Religion and popular culture, gender, and feminist theology in Challenging Religious Issues

Religion and popular culture, gender, and feminist theology are some of the topics discussed in the journal Challenging Religious Issues (Issue 14). The St Giles’ Centre has recently translated and published the Welsh version of this issue (the English version was published in Autumn 2018).

A summary of the content of the articles is provided below. You can download both Welsh and English versions here.

Atonement: Experience, Story, Theory? by Professor Jeff Astley

The article explores the status of Christian accounts of atonement, including reference to issues of ‘objectivity’ and ‘subjectivity’.

Religion and Popular Culture by Professor Clive Marsh

Helping students to understand how religion ‘and’ popular culture relate raises vexing questions from the start. The ‘and’ implies they are separate, as if popular culture has no religion within it, and that religion is somehow detached from culture. So, it may be assumed that popular culture is ‘secular’ or (even worse) neutral with regard to religion or values. From another angle, popular culture may appear more interesting (or more entertaining) than religion – especially for non-religious students. Or it may be deemed distracting or dangerous to religious students, or to students from religious families who are wrestling with the tension, and sheer difference, between ‘life at home’ and ‘life in school/college’. In this article I offer simple reflections and suggestions for addressing such issues, being convinced that it is crucially important for students to be looking carefully at the relationship – fruitful and constructive as well as tense and sometimes problematic – between these two ‘worlds’.

‘Impersonating Beyonce is Not Your Destiny, Child’: Reflections on Feminist Theology by Dr Hayley Matthews

The article explores the range of Christian theological positions on gender.

Richard Swinburne on the Soul by Professor Jeff Astley

The article summarises Swinburne’s defence of substance dualism, and his account of life after death and personal identity.

Qualified for the future: Reports published on the ‘new generation’ of GCSEs for Wales

Today, four major reports have been published by Qualifications Wales. These form an important part of the on-going process of reviewing and reforming GCSEs in Wales in light of the new Curriculum for Wales.

In response to the public consultation on qualifications for 14- to 16-year-old learners in Wales (27 January – 16 April 2021), the main headline news for the Humanities (including RE/RVE) is that Qualifications Wales:

  • will create new GCSEs in Business, Geography, History, Religious Studies, and Social Studies; but
  • will not create a new GCSE in Humanities.

Qualifications Wales are holding two ‘open to all’ webinar events to present the consultation findings and decisions. (14 October, 15.00-16.00 and 15 October, 11.00-12.00). You can book your place on these webinars here. Recordings of the events will be made available later on the Qualifications Wales website.

What happens next? Qualifications Wales: “The next year of intensive collaboration will deliver proposals by summer 2022 for new qualifications that will be ready for learners in 2025”.

Read in detail the reports on the consultation results and the decisions here.
(Note: Religious Studies is found in the Humanities section of the reports.)

Let’s tell our stories – The positive impact of religion in education (Klingenthal 2021)

St Giles’ Centre staff are looking forward to participating in a special Europe-wide, online interactive event on 21 October 2021 (1-5pm BST).

The Intereuropean Commission on Church and School (ICCS) and the Coordinating Group for Religion in Education in Europe (CoGREE) have created an exciting programme on the theme: ‘Let’s tell our stories – the positive impact of religion in education’.

The event is described as an opportunity to: “identify arguments and narratives, which can demonstrate why religion in education matters. We will learn about communication strategies, the power of storytelling and about how to wrap the identified arguments in an appealing story.”

Dr Werner Hausmann (University Erlangen-Nürnberg) will be presenting on ‘Public religious education’ and Lena Ohm (coach and journalist) on ‘Storytelling – a framework’. Practical engagements through workshops then follow.

‘Let’s tell our stories – the positive impact of religion in education’ was originally planned to be in-person, spanning five days at the beautiful Klingenthal Château, Alsace. Sadly, due to the Pandemic, this has not been possible, but we welcome this online alternative event.

If you want to join this free online event, further information and online registration can be found here. The last day for registration is: 4 October 2021.

Aliens, Christian art, the soul, and implicit religion in Challenging Religious Issues

Aliens, Christian art, the soul, and implicit religion are just some of the topics discussed in the journal Challenging Religious Issues (Issue 16). The St Giles’ Centre has recently translated and published the Welsh version of this issue (the English version was published in Spring 2020).

A summary of the content of the articles is provided below. You can download both Welsh and English versions here.

Aliens: Ecclesiology and 1 Peter by Dr John Holdsworth

1981 saw the beginnings of a new direction in the study of 1 Peter, which hitherto had appeared to have reached an impasse. Sociological studies by Elliott and Goppelt have charted a new way forward that has helped to highlight the theology of 1 Peter, and particularly its ecclesiology, and which have helped redefine ecclesiological study. This has also provided new hermeneutical possibility.

The Nativity and Crucifixion in Christian Art: Encounter, Interpretation and Devotion by Dr Bridget Nichols

The article discusses the role of Christian art in forming Christian identity and devotional patterns, focusing on the birth of Christ and his crucifixion.

Mind, Brain and the Unifying Soul by Dr Mark Graves

The article presents an overview of the historical development of the concept of the soul in Western philosophy and theology, and in the context of current scientific perspectives.

Implicit Religion: A New Approach to the Study of Religion? by Dr Francis Stewart

The article argues that one change brought to the study of religion by the development and ultimate failure of the secularisation thesis was a new approach that sought to answer the question, ‘What is secular religion?’ This approach was Implicit Religion, whose origin, nature and significance are discussed here.

The Ineffable Mystery of God? by Professor Jeff Astley

The article explores the concepts of God’s ineffability, transcendence and mystery, with particular reference to religious experience and religious language.

Made in the Image of God: Experiences of a Woman with Disability in Nigeria by Jessie Fubara-Manuel and Elijah Obinna

This article discusses the Christian affirmation that humanity (with or without disabilities) is made in the image of God. For persons with disabilities (PWDs), this assertion is assuring and could provide basis for society’s collective journey towards equality, dignity and justice for all persons.

Agored Cymru Level 2 Award in Exploring Worldviews

Agored Cymru has a new Level 2 award, which focuses on exploring religious and non-religious worldviews. (The Level 1 award will be available shortly.)

This new suite of qualifications entitled Exploring Worldviews has been designed for 14- to 16-year-old learners, and aims to help develop skills, knowledge and experiences important for young people to live and work successfully in a diverse and rapidly changing society. Exploring Worldviews is able to support a flexible learning and teaching approach to statutory Religious Education (and Religion, Values and Ethics), when learners have not opted for GCSE Religious Studies. It is intended to be very different from the GCSE qualifications, which will not be affected by this development.

The Level 2 units now available include:

  • Understanding Worldview
  • Exploring my Worldview
  • Ultimate Questions
  • Medical Ethics
  • Ethics of Sport and Leisure
  • Worldviews in my Community

Along with colleagues from Wrexham and Swansea local authorities, the St Giles’ Centre initiated and was involved in creating this new suite of qualifications in order to help increase options available to Wrexham schools when delivering statutory Religious Education (and Religion, Values and Ethics).

Further information about this qualification is available here.

European news for Church and School

Those working in the field of Church and School may be interested to read the July 2021 newsletter from the Intereuropean Commission on Church and School (ICCS) and the International Association for Christian Education (IV).

Articles include the latest news from:

  • ICCS and IV;
  • Coordinating Group for Religion in Education in Europe (CoGREE) and its member organisations;
  • Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE).

Published on the ICCS* website, the newsletter can be accessed here.

* The Intereuropean Commission on Church and School (ICCS) is a network, created in 1958, which aims to provide a framework for cooperation in monitoring and developing church and school issues in Europe. It brings together representatives and experts from research, practice and policy working on religion and education.

Exploring Cynefin: the St Giles’ Centre offers professional learning opportunity

On 7 July 2021, a group of RE specialist teachers and leaders from Wrexham and Flintshire met to explore cynefin in the new curriculum for Wales. The aims of the session were:

• to support preparation for the new curriculum;
• to begin to uncover and deepen our knowledge and experience of cynefin;
• to encourage creativity and confidence in approaching cynefin in planning.

The Curriculum for Wales places great emphasis on cynefin, which is important within the Humanities Area and is identified as a disciplinary concept in RVE. The session provided an opportunity for participants to engage in research-based reflective practice to open up their thinking about cynefin, and they received resources and a certificate of participation from the St Giles’ Centre and its partner organisations, Wrexham County Borough Council and Bishop Grosseteste University.

The Centre looks forward to sharing more resources and professional learning with practitioners next academic year.

Consultation for Curriculum for Wales Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE) Guidance: Wrexham SACRE response

Thank you to all of you who shared with us views about the draft Curriculum for Wales Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE) Guidance Consultation. Your voice matters and the St Giles’ Centre is committed to sharing Wrexham experiences and opinions at local and national levels.

You may be interested to read the Wrexham SACRE response to the consultation here.

The deadline for submitting your own response to the consultation is 16 July 2021.

Welsh version of Challenging Religious Issues 18 now published

Issue 18 (Welsh version) of the journal Challenging Religious Issues (Herio Materion Crefyddol) supporting AS / A-level learners and teachers has recently been published.

Welsh articles include:

  • Jesus’ public ministry;
  • Hume’s criticism of the argument from (to) design;
  • the impact of Covid-19 on Christianity in the UK.

Visit our 16+ resources page to get free access to the latest journal issue (and all the back issues).

New issue of A-level Religious Studies journal now available: Challenging Religious Issues

Issue 18 of the open access A-level journal, Challenging Religious Issues is now available for download from the St Giles’ Centre website.

Articles discuss:

  • Jesus’ public ministry;
  • Hume’s criticism of the argument from (to) design;
  • the impact of Covid-19 on Christianity in the UK.

Established in 2013, Challenging Religious Issues is designed to support teachers and students engaged in A-level Religious Studies, bringing recent and relevant scholarship and research from the University into the A-level classroom. The journal is also of interest to anyone wanting to expand or deepen their subject knowledge more generally.

The Welsh-language edition of Challenging Religious Issues will be published online later this term.

Access the latest issue of the journal (and all the back issues) here.

English (UK)
English (UK) Cymraeg