St Giles' Centre

Assisted dying, Ethics and the climate crisis, and more in Challenging Religious Issues

Issue 21 of the popular journal for A-level students and teachers has been published on the St Giles’ Centre website today. Challenging Religious Issues is packed once again with short articles on a whole range of issues. Find out more about Ethics and the Climate Crisis, Christian Perspectives on the Meaning of Death and Life in the Assisted Dying Debate, Hindu Attitudes towards Women, and Gender Equality in Islam as well as other informed articles.

Details of the articles are summarised below, where you will also find a link to the free journal.

What Questions Can We Ask about Jesus’ Birth Narratives? by Jane Heath

People ask many questions about the birth narratives in the Gospels, but we should be cautious to try to focus on the questions that the narratives can answer. We cannot prove from them what actually happened or how exactly Jesus was conceived, but we can see how early Christians found meaning in the events that had taken place among them, and how that meaning communicated to them God’s interaction with the world in the incarnation of his Son.

Studying the Gospels: A Situational Approach by James M. M. Francis

This article presents a framework for studying the Gospels informed by reflection on human identity, meaning and purpose. The framework is briefly described and then applied to each of the Four Gospels in the New Testament. Working with such a framework arguably contributes to what is sometimes described as doing theology from below.

Religion and History by William K. Kay

Religious history is a branch of general history, and the same types of evidence are used in both cases. Different types of information about the past must be blended into coherent narratives and these narratives will be driven by implicit philosophies of history. Some religions have a much stronger anchorage in historical events than others, but all religions have been influenced by the rise of science since the 17th century CE.

Ethics and the Climate Crisis by Robert Song

This article explores some central issues in environmental ethics. It starts by thinking about what ethical questions we should ask in relation to the climate crisis, and then considers where the responsibility lies for it. Finally, it draws a distinction between optimism and hope, and provides some suggestions for how we might go about living more hopefully.

‘In the Midst of Life we are in Death’: Christian Perspectives on the Meaning of Death and Life in the Assisted Dying Debate by Sam Hole

This article lays out key aspects of the Christian understanding of death and dying, in order to cast new light on contested issues in the assisted dying debate.

After Anselm: St Bonaventure and the Remaking of the Ontological Argument by William Crozier

This article explores the reception of Anselm’s ontological argument within the thought of Thomas Aquinas’ Franciscan colleague, Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, and his attempt to reconcile it with versions of the cosmological argument.

Faithful Wives and Fierce Goddesses: Hindu Attitudes towards Women by Steven Jacobs

This article addresses two seemingly contradictory representations of women. The first is the idea of the perfect wife who is subservient to her husband. This concept of womanhood is epitomised by the story of Sītā, in the epic tale the Rāmāyaṇa, who faithfully follows her husband into exile. However, in contrast, the fiercely independent and macabre goddess Kālī, who is represented as transgressing social norms, seems to be the antithesis of the submissive Sītā.

Is Buddhism Pessimistic? by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro

Early Western scholars equated Buddhism with pessimism mostly owing to its inclusion of ‘suffering’ amongst the ‘noble’ truths. What Buddhists actually mean by suffering is indicated by its categorisation of dukkha – which includes physical suffering, mental suffering arising from the changing nature of existence and suffering inherent in the building-blocks of human existence. Although Buddhism portrays suffering as dire, it is defended against the charge of pessimism by accentuation of positive features of human existence, and the emphasis in Four Noble Truths on the end of suffering and the path to this.

Gender Equality in Islam: Possibilities and Limitations by Shama Ajoubi and Fariza Bisaeva

Already a heated topic, the subject of gender equality becomes even more so when it comes to Islam. Some believe Muslim gender equality an oxymoron because of Islam’s irrevocably patriarchal nature. Others believe that Islam has already given all the rights there are for women and thus is not in need of any ‘modern projects’ like gender equality. Both extreme positions share a view of Islam as static and unchangeable. This article sets out to introduce a third perspective, which aims to focus on the spirit of Islam when it comes to gender equality and asks the question how the realisation of this spirit could look today.

Read the latest issue here:

English issue Download

The Welsh version is available soon.

Yes, Religion, Values and Ethics really matters!

A short film was released on 18 November to promote the value of Religion, Values and Ethics in the Curriculum for Wales. Aimed at young people, schools, parents / guardians, and others with an interest in Religion, Values and Ethics, the film shows how Religion, Values and Ethics really is a part of everyday life in Wales.

Awen, a young girl and star of the film, takes viewers through some of her big questions which are relevant to Religion, Values and Ethics. In her words: “Exploring big questions like these helps us to think critically about our world and the people in it. At the same time, we can develop our own beliefs and values, and be prepared for life and work in this fast-changing and diverse world.”

The film has been created for the Wales Association of SACREs (WASACRE) by Fresh Gecko Productions. Libby Jones and Tania ap Siôn (Co-Directors of the St Giles’ Centre in Wrexham) were both closely involved in the development and scripting of the film, working with teacher and advisor colleagues.

The film is available on YouTube and the WASACRE On Demand Conference resources page.

Major national conference on RVE and the Curriculum for Wales to be held in Wrexham

The Wales Association of SACREs / SACs is planning a full programme of events for their forthcoming RVE Conference, which will take place during the summer term 2024.

The WASACRE Conference 2024 is a major national initiative supporting and promoting RVE within the Curriculum for Wales. It includes the Conference Day itself in June and also a series of online seminars for practitioners, SACREs / SACs, RVE advisers and ITE students pre- and post-conference day.

All events are free to SACREs / SACs which are members of the Wales Association of SACRE / SACs and their schools.

The Conference Day will held at Wrexham University on Thursday, 13 June 2024. The Minster for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS will open the Conference with a keynote speech.

The aims of Conference 2024 include:

celebrating RVE in the Curriculum for Wales;
providing significant professional learning opportunities for SACREs / SACs who are members of WASACRE and their schools;
offering opportunities to raise and discuss issues that really matter for RVE in Wales;
making connections and sharing insights across Wales.

Book your place: Online booking form

Download conference flyers:

Bilingual-Conference-2024-Flyers-PDF Download

Supporting planning and progression in Wrexham primary schools: A collaborative RVE project

The St Giles’ Centre is pleased to announce the start of an exciting collaborative RVE project to support teachers’ professional development focussing on planning and progression across Wrexham primary schools. This project is funded and facilitated by the St Giles’ Centre, working in partnership with the St Asaph Diocese.

The objectives of the project are to:

develop a collaborative professional learning network for RVE;
develop teachers’ professional understanding of progression within RVE;
work together exploring in detail the Principles of Progression and the RVE Learning Journeys; and
explore how learners’ integral skills might develop and progress from early years up to Year 6.

Participating schools include: All Saints’ Church in Wales Voluntary Aided School, Gresford; Gwersyllt County Primary School; St Mary’s Church in Wales Voluntary Aided School, Overton; St Peter’s Church in Wales Primary School, Rossett; Wats Dyke County Primary.

We are very grateful to our enthusiastic schools, and hope to be able to share project insights and outcomes more widely later in the year!

Welsh version of Challenging Religious Issues published

The Welsh language version of Challenging Religious Issues (20) has now been published.

Articles include:

Virtue Ethics in Business Organisations by Professor Geoff Moore
In the first part of this two-part article a brief summary of virtue ethics is provided before turning to construct a framework of practices, institutions, goods and virtues that Alasdair MacIntyre offers in his book After Virtue. In the second part, the implications of this framework for business organisations are explored.

Making Sense of Non-religion: Revisiting Secularisation from the Other Side … by Professor Matthew Guest
This article considers the question of secularisation from the point of view of those who identify as ‘non-religious’ and asks what this label might mean.

Was Hinduism Invented? by Dr Stephen Jacobs
This article addresses how and when Hinduism was conceived as a distinctive religion that could be compared with other religions. While the roots of Hinduism may possibly be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation (c.2500BCE–1700BCE), the term ‘Hinduism’ was not widely used until the 19th century. The article focuses on the encounter between Indians and Europeans during the colonial period, which was the context for the emergence of the idea of Hinduism as a coherent and unified religious tradition.

Should Buddhists abandon rites and rituals? by Phra Dr Nicholas Thanissaro
Although rites and rituals appear to be widespread in traditional Buddhism, some ambiguity surrounds whether historically ceremonies were to be encouraged or abandoned, especially when ‘adherence to rites and rituals’ is listed amongst the fetters holding a practitioner back from enlightenment. This debate has resurfaced in present-day Western Buddhism where those influenced by Protestantism tend to deprioritise ceremony in favour of meditation. This article examines possible attitudes to ceremony that can reconcile both sides of the argument.

Sikh Discernment of the Divine by Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar
This article focuses on the Sikh perspective on the nature and discernment of the Divine. Teachings from the Guru Granth Sahib portray the Ultimate Divine as gender-free, formless and experienced through the senses – especially by the process of ‘seeing’ the Divine [darśan]. The devotees’ experience of the Divine (often referred to as Waheguru) is compared to the blissful union with one’s Beloved. This union is understood as the mechanism by which the devotee can elevate their consciousness from the worldly [manmukh] to the Divine [gurmukh]. This personal relationship with the Divine is explained as experiencing this essence within, rather than looking for the Divine in spaces external to the body.

Read / download issue 20 of the journal here:

Challenging Religious Issues 20 (Welsh)Download

Challenging Religious Issues 20 (English)Download

All Things Considered: Looking to the future with Religion, Values and Ethics in Wales

On Sunday 17 September, Libby Jones from the St Giles’ Centre in Wrexham took part in the BBC radio programme ‘All Things Considered’, which also included the Rt Revd Mary Stallard (Bishop of Llandaff and former co-director of the St Giles’ Centre).

The programme explored Religion, Values and Ethics in the new Curriculum for Wales, and discussed some of its implications for young people, schools and society in Wales and beyond. Also considered were the falling numbers of students opting for Religious Studies qualifications in Wales.

You can listen to and download the 28-minute programme by following this link:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001qk15

Read about the latest challenging religious issues in our on-line journal

Issue 20 of Challenging Religious Issues is now available for free download on the St Giles’ Centre website. In this latest issue, academic experts introduce and reflect upon five more challenging religious issues for teachers and students, including: Virtue ethics in business; Making sense of ‘non-religion’; Was Hinduism invented?; Should Buddhists abandon rites and rituals?; and Sikh discernment of the divine.

Brief article descriptions and a direct link to issue 20 of the journal are provided below:

Virtue Ethics in Business Organisations by Professor Geoff Moore

In the first part of this two-part article a brief summary of virtue ethics is provided before turning to construct a framework of practices, institutions, goods and virtues that Alasdair MacIntyre offers in his book After Virtue. In the second part, the implications of this framework for business organisations are explored.

Making Sense of Non-religion: Revisiting Secularisation from the Other Side … by Professor Matthew Guest

This article considers the question of secularisation from the point of view of those who identify as ‘non-religious’ and asks what this label might mean.

Was Hinduism Invented? by Dr Stephen Jacobs

This article addresses how and when Hinduism was conceived as a distinctive religion that could be compared with other religions. While the roots of Hinduism may possibly be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation (c.2500BCE–1700BCE), the term ‘Hinduism’ was not widely used until the 19th century. The article focuses on the encounter between Indians and Europeans during the colonial period, which was the context for the emergence of the idea of Hinduism as a coherent and unified religious tradition.

Should Buddhists abandon rites and rituals? by Phra Dr Nicholas Thanissaro

Although rites and rituals appear to be widespread in traditional Buddhism, some ambiguity surrounds whether historically ceremonies were to be encouraged or abandoned, especially when ‘adherence to rites and rituals’ is listed amongst the fetters holding a practitioner back from enlightenment. This debate has resurfaced in present-day Western Buddhism where those influenced by Protestantism tend to deprioritise ceremony in favour of meditation. This article examines possible attitudes to ceremony that can reconcile both sides of the argument.

Sikh Discernment of the Divine by Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar

This article focuses on the Sikh perspective on the nature and discernment of the Divine. Teachings from the Guru Granth Sahib portray the Ultimate Divine as gender-free, formless and experienced through the senses – especially by the process of ‘seeing’ the Divine [darśan]. The devotees’ experience of the Divine (often referred to as Waheguru) is compared to the blissful union with one’s Beloved. This union is understood as the mechanism by which the devotee can elevate their consciousness from the worldly [manmukh] to the Divine [gurmukh]. This personal relationship with the Divine is explained as experiencing this essence within, rather than looking for the Divine in spaces external to the body.

Read / download the journal here:

Challenging Religious Issues 20 (English)Download

Latest issue of Wales A-level journal available in Welsh and English

The Welsh version of Challenging Religious Issues, issue 19, has now been published online. You can access both the Welsh and English versions for free by following this link:

https://stgilescentre.org/16-2/

Articles included in the latest issue

Mindfulness and McMindfulness

Mindfulness and meditation are part of the way Buddhists shape and express their religious identity. Mindfulness has become more ‘mainstream’ recently in Western society as a means of therapy for specific health disorders and also to promote subjective wellbeing – leading to an understanding of mindfulness that contrasts with that of traditional Buddhists. This essay seeks to describe the three phases of adaptation of mindfulness in the West, while sketching how meditation and mindfulness are understood more traditionally, the tensions ‘commercial’ mindfulness has created for the community of traditional Buddhist practitioners, and diverse ways these issues have been resolved in the present.

The Morality of Forgiveness

Forgiveness has become a focus of discussion among contemporary theologians and philosophers. This article looks at the place of resentment in forgiveness, what forgiveness is not and three different kinds of responses that people call ‘forgiving’. Each of the responses is evaluated.

What can the 2021 Census Really Tell us about the Religious Composition of England and Wales?

This article draws on the headline statistics from the religion question in the 2021 census for England and Wales in order to examine what can and what cannot be deduced from these statistics, and to explore why the religion question remains an important part of mapping the ‘social and civil condition’ of the population in the 21st century. The inclusion of this question in the census is evidence of the continuing public significance of religion.

A Process-Relational Theology

Ancient Greek views on what the world is like have served as the foundation for classical Christian views on what God is like. Unfortunately, this world-view is outdated and has contributed to an incoherent theology that is increasingly unpalatable for young generations. If 21st century Christianity is to remain compelling, it will need to articulate a view of God that is consistent with modern scientific insights, personal experiences and basic intuitions. Doing so will require a new philosophical foundation — an alternative to the Ancient Greek world-view. That is what process-relational theology seeks to do. This essay offers a brief critique of classical theism and an introduction to the process-relational view of God.

James Lovelock and the Gaia Hypothesis

James Lovelock and others have argued that biological life on Earth affects the physical and chemical conditions of the atmosphere, oceans and other environmental variables, in a way that keeps the environment constant and in a state comfortable for life. This article explores and critiques this ‘Gaia hypothesis’.

Christian Eschatological Engagement with the Book of Revelation: From Apocalypse to Amillennialism

The Book of Revelation offers up some of the most graphic depictions of a fiery judgement set to befall humanity at an undetermined point in the future. These images speak vividly of the context from which Revelation emerged and have presented Christians in subsequent centuries with much to consider about how to relate them to their own times. This article takes a look at both this period of emergence and Revelation’s subsequent interpretation.

The Psalms as a Guide for Christian Living

This article offers an introduction to the Psalms and their place within the biblical tradition. It raises some issues about the understanding of God which emerges from the Psalms, what religious experiences can be discerned in them and how their religious language is used. There then follows a more detailed explanation of parts of two Psalms and a look at the way Christians use the Psalms in communal worship and prayer, and whether they serve as a guide for Christian living.

RVE national professional learning resources showcased at Welsh Government Policy Insight Event

If you missed the Welsh Government Policy Insight Event on 25 April 2023, showcasing the recently published national professional learning resources for religion, values and ethics (RVE), you can now view the recording on Hwb by following this link:

https://hwb.gov.wales/repository/resource/e596f967-e005-43ee-b8b2-ffa2cd9bb4a6/en

The event was very well attended with almost 100 attendees. St Giles’ Centre staff, Libby Jones and Tania ap Sion, are part of the Wales Association of SACREs’ Team working with the Welsh Government and teachers from across Wales in the creation of these resources.

As well as the RVE professional learning resources, other resources presented at the Policy Insight Event included: World Education Summit, UNCRC/UNCRPD, and DARPL.

Remember that you can access the first batch of the advertised resources here:

https://hwb.gov.wales/repository/resource/eef7e399-93bb-4d7c-ab68-145c93f4c6d3

We encourage Wrexham schools and teachers to have a look through these important resources, which have gone through a rigorous quality assurance process and are fully aligned with the Curriculum for Wales.

A second batch of RVE resources will be published soon!

Qualifications Wales consultation: The full 14-16 qualifications offer

The closing date for the Qualifications Wales consultation on the full 14-16 qualifications offer is:

Wednesday, 14 June 2023

It is important that as many organisations and individuals as possible respond to ensure the best possible outcomes for RVE.

WASACRE has recorded a short video presentation to explain why this consultation is so important to RVE and to present the proposals being offered.

Link to the WASACRE video:

wasacre.org.uk/news/

Consultation links:
English: https://haveyoursay.qualifications.wales/hub-page/the-full-14-16-offer
Welsh: https://dweudeichdweud.cymwysterau.cymru/hub-page/cefndir-y-cynnig-llawn-14-16