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Creative Perpetuation

This final blog of the series is a patchwork affair. I want to conclude with a tapestry of the creative ways people have engaged with theological ideas over the centuries.

Recitation features in several religious traditions; where the melody, emphasis and pronunciation of the words combines with meaning to communicate rich, nuanced ideas. This is true of the Qur’an. When Binyamin and Yusuf are reunited in Surah Yusuf (Surah 12), Yusuf says “I am your brother”. The ‘am’ is lengthened to convey the emotion of this reconciliation. In surahs where the mercy and compassion of Allah are extolled, the two words flow into each other to emphasise that Allah is ALL merciful and ALL compassionate. The final surah of the Qur’an contains sibilance, with the articulation of the ‘s’ sound conveying the concept of ‘secrets’ as the Quranic scriptures draw to a close.

Likewise, Sanskrit is designed to be articulated in melody, so that Vedic texts such as the Bhagavad Gita are sung more than spoken. The traditions and teachings of Sanatan Dharma were passed down orally, with the memorisation of verses greatly aided by the melodic pronunciation and recitation.

As well as the recitation and song of oral traditions, dancing has played its part in transmission of beliefs, through sacred stories. More prevalent in the Indic-traditions, I am nevertheless reminded of King David dancing before the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament, the circling of a Jewish bride and the widdershins processions in the liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the Hindu tradition, carefully learned dances convey the epics of Vedic literature and the ecstatic whirling of the Sufi tradition is practiced as a form of active meditation.

Theatre can provide a forum for encounter with religious truths. In the morality plays of the medieval and early Tudor periods concepts such as virtues, vices, temptation and human nature were personified. Most commonly the plot followed a trajectory of temptation, fall and redemption. The audience reflected on the importance of confession, repentance and salvation, seen through the Christian sacraments, applying the struggles of the protagonist to their own lives.

In the ruins of the old cathedral of St Michael in Coventry outdoor theatre is still performed today. I have seen Shakespeare plays performed by the fabulous theatre group, the Three Inch Fools, in that setting. I often envisage the ‘stage’, a platform of flat stone, being used centuries earlier, with Coventry’s humble folk gathering for a performance of Everyman, where entertainment, morality and a good dose of theology would mingle under the stars.

In this six- part blog series, I have explored ‘ways of knowing in the past’. There is so much more to discover. Through literature, art, oral religion, recitation, song, dance and theatre, we can see that people of the past articulated and explored the theology of their belief systems and worldviews. Better than a textbook? I am inclined to think so. I hope you have discovered something useful (and beautiful) for the RE classroom through the time you have devoted to reading my blog series.

The Vernacular

Over the centuries, those who had the luck of being educated made efforts to bring their theological learning to the benefits of those less fortunate. In Europe, Christian theological understanding could be complicated and abstract and also expressed in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, providing a further barrier to understanding for those who could not read or write. Over the centuries ways developed to express Christian theology in the ‘vernacular’, the language spoken by ordinary people in a region. Bible stories and the lives of the saints were retold in local languages ordinary people could hear.

This was not always welcomed by those in authority. In 1382, John Wycliffe translated the Bible from Latin into English, an act that earned him posthumous excommunication; his body exhumed and burnt. In the 1530s, Martin Luther translated the Bible into German, causing one of the great rifts of the Reformation. However by 1611, the King James version in English was made widely available, suggesting a melting away of objections to accessing Christian theology in the vernacular in Protestant regions.

Making Christian teachings more accessible inevitably led to reductionism. Ordinary people worked long, hard hours. As well as illiteracy, they did not have the time to engage in abstract theological meditations. Yet in a religion like Christianity with official doctrine and heresy, people must know what they believed. The church responded. The Heidelberg Catechism, 1563, was composed in Heidelberg, Germany, under the guidance of many theologians. The catechism was designed as a teaching tool, divided into fifty-two sections known as ‘Lord’s Days’, each one of which could form part of a Sunday service. Ordinary people were given weekly access to essential dimensions of Christian theology and ethics. A sixteenth century ‘Alpha Course’ perhaps?

It wasn’t just Christianity that developed systems for distributing information with hard-working, uneducated people. On converting to Buddhism, The Indian king Ashoka (reigned from 268- 232 BCE) erected a series of 50- foot pillars in the kingdom to spread Buddhist teaching. The pillars combined teachings of Buddhist compassion with the merits of King Ashoka. Erected at places of pilgrimage, such as the Buddha’s Enlightenment and first sermon, they spread across northern India, to spread the Buddhist religion to the ordinary people of Ashoka’s lands.

Guru Nanak also ensured ordinary people could access teaching and holy scriptures for themselves. The Gurmukhi script (meaning: from the mouth of the Guru) is used to write Sikh scriptures. It is the script of the Adi Granth (literally translated as ‘the first book’). The vision for Gurmukhi was a script that could be learned easily and was in the common tongue of the area.

It seems that in order to thrive and spread, religions needed to put their theology and ethics into the eyes, ears and hands of the lay people. Over time, literature, poetry, stories and art emerge which meet this aim.

Hagiography

Having always enjoyed biographies of inspirational figures, I was interested to find this isn’t a new phenomenon. In fact, it seems an important source for theological learning in the past is ‘hagiography’. Hagiography refers to writing about the lives of saints, combining the Greek words ‘hagi’, ‘holy’, and ‘graphy’, ‘writing’. Hagiographic texts are a unique biographical writing form, not offering a strictly historical account of a saint’s life but with the aim of assisting the reader in their own salvation.

A hagiography might not mention dates or places of birth, but details which show the saint’s exemplary Christian life, inspiring in others ideas about their own salvation. Hagiographic writing was common in the early church, with collections forming over the centuries.

Hagiographies often included the stories of those who had been saved from a life of ‘sin’, such as Moses the Black (saved from a life of violence) and Mary of Egypt (saved from a life of sexual liberty). Check out these two saints; wow! Often in hagiographic writing the saints are portrayed as without sin, suggesting a miraculous dimension to their lives. In Medieval times, the ‘Vitas’, or ‘life stories’, became a source of biblical education for ordinary people.

Hagiographies provided an important source of Christian education for ordinary people, along with church windows and story-telling. The merging of Christian belief with earlier mythology is not uncommon. Images of the Egyptian goddess Isis with her son Horus bear a strong resemblance to early Christian icons of the Madonna and Child. A weaving together of saints’ lives and social concerns are visible in the modern age. St Perpetua was an early Christian martyr who was executed alongside Saint Felicity. They died clinging onto each other have been adopted as patron saints of same-sex relationships. Perpetua dreamt she was transformed into a man and this has led to her being adopted by the Christian Trans community as an icon.

Hagiographic icons, or images, became a form of theological storytelling. Dating from the 12th & 13th century onwards they depict a saint and scenes from their life. They are ‘read’ much like a book, allowing ordinary people to learn for themselves, even if they cannot read.

Hagiographic icons reached their golden era in the fifteenth century. They were particularly popular in Orthodox Russian and Slavic regions, as well as in pre-Protestant Britain. 14th Century icons of St Anthony and St Cuthbert in Carlisle cathedral survived the Reformation, although their faces have been scratched out. They were later painted over by people fearing idolatry, but have been discovered and restored. Through panels such as these, ordinary people learnt about saints, God and themselves.

The panels showing the lives of St Cuthbert & St Anthony of Egypt, the faces scratched out. Images by Jen Jenkins, used with permission.

The panels showing the lives of St Cuthbert & St Anthony of Egypt, the faces scratched out Images by Jen Jenkins, used with permission

I wonder what a modern equivalent of hagiography might be for Christians today? Twitter? Pinterest? For medieval Christians the vitas and hagiographies provided information, inspiration and hope. I was interested to read recently that the Indic Traditions have similar stories of spiritual heroes and holy people, to provide a similar role. I wonder why knowing about those who have trod our own spiritual path seems so important? Does it help us to understand the beliefs that shape our lives and worldviews? I also wonder if we are as ready to learn about and from others as those in centuries past.

British Religion in Numbers is an online source of data about religion and belief in Britain. It is gathered and presented by academics for the purposes of investigating both religious diversity in Britain, and of the extent and impact of religious commitment in Britain. The data can support an understanding of how far religious groups and beliefs have an impact on policy or other public decision-making.

I am a Year 6 Primary teacher and together with two other teachers, Primary and Secondary, we experimented with bringing this data to our classrooms. We wanted our children to have the opportunity to engage in a statistical analysis of numerical data about religion and belief as part of their richer understanding of the world.

We focused on two sets of findings from the overall data set, which is large. These were, firstly, the ways Jesus is depicted among Christians in Britain, and secondly, the representations of Muslims in the British media. We helped pupils to explore the data through pie charts and tables, as well as written reports. We thought carefully about scaffolding the questions children would engage with so they could make sense of and evaluate what the data is telling them.

My class were surprised to see so many images of Jesus existed, depicting him from all sorts of cultural backgrounds. However the data shows some interesting findings- that while Jesus, a Middle- Eastern man, is often represented as white, as well as black or Asian, most people in Britain viewed Jesus as a Middle Easterner. For myself I was surprised. My pupils had a mixed response, especially those for whom the image of Jesus is sacred. They were not sure if anything other than his actual ethnicity should be portrayed.

When it came to reading a report of how Muslims are portrayed in the British media, this was upsetting for the class. The data hows us clearly the discrimination against Muslims in the British press. As an adult I was surprised to find Islamophobia in broadsheet as well as tabloid newspapers. While this raised some difficult emotions, it is important for pupils to be able to explore and make sense of our complex society as it is in a safe space like school.

Pupils had the chance to reflect on the implications of their learning. Myself and the other teachers all teach in different regions, so we had geographical and demographic variations to compare. It was clear that life experiences and social exposure determined pupils’ interpretation of the data and the conclusions they arrived at.

As teachers we found that the use of statistical data in RE serves to contextualise religious diversity and provide pupils with tangible material for comparison and analysis. Pupils could evaluate the impact of past events on current trends. Across all three schools we felt that pupils were making connections and encountering ideas they hadn’t considered before – their world had expanded beyond what they knew to be true or thought to be true.

There is always the danger that a data-informed analysis of the world brings pupils into contact with how the world is, not just the ideal worlds described in religious traditions. While this can raise controversial questions, this is a chance to help our young people to make sense of the world as it is. As teachers we can model curiosity, as we show our pupils how to examine complex information, and confidence in an open attitude to knowledge and understanding of the world.
Visit the website at British Religion in Numbers

Within my school there are a number of pupils who, across the past year, have had their entire lives uprooted in order to seek out what many may take for granted; safety and stability. As a result of the war in Ukraine, pupils fleeing from all areas of the country have found themselves within the British education system.

As a Year 2 Early Career Teacher, I had a plethora of concerns when I found out that I would be teaching these pupils. A completely new experience for me. My concerns included, but were not limited to, ‘will I be able to communicate in a way the students can understand’, ‘have they ever studied Religious Education before’ and ‘in a class of 30 students already, where will they sit?’.

Pupils were introduced to RE immediately, along with all core subjects, in their first week. Slowly I realised that this demanded no more of me as a practitioner than what I currently aim to do; to teach in a way that allows every child to experience success. The sense of collaboration between Ukrainian and British pupils has inspired me. I have witnessed countless pupils translating for each other, scribing work when the person next to them couldn’t keep up, volunteering to read in front of the class despite limited English and even helping at school mass for the first time. It has also highlighted the crucial role that technology has to play within education. Within a few seconds information from the board can be quickly translated into any language, with the ‘Say Hi’ app allowing for verbal feedback to be given almost instantly. This is something which would not have been possible previously without a multitude of translation errors or significantly more teaching time.

There was also a lot that I had to pick up quickly, for instance, getting to understand the prior knowledge of pupils. I was unaware that religious education was not a commonplace subject in Ukraine and many pupils had never been taught this before. However, I believe that there is a unique advantage when teaching RE to any student, as it is a subject which values and encourages the thoughts and experiences of all to be shared. The curriculum lends itself to accessibility as it is shaped by an individual’s own worldview.

As such, I have watched as pupils’ eyes light up when given the opportunity to express themselves on new topics, confidently sharing that they love RE as they ‘have never had to think about these questions before’. The subject has given students a new way to express themselves without fear of judgement – something they can be confident to do in any language.

In short, this new dimension to my job has reminded me of why I originally fell in love with teaching RE; helping young people to develop their character and in turn, having the pupils shape mine.

As a Beginner Teacher about to embark on my PGCE, I decided to take one of Culham St Gabriel’s self-study modules. I wanted to gain a greater depth of subject knowledge in preparation for my PGCE as well as keep up my studies over the summer after achieving my undergraduate degree. I chose a course which would develop my subject knowledge because it required me to produce a PowerPoint reflecting the new information I had acquired. I wanted both the new learning the course offered, as well as the product, which I might be able to repurpose for the classroom one day.

I enjoyed creating the PowerPoint, finding the process of putting my new learning into practice satisfying. I also enjoyed reading around and gaining more knowledge of religions that I had not previously studied in great depth. The resources available on RE:ONLINE were very helpful and easy to access and related well to the specific information which I needed to learn about each of the religions in order to complete the course. They were not too long or difficult to read, whilst also offering depth. The team behind RE:ONLINE were quick to respond to my questions, and happy to help.

There are benefits to a self-study course. With self-study I can go at my own pace and fit the work around my other commitments. I completed the course over a fortnight in the summer, for part of which I was away on holiday. This would not have been possible if it were not a self-study course, however, given that it was, I was able to complete the course anywhere with a laptop and internet access.

I got a lot out of the course, especially practice in creating a lesson ahead of my PGCE. It gave me confidence to gain some knowledge about religions that I had not previously studied in great depth. While a mixture of self-study and taught learning is ideal, the big advantage of self-study is that it can fit around your life and you can spread the work out over a longer period, or complete it in a shorter time, depending on what suits you best.

I would suggest it can be incredibly beneficial for teachers to pursue their own professional development, as well as receiving support from taught courses, mentors, or their school. Self-study can allow teachers to address weaker areas which are individual to them. Teachers should probably expect to do at least some of their own professional development through the course of their career. Schools also have a responsibility to accommodate teachers’ CPD, as well as to provide additional professional development which aligns with the values and needs of the institution. I enjoyed my experience of self-study and would consider it again in future.

After studying Christian theology and a PGCE, I became a secondary RE teacher in the 1980s. That brought me to the study of Islam in order to facilitate a syllabus on the Abrahamic religions. Without knowing it at the time, that initial MA set me on the path for the rest of my life, studying different aspects of Islam and helping other people to understand it in its richness and diversity. Over fifteen years I delivered more than one hundred twenty-hour adult popular education courses on Understanding Islam around Birmingham and London. Since charitable funding dried up with the banking crash, I have concentrated on developing written and electronic resources for teachers and others who want to understand Islam and the theological interaction between Christianity and Islam.

The vehicle to deliver the electronic resources is my own website (chrishewer.org). A Muslim satellite TV channel asked me to deliver a weekly thirty-minute programme on Understanding Islam. This formed the basis for a comprehensive course in forty-six parts, which can be found on my website with the video recordings, each accompanied by a written article. Similarly, electronic material developed for an online distance learning course was incorporated alongside written resources tailored to fit the GCSE RS Islam syllabus. All these resources are made available without charge to be downloaded from my website. Together with in-service days delivered on request, the web-based materials comprise the principal means for assisting teachers in the classroom.

Few teachers have had the privilege of years of concentrated study of different strands within the complex web that is Islam. This can lead to a restricted menu in our teaching. To augment this, I have contributed material on the website on both Twelver and Sevener Shi’a traditions, the different schools of Sunni law, theological schools and the continuum between reason and tradition. Shi’a Islam is often less well resourced, so there is a new section on the website, ‘Hussain&Justice,’ exploring the circumstances leading up to the massacre at Karbala; which, in Shi’a understanding, is the most significant event in Muslim history after the life of Muhammad. This provides material not only for the discrete topic of Karbala and Ashura but also gives insights for reflection on many aspects of human living.

Islam understands itself to be something more than a religion or set of practices and beliefs. It speaks of itself using the Arabic word din, meaning a complete way of life both individually and collectively. The guidance of the Qur’an, embodied in the life of the Prophet Muhammad, is meant to speak to the human condition for everyone. This affects the way that I teach Islam. It should be presented in such a way that it resonates empathetically with students; whether they follow it or not. Material on the website on modesty, or economics, provides plenty for discussion at KS3 and thought-provoking content on relieving the sufferings of others is provided for KS2. Teachers often ask me how they can make Islam come alive; by putting the human condition at the centre, Islam provides relevant grounds for lively reflection.

Theological Art: Stained Glass Windows

Stained glass windows have been part of church architecture from Medieval times. The technique originates in 10th Century Assyria and was used extensively by ancient Egyptian and Roman artists and architects. Mosques and synagogues make use of stained glass with geometric or decorative motifs rather than the human figures found in Christian churches.

The oldest glass remaining in situ is found in Canterbury Cathedral, where it was first set in place in 1184. By the 15th century, stained glass windows had developed in complexity. York Minster provides a good example in the East window. Designed by John Thornton of Coventry, the window depicts the beginning and end of all things from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, essentially capturing what was known in the Middle Ages as the ‘Apocalypse’. By the 19th century this art form was finding its way into non- religious spaces, through the work of William Morris, Charles Rennie Macintosh and others. In the 20th century, stained glass took on a modern, abstract perspective within sacred space.

A good example of abstract, Christian stained glass is the Piper baptistery window in Coventry Cathedral, which symbolises baptism through light. The vibrant colours stream around the Cathedral’s font, a scallop shell carved from rock outside Bethlehem.

Images by Mary Courtney, used with permission, August 2022

What was the early purpose of stained glass windows? One medieval Abbot of Saint Denis, in the northern suburbs of Paris, used the wealth of the abbey to create lavish stained glass windows, believing light to be a manifestation of God himself. He wanted Parisians to be bathed in God’s light. In the Old Testament light represents good and is symbolic of God’s protection.

Stained glass windows in the Medieval era provided education through depicting biblical stories to an illiterate population. Educating the masses in religion in the medieval ages was crucial because the church was the highest authority in society, and in order to achieve salvation one must follow the word of God; a significant challenge for those who could not read. Scholars speculate that the stained glass windows may have had more profound impact on the Medieval laity than the sermons told by clergy. The depictions in glass were, after all, their only means of unmediated theological thinking.

Over time, the opulence of stained glass began to represent the wealth of church patrons, and the complex relationship of religion and power was exemplified in increasingly ornate windows. Stained glass windows became a powerful medium to communicate a message of both spiritual and temporal authority. Windows often featured monarchs alongside saints to reinforce the idea of divine kingship. Patrons who had paid for the production of the windows were also featured, alongside their family coat of arms.

A modern window is the Plague Window in the church of St Lawrence in Eyam, Derbyshire. Designed by Alfred Fisher and installed in 1985, it tells the story of the plague’s arrival in 1665 and village’s response. Reverends William Mompesson and Thomas Stanley convinced their fellow villagers that quarantining was the most Christian course of action, inspired by Jesus words in John 15: ‘greater love has no man….’. Their actions did spare the towns and villages surrounding Eyam, saving thousands of lives, but at a great cost to themselves; three quarters of the village died. Today, their sacrifice is memorialised in the window of the village church:

Eyam window, picture with permission by Jen Jenkins 2022

Stained windows of antiquity frequently depicted saints whose relics were interred in the church. In the fourteenth century, stained glass windows evolved to be much more like paintings, changing the narrative style of stained glass windows. Whereas prior to the thirteenth century, windows often showed dozens of scenes from the life of a particular saint or martyr, the fourteenth century saw windows concentrating more on a single important event of the saint of martyr’s life in each window, demonstrated on a larger scale and telling the life of the saint over a large stretch of the church’s external walls.

During the seventeenth century English Civil War (1642-43), Puritans smashed stained glass windows, considering them to be idolatrous. Likewise, during the French Revolution, windows were also smashed or removed because of their symbolism of the authoritarian power of both the monarchy and the Catholic Church. Protestants in England rejected ornate decoration in church. By 1640, stained glass windows were rare. The English Parliament decreed that all images of the Virgin Mary and the Trinity be removed from churches, resulting in some vandalism of medieval windows.
When one of the Angel windows was broken by an act of vandalism in 2020, Coventry City of Culture established a completion titled ‘Broken Angel’ which led to a series of temporary installations: https://coventry2021.co.uk/what-s- on/broken-angel/
Sacred windows are still of great value and importance in our own times it seems.

Coventry Cathedral West Screen, with permission from Jen Jenkins 2022

So, next time you take pupils on a trip to a church for RE, it may be worth researching the stained glass windows there so that you are better positioned to explore the theological and historical-social significance with pupils.

Religion and Science in Alice Roberts’ Ancestors

In Ancestors by Alice Roberts we accompany 19th Century geologist Reverend William Buckland as he makes room in his Christian worldview for the arrival of new scientific knowledge. This knowledge challenges a literal reading of creation and Noah’s flood, as Genesis was typically read in the Victorian era.

Roberts suggests that for Buckland, a theologian and scientist, ‘studying the Earth meant studying the work of God: geology was a devoutly religious pursuit’ (p. 21). However, the discovery of a Paleolithic burial site on the Gower peninsula, alongside emerging theories of glaciation and evolution, presented Buckland with a challenge. At first he tried to resist what science was presenting, as Roberts explains,

‘He wanted to be able to reconcile the origin myth in Genesis with the scientific evidence. He noted that ‘geographical investigations…may seem at first sight to be inconsistent with the literal interpretation of the Mosaic records.’ But he went on to insist that the ‘apparent nonconformity’ of the science with the Bible was most likely to stem from problems with ‘the yet imperfect science of Geology’- rather than with the biblical version of events’ (p. 21, citing Buckland’s inaugural lecture as a Reader in Geology at Oxford, ‘Vindiciae Geologiae; or the Connexion of Geology with Religion explained’).

We can see a fascinating hermeneutic in action here, as Buckland reads the biblical text through his own scientific lens. Before long his twin lenses, a literal biblical reading and a scientific reading of the physical world, needed resolution. As Roberts notes, Buckland played around with time frames to allow scientific evidence fit with the biblical account of our origins, but eventually came to the conclusion that Noah’s flood was not scientific fact. Buckland expanded his reconstruction of the past and made room in his Christian worldview for what science had revealed. This account raises the fascinating question of how possible it is for any of us to see things in a different way, how our worldviews shift and change over time.

It is interesting to consider the religious faith of scientists today. 2009 data collected by the Pew Research Centre shows that 33% of American scientists polled believe in God, 18% believe in a spirit or higher power, and 41% do not believe in God. There is a small amount of variation between the type of science and belief in God, with 29% of physicists and astronomers, 30% of geoscientists, 32% of biomedical scientists and 41% of chemists believing in God. In the general population, according to the same data, 83% of Americans believe in God and 4% do not (reference: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/ 2009/11/05/scientists-and-belief). We know from the recent census data that figures for religious belief in the UK general population are significantly different. It would be interesting to conduct a survey in a school among staff, especially to compare science subject specialists with non-science specialists, or even RE specialists.

Buckland’s story is a great example where an evolution of worldview is visible. This example illustrates how worldviews change and expand, and assimilate and accommodate different ideas, even those that on the surface might appear to be incompatible.

Reference:
Ancestors by Alice Roberts
Published by Simon & Schuster, 2021

Religion & Science in The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Can faith and science co-exist happily in someone’s worldview, and if so, how? We start this series with these questions in The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (2016). Set in the Victorian era, the conversations between amateur paleontologist Cora Seaborne and Reverend William Ransome, in the Essex village of Aldwinter where the superstitious villagers fear an ancient sea creature is haunting their shores.

Cora appreciates science and reason, finding it a reference point in a confusing world. At a time when devotion to Christianity was assumed, Cora prefers the promises of rationality and logic.

William finds the suspicions of his flock concerning. He is affronted by a serpent carved into the end of one of the pews, finding its presence threatening to the sanctity of the church as a place of worship. Cora finds William’s inability to make room for the presence of the creature alongside his Christian faith perplexing for, as Perry puts it, ‘the best minds can hold two opposing thoughts at once’ (p. 31). In this era of Darwin’s theories of evolution, many at the time faced the question of how these new discoveries were to fit with the Christian faith, if at all.

Charles fears an interest in science could pull people away from God. Cora cheerfully finds her growing scientific knowledge and interest does indeed pull her away from God. However Charles’s distaste with his villagers’ superstitions suggests he too is influenced by a rational outlook, rejecting supernatural answers to problems.

William doubts the longevity of scientific discoveries, but not the abiding truth of the Christian faith. Cora sees the alignment of Christianity and scientific discovery, arguing that modern faith is of a rational sort, seeking enlightenment and clarity. Through the novel they challenge each other, recognising their ultimate differences and yet finding the other enlightening: ‘We both speak of illuminating the world, but we have different sources of light, you and I…Then we shall see who first blows out the other’s candle’ (p. 124). Far from enmity, they draw closer to each other.

Through Cora the reader glimpses the challenge for women who wished for a wider existence than was socially permitted. Cora stands out through her exercise of reason and intellect, as she tramps around the fields and shores in man’s overcoat and large, muddy boots. Cora is widowed and she further confounds social expectations by finding this a liberating state.

Cora and William become ever closer entwined. William asks, ‘Do you think everything can be accounted for by equations and soil deposits? I am looking up, not down’ (p. 166). Cora confesses her ongoing struggle to find her own way: ‘I am never sure of the difference between thinking and believing: you can teach me, one day’ (p. 169). Their deepening friendship, the pairing of faith and science, is an unlikely one from the start but through it they challenge and shape each other, and in the words of the author, ‘They sharpen themselves on each other..’ (p. 180).

Over time, Cora and William shift to accommodate each other and find room for both science and faith in their widening worldviews. Cora acknowledges the shift in her thinking when she says, ‘I’ve always said there are no mysteries, only things we don’t yet know; but lately I’ve thought not even knowledge takes all strangeness from the world’ (p. 127). She challenges Charles to admit that institutional religion does not get at the mysteries at the heart of existence, saying, ‘– but if you insist on your faith you ought at least to concede it’s a strange business and very little to do with well-ironed cassocks and the order of service’ (p. 127). However she maintains her vision of science and religion as logical companions rather than opposing forces, proposing that ‘If a reasoned creator set the stars in their place then we must be capable of understanding them – we must also be creatures of reason, of order!’ (p. 258).

The Essex Serpent personalizes the debate around faith and science and the co-existence of worldviews. Modern readers will recognize a debate that has never gone away.

Reference:
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Published by Serpent’s Tail
27 May 2016
Kindle Edition