study, including a map, timeline and who’s who, as well as a PDF of the complete book.
Resource spotlight: The Lived Worldviews of Tower Hamlets
Ruth Marx was awarded a 10th anniversary grant from Culham St Gabriel’s to research and create resources into core- Religion and Worldviews for Key Stage 5. This suite of resources is the result of this research and explores the worldviews of 13 individuals who live or work in Tower Hamlets interviewed about their worldviews. The worldviews discussed are from a range of religious and non-religious traditions and the interviewees are expressing their own opinions and not representing any organisation as a whole. Each video is accompanied by an editable power point with activities to embed and extend the learning and an overview document shows the worldview(s), themes discussed and cross curricular links which can be explored with this resource. Whilst created with core 16-19 Religion and Worldviews in mind these resources may be of use for younger age groups and for teacher CPD.
Could you create a suite of resources like this for your area?
Could you share one of these resources and compare it to a case study of a person in your area?
This month we present a resource by Jen Jenkins, RE Facilitator for Coventry and Warwick, exploring ‘Theologies of Reading’. Jen explains how holy texts are read in a variety of ways in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. You will find the whole resource interesting with practical uses in the classroom.
This is a resource for Primary pupils, but there is much Secondary-age pupils can gain.
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.
Theologies of Reading – New perspectives on pupil engagement with texts
Theologies of Reading – New perspectives on pupil engagement with texts
This resource will:
explore this question of how reading relates to questions of truth and meaning
equip teachers with an awareness of a range of reading practices
invite teachers to consider how these different reading practices, or ‘theologies of reading’ can be applied in the classroom context
A paper by Dr Ruth Jackson Ravenscroft, David Thompson Research Fellow, Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge and Dr Kathryn Wright, CEO, Culham St Gabriel’s Trust.
The Visual Commentary on Scripture: (Re)discover the Bible in Conversation with Art
Resource Spotlight: The Visual Commentary on Scripture: (Re)discover the Bible in Conversation with Art
We are delighted to present the Visual Commentary on Scripture (VCS) which explores the Bible in connection with works of art. The resource opens up a wealth of themes, symbolism, history and interpretation. Whatever the age of your pupils this rich and fascinating resource will mean you never see the bible in the same way again.
Read curator Dr Chloë Reddaway’s blog to understand in more detail the potential of this resource
The Visual Commentary on Scripture (VCS) is a freely accessible online publication providing theological commentary on the Bible in dialogue with works of art.
Each section of the VCS is a virtual exhibition comprising a biblical passage, three high-resolution (zoomable) art works, and short commentaries exploring how the scripture and the artworks illuminate each other.
It is a rich, inter-disciplinary resource for teachers and pupils, transforming understanding of the Bible through diverse works of art and a wide range of authorial voices and perspectives.
Use the menu to explore the VCS through ‘themes’, including Creation, Biblical Women, and Miracles, search by Bible book, watch VCS films, or find additional resources such as our Stations of the Cross and spotlight feature on Coptic and Ethiopic art.
Try to explain the Hindu concept of God and suddenly RE teachers become cosmologists saying that God is a trinity represented by Brahma who creates the universe, Vishnu who preserves it and Shiva who destroys it (even though this means buying in to a cyclical rather than a linear view of a time-bound universe). Or else physicists, saying that, like clear white light refracted through a prism and emerging as all the colours of the rainbow the other side, so God is one but seen in many forms. Or else genealogists, comparing the different ways of seeing God as a mother, sister, daughter, cousin, neice and so on yet still the same person. Ultimately, there is only one God seen in many forms and ways, all forms of Brahman the Absolute, Ultimate Reality (not to be confused with Brahma the creator God of course).
In one sense this is fair enough, if you are also prepared to explain that this is only one of many ways of understanding God in Hinduism. If you want to be really clever about it you give this way of seeing God a name and call it Vedanta, or at least a form of it. Vedanta promotes the notion that ‘knowledge’ of God is achieved through a process of self-realisation, a process that is open to all. What is meant by God is Brahman, the Absolute, the Supreme and Ultimate Reality, although God is also referred to in less abstract terms by the epithet Ishvara meaning Lord. God-consciousness and self-realisation are bound up together in this system of thought which is based around the phrase ‘That thou art’ from Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7. This phrase came to be interpreted differently by each of the 6 schools of Vedanta with a modern version being represented by the Advaita (monism, non-dualism) of Swami Vivekananda. In the Vishistadvaita (qualified non-dualism) and Dvaita (dualism) forms of Vedanta, bhakti to Vishnu and his incarnations is the path to moskha or liberation.
However, even Swami Vivekananda (19th c) was not averse to bhakti and meditation on a personal god with ‘form’ and ‘qualities’ rather than a ‘formless’ Absolute devoid of such things, at least initially. He realised that ‘God with form’ was easier for most people to grasp than ‘God without form’. Which is fine as Brahman can be seen as both a personal God ‘with form’ (Saguna Brahman) as well as ‘formless’ Absolute (Nirguna Brahman). Play around with this notion of God with or without form and you might get a sense of what Vivekananda meant when he said ‘A Hindu does not worship an image made of wood and clay, he sees consciousness within the earthen-ness and loses himself in it’. You also come to sense that it is something to do with consciousness, meditation, self-realisation, God-realisation.
Vedanta is a spiritual understanding of God represented by the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre in Buckinghamshire and Jay Lakhani the education director of the Hindu Council UK. It is also an understanding that promotes community cohesion. Just as Swami Vivekananda encouraged religious tolerance in his world tours, stating that all religions strive towards the same truth, so Jay Lakhani is quoted as saying ‘All faiths must accept pluralism if we are to diffuse strife caused in the name of religion’ (Face to Faith 2007). As such it may be considered more ‘mainstream’ than the westernised version of bhakti represented by ISKCON and Bhaktivedanta Manor which promotes Krishna consciousness overall.
So if as an RE teacher you subscribe to the Vedantin view of God, then you are not alone in finding this an attractive route. Vedanta has been a major influence on many Western writers and philosophers such Aldous Huxley, T S Eliot, Voltaire and Nietzsche. But also be aware that for the majority of rural Hindus in India who worship not only a personal God (ishtadevata), but also a family God and a village God, the abstract philosophies of Vedanta, let alone the concept of Trimurti, may have little or no relevance. God ‘with form’ and personal or ‘God without form’ and abstract may be two sides of the coin and the notion of starting with the former before moving to the latter may give us some sense of the way that Hindus approach the concept of God as both personal Ishvara as well as abstract Brahman. It also highlights the need for us as RE teachers to be more aware of how we present the Hindu concept of God to our students and not to be tempted to oversimplify.
