A Level Digest February 2024
A good book: Finding Phoebe: What the New Testament women were really like by Susan E Hylen.
I loved reading this book. After having read Phoebe by Paula Gooder, this is an area that has really interested me. There are some very relevant areas that are covered in the various chapters such as marriage, occupations, education and modesty to name just a few. I have found it to be incredibly useful when considering what diferrent passages in the New Testament might be referring to when they discuss modesty and also marriage. I have found it helpful for not only the Christianity sections of the paper but also topics in ethics such as sexual ethics. It is a very easy read that is also helpful for the GCSE if you are teaching relationships and families.
Free resource: Knowledge organiser for Humanism
Sometimes on the A level specification we focus on the rise in secularism. When discussing this we often think about what secular means and how it might also include a reference to Humanism. I have found this resource to be useful here to help students understand how this worldview might be understood and it also helps the conversations we have surrounding secularism and liberalism. It is available on the RE:ONLINE website and is free to download (Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will find the link). It can also be used at Key Stage Three and Four if this is a worldview that you are studying. The link to the website is:
Rethinking the curriculum: Knowledge organisers for teachers – RE:ONLINE (reonline.org.uk)
A good online course: Meta Ethics by Dr Iain Law on Massolit
I have had the privilege of listening to Iain from the University of Birmingham talk to my students about meta-ethics and his explanation of this theory is always so clear and insightful. I am therefore delighted to share a talk he has put together on this topic that anyone can listen to. Iain provides an excellent overview and introduction to this area that is easy for both students and teachers to comprehend. You will find it invaluable if you struggle to teach this well and also if you think your students’ need additional support. There are other lectures on this site produced by various academics which link to our A level so do check out the other courses. The link to the talk is: MASSOLIT – Metaethics: Introduction | Video lecture by Dr Iain Law, Birmingham University
A good listen: Saudi Arabia: the mystery of the Ka’aba episode 265 on the Rest is History
I found this episode on the podcast hosted by Tom Hardy and Dominic Sandbrook to be truly fascinating. I learnt a lot about the history of this sacred building in Islam as well as various Muslim beliefs surrounding it. Although this building on its own is not part of a specification, I think it is really useful to help deepen your understanding of this religion. I also have found it useful to mention things I learnt when I am teaching the GCSE. The link to the website where you can find this episode and many others linked to our subject is: Latest Episodes – The Rest is History
Rachael Jackson-Royal is head of department of RE and is the exams and higher education officer on the NATRE executive.