A Level Digest May 2024
A good book: The SPCK Introduction to Kierkegaard by Peter Vary
A few years ago before Covid hit I attended a conference for A level teachers hosted by Charlotte Vardy aimed at improving and extending our subject knowledge. The work of Kierkegaard was mentioned and so I decided to buy the book written by her husband. I really enjoyed reading about the life and work of Kierkegaard and even though he is not a scholar that directly appears on the A level specification, he is relevant to many of the different topics you will find there. I like to include him in the arguments for the existence of God and explore how he can be used to critique these. It is a really worthwhile read that is suitable for both teachers and A level students alike. Indeed, I have lent the book to pupils and we have discussed it in an extension class.
A good watch: University of Chester A level webinars
I know I mentioned these before, but they are so good that I wanted to highlight them again. They are currently running for the remainder of this term and all of them link to various A level examination specifications. They are suitable for both teachers and students. Some lectures have already taken place unfortunately but there are still more lined up for the coming weeks. These include: Minorities in Islam; Is Theodicy Evil?; and Is Christianity Sexist? Each session lasts 20 minutes followed by a live question and answer session afterwards. The link giving information on the dates and times (all start at 4pm) and how to sign up to these is below and I really cannot recommend them enough. TRS Webinars (chester.ac.uk)
A good piece of research: How are young British Sikhs being brought up as Sikhs?
This half term’s research summary is linked to the Sikhi worldview. It is a fascinating insight into how young Sikhs (18-30 year olds) are learning about their faith. There are a variety of ways this is occurring which often lies outside of what might be classed as traditional formats. I also like the way it discusses and explores how various influences shape how a person understands and engages with their faith helping to emphasise diversity within those who are young British Sikhi. I can see how this would be relevant to those of you who are studying the Sikhi worldview at A level but also at GCSE and Key Stage Three. Short summaries or the whole piece of work itself could be used with your students in the classroom. It is also useful for those of you who just want to expand your knowledge and understanding of this area. The link to the summary of this piece which contains details of how you can access the full article can be found at: How are young British Sikhs being brought up as Sikhs? – RE:ONLINE (reonline.org.uk)
A good listen: In our time, BBC Radio 4
Every year when I teach Religious Language in the A level students really struggle to understand the contributions of the Vienna Circle, the Falsification Symposium and Wittgenstein. I am therefore always on the lookout for what I could use to help them understand this further and also help me to develop my subject knowledge. I therefore really love the programmes that link to this on radio’s 4 In our Time. The first one is on Wittgenstein but there are also others that link to the Vienna Circle. I would recommend that you listen to these in order to develop your own background knowledge but also share these with your students if they want to explore this area further. The link to the one on Wittgenstein is: BBC Radio 4 – In Our Time, Wittgenstein and on the Logical Positivists it is: BBC Radio 4 – In Our Time, Logical Positivism I have also found this one to be useful as well: BBC Radio 4 – In Our Time, Ordinary Language Philosophy
Rachael Jackson-Royal is head of department of RE and is the exams and higher education officer on the NATRE executive.