The RE Podcast: Recent Episodes
Louisa Jane Smith
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In this episode, I speak with Mandeep Singh, trustee and volunteer at Khalsa Jatha British Isles, the oldest gurdwara in Europe (established in 1908), and co-founder of Gurdwara Aid. Together we explore some of the depth and nuance of Sikhi that is often overlooked in RE classrooms, challenging common misconceptions and offering more authentic ways to teach the tradition.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why Sikhi is not a fusion of Hindu Dharma and Islam, but a distinct tradition whose scripture draws together over 1,000 years of spiritual wisdom from people of many faiths and backgrounds.
- How Sikhs understand truth as something to become, rather than simply something to believe.
- The significance of the Mool Mantar, and why the question that follows it ("How do I become truthful?") is just as important as the opening declaration itself.
- The Sikh understanding of the Divine, including the concepts of Sargun and Nirgun, and why words such as Divine often communicate Sikh theology more accurately than simply saying God.
- Why equality is fundamentally a theological belief in Sikhi—not just an ethical principle—and how this shapes practices such as langar and seva.
- The meaning of the saint-soldier ideal and why Sikh symbols such as the kirpan represent far more than physical weapons.
- The three broad ways Sikhs may identify themselves today (Amritdhari, Keshdhari and Sehajdhari Sikhs).
- The importance of using authentic Sikh vocabulary in the classroom, including:
- Sikhi rather than Sikhism
- Guru as an enlightener rather than simply a teacher
- Divine rather than God where appropriate
- Dharamsala as the historic name for what is now commonly called a gurdwara.
- Why Sikhi is not opposed to ritual itself, but to rituals that have become empty or mechanical.
- The concepts of Gurmukh, Bhagti, virtuous habits and spiritual transformation.
- The Sikh understanding of the Four Ages (Yugas) and its cyclical view of time.
- The rich but often overlooked history of Sikhs in Britain, including:
- Maharaja Duleep Singh and Princess Sophia Duleep Singh
- Sikh contributions during both World Wars
- The Battle of Saragarhi
- Notable British Sikhs including Hardit Singh Malik and Narinder Singh Kapany.
- The importance of accurately representing Sikhi in the media and in RE, particularly when discussing recent events.
Resources mentioned
- Khalsa Jatha British Isles (Holland Park, London) – Britain's oldest gurdwara and an excellent destination for school visits.
https://www.khalsajatha.com/home
- Gurdwara Aid – supporting gurdwaras and Sikh organisations across the UK.
https://gurdwaraaid.org/
- The Gurdwara Handbook – a comprehensive operational guide for gurdwaras covering governance, safeguarding, finance, food safety and much more.
https://gurdwarahandbook.com/the-handbook/
- The Churning – Mandeep Singh's Substack exploring life, wisdom and the Guru Granth Sahib through personal reflection.
https://thechurning.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web
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I met Anne Nadel at Westminster Synagogue at the AREIAC face to face. She told me she was a reform convert married to an Orthodox husband. Listen as a chat to Anne and her husband, Simon, about how they met and how they have navigated family life. We discuss the differences between Orthodox and reform, how you convert to Judaism and why converts are highly respected in Judaism. But also we see there is more than unites them than they disagree on and this is a beautiful lesson from this marriage built on equality and respect!
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If you have come across Laurie Rosenberg before, you won't have forgotten him. If you haven't had the pleasure then you will love this chat. Laurie is a Jewish Educator who is able to move from the profound to the frivilous with natural ease. We discuss;
- His work as a Jewish educator
- The importance of good RE
- Why teaching Judaism is an important part of RE and how we can do that well
- Spiritual intelligence
- His Jewish identity and what it is like to be a Jewish person in modern Britain
- his work with the Holocaust Education Trust and the arresting parallels between anti semitism in Nazi Germany and today.
Links mentioned in the episode;
www.hopenothate.org.uk
www.het.org.uk
www.survivorfilm.com
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There has been lot in the news recently that is trying to cause hatred towards the Sikh community because of the actions of one Sikh who acted against strongly held Sikh beliefs and values. While we recorded this before the tragic death of Henry Novak, many of the points we discuss are a powerful counter to the attacks of the Sikh faith. Please note there are many mistakes in the reporting of this story, most significantly that a Kirpan was used as the weapon. This simply isn't true. While the perpetrator presented as a Sikh, the weapon attributed to the crime was a straight, 8 inch blade as opposed to the smaller, curved blunt ceremonial sword known as a Kirpan. The Kirpan is a symbol of standing up against injustice and must never be used as a weapon.
This diverse group of Sikhs discuss diversity but focus on what unites them which is a belief in the oneness of God (Ok Onkar), service, equality and earning a good living.
I chat to Amy Ark, Jatinder Loyal, Harry Singh Panesar, Kuljinda Shokar about hair, names, Sikh history, Sewa, equality, marriage, the role of men and women, how to (and how not to teach Sikhi) and an all important reveal at the end of the episode....
Glossary
Sikh (pro. Sick): The follower
Sicki (pro. Sicky): The name of the religion
Gurdwara: Doorway to the Guru
Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Gru Granth sub gee): Living guru
Sewa (pro. sevva) - Selfless service
Anand Karaj - Sikh wedding ceremony
Hukam (pro, hookum): Wisdom/commandment
Bhai Kanhaiya: Gave water to enemy soldiers while in battle
Websites
https://www.pinkladoo.org/
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To celebrate the first Jewish Culture Month, I invite Anna Silver onto the podcast to talk about diversity in Judaism. To find out more about Jewish Culture Month, go to;
https://jewishculturemonth.org.uk/
Anna Silver is Education Officer at the Board of Deputies of British Jews and she is a wealth of knowledge on this topic.
We discuss;
- Mistakes when teaching Judaism;
- The interplay of culture, ethnicity and nationality with Jewish identity
- Ideological diversity in Judaism
- Messianic Judaism
- Clarification on holy texts
It is a rich conversation that I hope will support your teaching of authentic and diverse Judaism.
https://jewishmuseum.org.uk/schools/in-the-classroom/inclusive-judaism/
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Calling all students of AQA GCSE RE!
So Paper 2 is on Wednesday, what are the last minute things you can do tonight to make sure you are ready for your last RE exam?
First of all, don't worry, you've got this.
But let's quickly go through what to expect in the paper, how to answer each type of question, some key concepts, some power quotes and some advice for timing!
GOOD LUCK from the RE Podcast!
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Calling all students of AQA GCSE RE!
So Paper 1 is tomorrow, what are the last minute things you can do tonight to make sure you are ready for your first RE exam?
First of all, don't worry, you've got this.
But let's quickly go through what to expect in the paper tomorrow, how to answer each type of question, some key concepts, some power quotes and some advice for timing!
GOOD LUCK from the RE Podcast!
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Questionning is at the very heart of who we are as humans as well as the RE classroom. Following on from my chat with Joe Kinnaird about his new book; Secondary Religious Education in Action, we delve deep into his chapter on questionning. This follows a brilliant talk he gave on this topic at Strictly 2026.
We look at what makes a good question, how to develop a questionning culture in your classroom, how to deal with 'I don't know' responses and disciplinary questionning and much much more.
Joe suggested three places to find our more about questioning;
https://walkthrus.co.uk/
https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/tips-for-teachers-400-ideas-to-improve-your-teaching-book-craig-barton-9781915261472?sku=GOR012775498&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17428061960&gbraid=0AAAAADZzAIB_X2fZbklVC41wEpoZ8vE4H&gclid=CjwKCAjw5NvPBhAoEiwA_2egfrEtqlutMmcKJqYgJzHERrOlvxHzBA96-aH-57uJj2Xdi-LNMvk1zxoCdj8QAvD_BwE
https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/powerful-questioning-book-michael-chiles-9781785835964?sku=GOR013137016&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19554086773&gbraid=0AAAAADZzAICeyYOLa4w-8GHZNK9_lm8QW&gclid=CjwKCAjw5NvPBhAoEiwA_2egfuwijmAHVumThh9NOjyxi1_JtcM_4HfsDQLCSssHO3AA1725DWl48RoC9WsQAvD_BwE
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In this episode I talk to Farouk Peru about Quranism. I must admit, I didn't know what a Quranist was until the lovely Ruth Marx connected me with Farouk so it is always lovely to learn something new!
We discuss what a Quranist is, and the use of
A - Application of the Qura'n
R - Refutation of criticisms
C - Conversation
We look at how being a Quranist influences practices like prayer and festivals and their take in orthodoxy and orthopraxy (correctness of beliefs and practices), and what methods they use to determine scholarship, as well as the role of Muhammad and the Hadith.
We look at Islamic law and how Qur'anists repond to some laws that have been interpretted harshly by some.
We are always interested in diversity so we look at variations within quranism, even though it is quite a modern trend in Islam.
Finally we look to the future - where is Quranism going?
I hope you learn as much as I did from Farouk.
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Bringing together the latest research and practical strategies for teachers of secondary religious education, Joe Kinnaird draws on his years of teaching experience and passion for high-quality RE to explore a range of ways to deepen pupils’ understanding of religion and worldviews.
This book presents a vision of what it means for students to truly engage with religious education: grappling with philosophical and ethical questions, engaging critically with beliefs and worldviews, and expressing informed responses with accuracy and purpose. Joe makes the case for the importance and value of RE, alongside tips for effective practice in all areas of a RE teacher’s role, such as approaches to curriculum design, teaching disciplinary knowledge and handling controversial topics.
Whether you are beginning your journey into teacher training, an experienced teacher seeking new inspiration, a non-specialist, a subject leader, or a senior leader line-managing RE departments, this book is an essential guide for everyone involved with religious education in the classroom.
For an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT FOR LISTENERS TO THE RE PODCAST use the discount code SRE10
Release date: 17th April 2026
Cost: £16 (£14.40 with discount)
https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/joe-kinnaird-2/secondary-religious-education-in-action/9781915261915/
What is in the book?
What is the subject about?
What are the challenges, debates and perspectives in RE?
What does the research tell us about teaching RE?
What are the different types of knowledge and concepts in RE?
How can you structure an RE curriculum?
How can I explain and model in RE?
What does questioning look like in RE?
What does writing look like in RE?
What does assessment look like in RE?
What does feedback look like in RE?
How can I use texts and scholarship in RE?
How can I teach controversial topics and sensitive topics in RE?
How can I promote RE beyond the classroom?
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One of the highlights of my year is watching BBC Pilgrimage. This is a reality show with heart and depth and authenticity and vulnerability. It’s not seeking drama or action, it’s seeking the best of humanity. The basic premise is that seven celebrities go on a pilgrimage. This year BBC pilgrimage is back for is 8th series and this time it’s the Celtic Christian road to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. The 390km trail through NE England visiting Durham cathedral and discovering all about Cuthbert - the patron saint of Northumbria. Back in March, I had the pleasure of catching up with the pilgrims for a chat;
- Shia Muslim and stand up comedian Hassan Al-Habib
- Christian Ashley Banjo from the dance troupe Diversity
- Previous ultra Orthodox and now a non practicing Jew, Ashley Blaker, comedy writer and producer of little Britain
- Atheist and TV personality, Tasha Ghouri from Love Island and Strictly Come Dancing.
- 'Al la cartes' Catholic and actor Patsy Kensit
- Spiritual presenter Jayne Middlemiss
- Spiritual actor, Hermione Norris from Cold Feet and Spooks
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002trqw
Episode 1: BBC2 on Easter Sunday 5th April at 9pm
Episode 2: BB2 on Easter Monday 6th April 9pm
Episode 3: BBC2 on Tuesday 7th April BBC2 at 9pm
It will then be repeated throughout April and be available in iplayer.
Join us for a live tweet along as the programme is first aired.
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We all love Harry Clark, winner of Traitors season 2 and the deep, authentic. spiritual, curious pilgrim on BBC Pilgrimage. And now he embarks on a new journey - to Rome, to meet the Pope. On 2nd April at 10.40pm on BBC2, join me to watch Harry Clark Goes To Rome;
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002thdy
To find out more I catch up with Harry and have a delightful chat about his faith and what it means to be a catholic. And in true Harry style, he turns the tables on me and asks me about my belief in God. My answer is one I don't think I have ever shared publically.
What our chat on YouTube
https://youtu.be/Oxp5Iw4gBAQ
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A year ago, on 30th March 2025, Dawn was tragically taken from us in a car accident. It was a huge loss to us, her friends, to the RE community as a whole, but mostly to her partner Roy. I catch up with Roy to find out what life as been like over the last year. Amoung the poignant moments of grief we also discuss cats, Marakesh decor, bell ringing, the Green party, life after death, teacher pensions and kindness. Roys advice to us all is to be able to look ourselves in the mirror at the end of the day.
Read Roy's article in RE Today
https://www.retoday.org.uk/school-support/publications/samples/retoday-magazine-vol-43-no-2-now-available/
What makes this moment even more poignant is we are about to find out whether a consensus has been reached for a National Curriculum for RE - something Dawn campaigned tirelessly for. The joy at this landmark moment is tinged with sadness that Dawn cannot see her dream realised, but her fingerprints will be on each page if it is agreed by the DfE.
A NEW DAWN FOR RE (c) Sarah Dennis
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In this episode I unpack Theme F: Religion, human rights and social justice Students should study religious teachings, and religious, philosophical and ethical arguments, relating to the issues that follow, and their impact and influence in the modern world. They should be aware of contrasting perspectives in contemporary British society on all of these issues.
They must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions:
Status of women in religion.
The uses of wealth.
Freedom of religious expression.
Human rights
- Prejudice and discrimination in religion and belief, including the status and treatment within religion of women and those in same sex relationships.
- Issues of equality, freedom of religion and belief including freedom of religious expression.
- Human rights and the responsibilities that come with rights, including the responsibility to respect the rights of others.
- Social justice.
- Racial prejudice and discrimination.
- Ethical arguments related to racial discrimination (including positive discrimination), including those based on the ideals of equality and justice.
Wealth and poverty
- Wealth, including:
- the right attitude to wealth
- the uses of wealth.
- The responsibilities of wealth, including the duty to tackle poverty and its causes.
- Exploitation of those living in poverty including issues relating to:
- fair pay
- excessive interest on loans
- people-trafficking.
- The responsibilities of those living in poverty to help themselves overcome the difficulties they face.
- Charity, including issues related to giving money to those living in poverty
We also look relate this to key exam questions;
06.1 Which one of the following best expresses the religious ideal that everyone should get what they deserve?A Tolerance.
B Prejudice.
C Justice.D Compassion.
06.2 Give one example of what religious believers would see as exploitation of those living in poverty.
unfair pay
4-marker
Explain two different beliefs in contemporary British society about the right of freedom of belief. In your answer you should refer to the main religious tradition of Great Britain and one or more other religious traditions.Some Christians believe it is right to give people freedom of belief today because that is what God has given humans
In Genesis, God gave Adam and Eve free will over whether to obey his rules or not
However, fundamental Christians do not agree with giving people freedom of belief as it is not always a loving action
This is because they believe people will be condemned if they choose the wrong religion
6 marker.
Explain two religious beliefs about the status of women in religion. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.Some Christians believe women have equal status to men in religion as all humans are equal in the eyes of God
This is because the Bible says ‘there is no male, there is no female, we are all one in Christ.
This verse says that gender doesn’t matter as we are all the same in Jesus so men and women have equal status
However, other Christians think God made man and woman separately and differently so have different status
This is shown in the Bible when Eve is told to submit to her husband who will rule over her.
12-marker
‘It is always right to give charity to those living in poverty.’
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Religion, crime and the causes of crime
- Good and evil intentions and actions, including whether it can ever be good to cause suffering.
- Reasons for crime, including:
- poverty and upbringing
- mental health problems and addiction
- greed and hate
- opposition to an unjust law.
- Views about people who break the law for these reasons.
- Views about different types of crime, including hate crimes, theft and murder.
Religion and punishment
- The aims of punishment, including:
- retribution
- deterrence
- reformation.
- The treatment of criminals, including:
- prison
- corporal punishment
- community service.
- Forgiveness.
- The death penalty.
- Ethical arguments related to the death penalty, including those based on the principle of utility and sanctity of life.
Which one of the following expresses the religious idea that one aim of punishment should be to encourage people not to commit any more crimes?
A Reformation.
B Protection.
C Deterrence.
D Reparation.
4 marker f
Explain two different beliefs in contemporary British society about the death penalty for murder. In your answer you should refer to the main religious tradition of Great Britain and one or more other religious traditions.
Some Christians disagree because of the sanctity of life which is a belief that all human life is sacred as we were made in God’s image
Therefore we shouldn’t kill anyone, even a murder as a punishment for their crime
However, some Christians think that the death penalty for murder is a loving action because it makes society safer
This is because there are less murderers in society if they are executed.
6-marker
Explain two religious beliefs about breaking the law in order to get a bad law changed. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.
Some Christians agree with breaking the law in order to get a bad law changed because that is what Jesus did.
In the Bible Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath which was against the law at the time.
This shows that Jesus thinks doing the right thing is more important that following the law
As such Christians like Martin Luther King were willing to break segregation laws as they were unjust.
However, other Christians think it is always wrong to break the law even if it is bad
This is because they believe Christians should follow the law as all authorities are from God
Therefore, if they want to change a bad law, they should do it legally.
12-marker ‘Corporal punishment can never be justified.’
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This week I go through the main content and exam questions needed for GCSE AQA Paper 2 Theme D: Religion, Peace and Conflict
In theme D we should study religious teachings, and religious, philosophical and ethical arguments, relating to the issues that follow, and their impact and influence in the modern world. We should be aware of contrasting perspectives in contemporary British society on all of the issues.
Our three special topics are Violence, weapons of mass destruction and pacifism. For these we must be able to explain contrasting beliefs with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions:
The specification is separated into two sections as are the other themes. The first section is Religion, violence, terrorism and war and the second section is Religion and belief in 21st century conflict.
Give one way in which religious believers help victims of war.
Raise money
4-marker
Explain two different beliefs in contemporary British society about weapons of mass destruction. In your answer you should refer to the main religious tradition of Great Britain and one or more other religious traditions.One Christian belief is that weapons of mass destruction should be owned but not used.
This prevents war therefore saves human lives which is important because they believe in the sanctity of life
A different Christian belief is that they should not be used because they go against the Just War Theory
This states that war should be proportional and using nuclear weapons is not proportional
6 marker
Explain two religious beliefs about forgiveness. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.One Christian belief about forgiveness is that it is an important part of being Christian as it is what Jesus did
This means that in a war, Christians must forgive the enemy
This is shown in the Bible when Jesus said ‘forgive them father for they do not know what they do’.
This shows that like Jesus forgave those who tortured and killed him, Christians must forgive people who kill in a war
Another belief about forgiveness is that it can lead to peace and prevent war
This is because if you have forgiven someone, you will not want to fight them.
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In this episode I will unpack;
3.2.1.3 Theme C: The existence of God and revelation
Philosophical arguments for and against the existence of God
- The Design argument, including its strengths and weaknesses.
- The First Cause argument, including its strengths and weaknesses.
- The argument from miracles, including its strengths and weaknesses, and one example of a miracle.
- Evil and suffering as an argument against the existence of God.
- Arguments based on science against the existence of God.
The nature of the divine and revelation
- Special revelation as a source of knowledge about the divine (God, gods or ultimate reality) including visions and one example of a vision.
- Enlightenment as a source of knowledge about the divine.
- General revelation: nature and scripture as a way of understanding the divine.
- Different ideas about the divine that come from these sources:
- omnipotent and omniscient
- personal and impersonal
- immanent and transcendent.
- The value of general and special revelation and enlightenment as sources of knowledge about the divine, including:
- the problems of different ideas about the divine arising from these experiences
- alternative explanations for the experiences, and the possibility that the people who claimed to have them were lying or mistaken.
https://www.lourdes-france.com/en/antonietta-raco-72nd-lourdes-miracle/
Explain two different beliefs in contemporary British society about visions. In your answer you should refer to the main religious tradition of Great Britain and non-religious beliefs.
Most Christians believe visions are a valid way that God reveals truth to his people.
This is because there is evidence of visions in the Bible for example when Mary saw a vision of an angel who told her she would give birth to Jesus
However, most non-religious people do not think visions are a valid way of understanding what is true
This is because there is no proof of that vision happening and the person's account may be unreliable
Explain two religious beliefs about miracles. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.
One Christian belief is that miracles demonstrate God’s omnipotence which means he is all powerful.
This is because only an all powerful God could perform miracles
An example of a miracle that shows God’s power is the resurrection of Jesus in the Bible
This shows the miracle of Jesus coming back to life after death which could only be done though the power of God
Another belief is that miracles show God’s omnibenevolence which means he is all loving
This is because an all loving God would want to heal people as an expression of that love.
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Last year, Ofsted published it's new inspection framework and the word that weaves through everything is INCLUSION. It is now a separate area of inspection. And the list of students we need to include is broader than before.
So how do we help ALL students in our classrooms to achieve, belong and thrive - the three words in the back of every Ofsted Inspectors mind.
Surprisingly, very little research has been done into how to support SEND in our mainstream RE classrooms. Luckily, the answer isn't as difficult or as time consuming as you might think.
'If we get it right for vulnerable students, we get it right for all' This quote by Sir Martyn Oliver sums up the message in this episode. Quality First Teaching is what helps ALL students, particularly those with barriers to learning.
In this episode I give the current stats on SEND student, look at the areas in the renewed Ofsted guidelines that are relevant to inclusion, look at how to plan for SEND students, how to resource for them, design powerpoints for them, support them with the right pedagogy and when to give bespoke support. I also look at how you can create an atmosphere in your class that promotes students with poor mental health.
And I give specific examples of what that might look like in RE.
I really hope this is a practical episode which positively impacts your RE classrooms.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/200-million-landmark-send-teacher-training-programme
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68b9a6b8b0a373a01819fe4b/Schools_inspection_toolkit.pdf
https://news.sky.com/story/how-children-with-send-from-poorer-families-are-being-left-behind-at-school-13450800
EEF Blog: Five evidence-based strategies to support high-quality teaching for pupils with SEND
EEF Blog: Supporting pupils with SEND – 3 key messages for schools
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcb85ed915d2ac884d995/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/access-arrangements-for-gcse-as-and-a-level-2024-to-2025-academic-year/access-arrangements-for-gcse-as-and-a-level-2024-to-2025-academic-year
https://www.kialo-edu.com/p/470f6228-2213-467d-bbdb-dcb915057db8/356549
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Fiona Moss is back on the podcast to tell us all about the leadership scholarship programme run by Culham St Gabriel.
If you are a leader of RE with a role wider than your school and you want to take the next steps in your career then this is the programme for you
We discuss how and why it started, who should consider applying, some of the recent developments in the programme. Plus we hear from past and current educators from the programme. They will tell us how the programme has shaped or transformed their development as a leader, what they found most valuable about the programme, where the programme has taken them and why they think people should apply to the Leadership Scholarship programme.
If you want to find out more, sign up for the webinar on 10th February, website
https://www.cstg.org.uk/events/leadership-scholarship-programme-introductory-webinar-registration/
More information can be found at;
https://www.cstg.org.uk/scholarship-programmes/leadership/
In the episode we will give out dates and deadlines.
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This week I am look at GCSE AQA Theme B Religion and Life. I will go through the main content, and apply this to a 4, 6, and 12-mark questions.
I think the following Bible passage is the foundation of Theme B;
“Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
4-marker
Explain two similar religious beliefs in contemporary British society that are used to oppose animal experimentation.
Some Christians oppose animals experimentation because of their belief in stewardship which is a belief that they have a duty to care for God’s creation
This is because God created everything and said it was good so they should not harm it
A similar Christian belief is that experimenting on animals for cosmetics is wrong because it is currently against the law in the UK
This is because Christians believe they should follow the law of the land
4-marker
Explain two reasons why many religious people protect the environment. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.
Some Christians may protect the environment because they believe in stewardship - the duty to care and protect the earth.
This is because they believe the earth belongs to God
In The Bible it says ‘the earth is the Lord's and everything in it’
This means that if the earth and everything in it belongs to God, it doesn’t belong to humans so Christians must protect it out of respect to God
Another Christian belief is that we should protect the environment in order to protect human life
This is because humans can only survive if we look after the planet that sustains us.
12-marker
People who value and protect human life will be rewarded in the afterlife.’
Evaluate this statement.
In your answer you:
• should give reasoned arguments in support of this statement
• should give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
• should refer to religious arguments
• may refer to non-religious arguments
• should reach a justified conclusion
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In this series I am doing a deep dive into AQA Paper 2: Themes. I have done an overview of Paper 2 so if you haven't listened to that one you might want to do that first.
In this episode I will briefly go through all the key content for Theme A Relationships and Family and apply it to 4, 6 and 12-mark questions.
The three focus topics for this unit are;
Contraception.
Sexual relationships before marriage.
Same sex relationships.
But we will also look at;
Human sexuality including: heterosexual
Sexual relationships outside of marriage.
Family planning.
The nature and purpose of marriage.
Same-sex marriage and cohabitation.
Divorce, including reasons for divorce, and remarrying.
Ethical arguments related to divorce, including those based on the sanctity of marriage vows and compassion.
The nature of families, including:
the role of parents and children
extended families and the nuclear family.
The purpose of families, including:
procreation
stability and the protection of children
educating children in a faith.
Contemporary family issues including:
same-sex parents
polygamy.
The roles of men and women.
Gender equality.
Gender prejudice and discrimination, including examples.
4-markers
Explain two different beliefs in contemporary British society about the use of artificial contraception within marriage. In your answer you should refer to the main religious tradition of Great Britain and one or more other religious traditions.Some Christians believe that it is wrong because it a human preventing life being created
This is because they believe only God should be able to create or prevent life
However, other Christians believe that it is acceptable because it prevents unwanted children
Family planning is seen as a loving action to ensure every child is able to be cared for in a family.
6-markers
Explain two religious beliefs about the role of parents in a religious family. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer
Christians believe that one role is to bring their child up in the faith
This means they will take them to Church, teach them how to pray and read the Bible
This is because of the Bible where it says ‘teach your child the way they should go and they will not stray from it’
This quote shows that the hope for parents is that their children will make their own commitment when they are older.
Another role is to provide stability for their family
They can do this by working hard at their relationship to ensure they stay together.
12-marker
‘Divorce is never right.’
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This episode is an introduction to GCSE AQA Religious Studies Paper 2
In this episode we will cover some of the key mistakes pupils make in Paper 2 as it is organised slightly differently from Paper 1, go through some top tips that you will need to get the maximum mark possible and look at the different question styles that you will encounter in your exam to help give you the confidence to know what you need to do in the real paper.
Sample exam papers;
https://cdn.sanity.io/files/p28bar15/green/d5bcec89967bac72569df625ad4f90c8b8cc6d97.pdf?_gl=113sp7lm_gcl_au*MTI4ODYxMjIzOC4xNzYwNDU5MTI
4 markers
Explain two different beliefs in contemporary British society about abortion. In your answer you should refer to the main religious tradition of Great Britain and one or more other religious traditions.
Some Christians believe that it is wrong because it is ending the life of a human.
This is because they believe in the sanctity of life which is that all life is sacred.
A different Christian belief is that it is sometimes necessary for example if the mothers life is at risk.
This is because they believe that the mothers life is more important than the foetus’ particularly if she has other children
Explain two similar religious beliefs about gender equality. In your answer you must refer to one or more religious traditions.
Most Christians believe that gender equality is important because all humans are equal.
This is because God made all humans in his image.
A similar Christian belief is that gender equality is important because God loves all humans equally.
This is because God is omnibenevolent which means all loving.
6-markers
THEME E Explain two religious beliefs about forgiveness. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.
Christians believe that God is forgiving so will forgive criminals for their crime
This is because Christians believe God is all loving and forgiveness is a loving action
Christians also believe they should forgive other people who have committed crime against them.
This is because in the Lord’s prayer it is ‘forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us’
This shows Christians that if they are receiving God’s forgiveness, they should then forgive criminals.
THEME C Explain two religious beliefs about miracles. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.
THEME D Explain two religious beliefs about forgiveness. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.
12 Marker
Theme C The design argument proves that God exists.’ Evaluate this statement.
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This episode of the RE Podcast explores the importance of RE in today's society, addressing the misconceptions surrounding the subject, the current recruitment crisis, and the exciting future for aspiring RE teachers. The conversation features insights from experienced educators and new teachers, highlighting the diverse backgrounds of RE teachers and the critical role of RE in fostering community cohesion and critical thinking among students. The episode also discusses funding opportunities for those interested in pursuing a career in RE and emphasises the supportive nature of the RE community.
Funding
https://www.cstg.org.uk/funding/individual/
Karen's blog
https://www.worcester.ac.uk/about/news/academic-blog/education-blogs/how-you-can-make-a-difference-as-an-re-teacher.aspx
God - A very short introduction
https://academic.oup.com/book/484
Religion and Media Centre
https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/
https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/1295498/episodes/11254078-s7-e2-the-one-about-religion-media-centre
National Content Standard
https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/1295498/episodes/14530622-s11-e9-the-one-about-the-national-content-standard
Curriculum And Assessment Review https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/1295498/episodes/18179527-curriculum-and-assessment-review-special
Routes to becoming an RE Teacher
https://www.cstg.org.uk/campaigns/teacher-recruitment/becoming-a-teacher/
Get into teaching (DfE)
https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/life-as-a-teacher/explore-subjects/religious-education
Funding
https://www.cstg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/Are-5.pdf
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Explain two ways Muslims practice jihad.
One way is though lesser Jihad which is the military struggle to defend Islam.
This must be carried out according to strict and clear cut rules, for example you can’t harm children
Another way is greater jihad, which is the personal struggle of every Muslim to live by the teachings of their faith
For example pray every day.
Explain two different ways Eid Ul Fitr is celebrated by Muslims.One way is by performing the Eid prayer - a special prayer in the morning - at the mosque
Muslim will perform that prayer to thank Allah for Ramadan's blessings.
Another way is by paying Zakhar which is giving charity.
This so that everyone is able to celebrate Eid.
Explain two different ways Ashura is celebrated by Muslims.One way Sunni Muslims commemorate is by fasting
This is to remember how Allah saved prophet Musa from the Pharaoh who fasted to thank Allah
Another way Shia Muslims commemorate Ashura is by mourning the killing of Hussain.
They will express sadness in different ways e.g. wearing black
Explain two reasons why Jihad is important to Muslims. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One reason is because it involves all 5 pillars of Sunni Islam.
For example, the greater jihad involved in Salah is to pray on time.
Prophet Muhammad says, 'the greatest jihad is to struggle to fight the evil within you'.
This shows that Muslims have a daily struggle to follow the teachings of Islam.
Another reason is that it ensures the Muslim community is protected.
Lesser jihad allows Muslims to physically defend themselves against attack.
Explain two reasons why Id Ul Adha is importance to Muslims. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One reason is because it remembers the sacrifice of Ibrahim.
Muslims are reminded of the strong faith he showed in being willing to sacrifice his son, which was replaced by a lamb.
Prophet Muhammad said, This is why on this day, Muslims slaughter sacrifices.
This is why Muslims sacrifice a lamb on this day, to show Ibrahim’s faith.
Another reason is that it brings the Muslim community together as they celebrate together.
This means they will become more united towards Allah.
Explain two reasons why Ashura is importance to Muslims. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One reason is because it remembers an important person to Shia Muslims.
Hussein is one of their imams and they are able to show love towards him by honouring his death.
Prophet Muhammad says Allah loves the one who loves Hussein.
This shows that remembering Hussein on Ashura please Allah.
Another reason is that it is the day sins are forgiven by Allah.
Sunni Muslims believe it is the day of repentance and blessings.
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Explain two ways Muslims give alms
One way is through Zakah,which is 2.5% of wealth
This money is given to those in need.
Another way is through khums which involves Shia Muslims giving 20% of their savings
This is given to those in need and charitable causes
Explain two ways Muslims give ZakahOne way is by giving 2.5% of their wealth.
This goes to people in need, particularly vulnerable members of society.
Another way is by giving Zakah during Ramadan.
This is the time that many Muslims fast so are more aware of those in need.
Explain two ways a Muslims performs HajjOne way is by circling the Kaaba 7 times together.
This symbolises unity.
Another way is by going to Mount Arafa for the whole day.
This is where Muslims ask Allah to forgive their sins.
Explain two reasons why almsgiving is important to Muslims. Refer to sacred writings or another source of authority in your answer
One reason is because Zakhar is a pillar in Sunni Islam
It reminds Muslims that everyone in the Muslim community needs to be taken care of.
For example, the Quran says that Zakhar is for the poor and needy.
This shows that Zakhar is a requirement for those who can afford it.
Another reason is that it purifies your wealth by giving money to those in need.
It reminds Muslims that Allah is the provider and all wealth belongs to Him.
Explain two reasons why Hajj is important to Muslims. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.One reason is because Hajj is a pillar of Islam and one of the ten obligatory acts.
Therefore most Muslims are expected to go to it once in their lifetime if they can financially and physically.
The Quran says tell the people shall observe the Hajj pilgrimage.
This shows that Hajj is compulsory for Muslims
Another reason is that it is a spiritual journey to the House of Allah.
By travelling there, Muslims will feel connected to their religion.
Explain two reasons why Mecca is important to Muslims. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.One reason is because the Kaaba is there which is the House of Allah.
Muslims will circle the Kaaba 7 times which is a number which symbolises completion.
The Quran says, 'Allah has made the Kaaba the sacred house.'
This shows that the Kaaba is the holiest building in Islam, which makes Mecca important
Another reason is that the birth place of Islam
This is because it is where Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation and began the religion.
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Explain two ways Muslims perform Salah.One way is when performing ablution.
This is known as wudu, which involves washing specific body parts before praying.
Another way is by completing the rakkah which are prayer movements.
These involve standing, reciting, bowing, prostrating and kneeling
Explain two ways Muslims perform Friday prayerOne way is with others at the Mosque
Jummah prayer must be performed with a group of Muslims and not alone.
Another way is listening to the sermon.
Jummah prayer involves the Imam giving a speech about current Islamic issues.
Explain two ways Muslims practice saumOne way is by not eating, drinking and sexual relations.
This is done from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan.
Another way is by staying away from sin because fasting allows Muslims more time to focus on Allah.
This means a Muslim tries to be the best Muslim they can.
Explain two ways Muslims practice the Night of PowerOne way is by staying up at night.
Muslims may spend the night in prayer asking Allah to forgive their sins.
Another way is reading the Quran as Ramadan was when the Quran was revealed Muslims would read it all to receive blessings.
Explain two reasons why Salah is important to Muslims. You must refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One reason is because it is one of the five pillars of Sunni Islam and 10 obligatory acts in Shia Islam.
This means it is one of the main ways Muslims worship Allah.
Another reason is that it keeps Muslims away from sin.
When Muslims pray their five daily prayers, they are constantly reminded of Allah so would be aware of their actions.
The Quran says Salah keeps you away from immorality and wrongdoing.
This shows how prayer is important to help you be a good Muslim.
Explain two reasons why Jummah prayer is important to Muslims. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One reason is because it is done on a holy day which is Friday.
The Quran says, ‘when you are called to Jummah prayer, hasten to the remembrance of Allah.'
This shows that Muslims are expected to attend Jummah.
Another reason is that it brings the Muslim community together as Friday prayer must be done in congregation
As it is believed it is 27 times more powerful
Explain two reasons why fasting is important to Muslims. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One reason fasting is important to Muslims is because it's a pillar of Islam.
It is done in the holiest month, Ramadan, and it's seen as an important act of worship.
Another reason is that it makes Muslims more aware of Allah.
When fasting, they are constantly aware that Allah is watching them, so they would improve their behaviour.
The Quran says 'fasting makes you God conscious.'
This shows the main purpose of fasting is to build a strong connection with Allah.
Explain two reasons why the night of power important to Muslims. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One reason is because it is the night the Quran is revealed.
The Quran says read in the name of your Lord.
These were the first words revealed to Prophet Mohammed on this night.
This shows why the Quran is recited a lot on this night.
Another reason is the night of blessings where Allah forgives sins and multiplies the rules for the people.
It is believed to be worth 1000 months
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4-markers
Explain two ways the shahada is used by Muslims.
One way is to recite it if someone wishes to become a Muslim
They are expected to verbally say the Shahada to declare their faith.
Another way is to try to make the shahada their final words before death.
This is so that their faith is strong before they die
6 markers
Explain two reasons why the five pillars of Islam are important to Muslims. You must refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One reason is because the five pillars express Muslim beliefs.
The pillars of Islam express the belief in tawhid since they are acts of worship towards Allah.
Prophet Muhammad says Islam is built upon 5 things.
This shows that without the pillars the beliefs would be weak.
Another reason is that they give Muslim structure.
The pillars of Islam clearly guide Muslims on the duties they have to perform.
Explain two reasons why the shahada is important to Muslims. Refer to sacred writing or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One reason is because it is the first pillar of Islam and all the other pillars come from the Shahadah
Therefore, without believing in it a Muslim wouldn't perform the other pillars.
Another reason is that it emphasises two key Islamic beliefs.
The Shahada says there is no God except Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.
This shows that the Shahadah includes belief in tawhid and prophethood which is the foundation of Islam because all other beliefs come from these.
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GCSE RE Islam beliefs Predestination and Life After death
4-markers
Explain two ways that a belief in predestination influences Muslims.One influence is to trust Allah's plan.
This is because Muslims believe that the Allah may have a better plan than one of the ones that made for themselves.
Another influence is to remember that nothing can happen without Allah's permission.
When they make a plan, they may use phrases like inshallah, if Allah wills, to show that Allah has ultimate control.
Explain two ways that a belief in human freedom influences Muslims.One influence is to be accountable for the actions.
This is because they'll be judged alone for their deeds in the Akirah.
Another influence is to remember Judgement Day.
This will make them feel responsible for their actions as they all know they'll need to answer for them.
Explain two ways in which belief in Akirah influences Muslims.
One influence is to do good actions because Muslims believe their actions will be judged in the afterlife..
For example they will pray their daily prayers
Another influence is to avoid sin because they would not want to be punished for going against Allah's teachings.
For example they will try and avoid anything which is Haram
Explain two ways in which a belief in human responsibility influences Muslims.One influence is to be accountable for their actions because they'll be judged alone for their deeds
This will be written down in the book of deeds
Another influence is to remember Judgement Day.
This will make them feel responsible for their actions as they will know they need to answer for them.
6-markers
Explain two Muslim teachings about predestination. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer
One belief is that everything happens that happens is decided by Allah already
It's one of the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam.
Another belief is that Allah knows the future, but we have free will.
Many Muslims believe that Allah does not force us to make any decision even though He knows what we will choose.
The Quran says “Indeed, all things We created with predestination".
This shows Allah is all knowing and has a plan for everything
Explain two Muslim teachings about human freedom. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer
One belief is that humans have control over their thoughts, feeling and actions.
Muslims believe that Allah has given us this so that we can be free to make our choices.
Another belief is that human freedom shows Allah's justice.
The Quran says; 'let whoever wants to believe and let those who wants to disbelieve.'
This shows a lot allows humans to believe or not because for a lot of judge humans fairly on judgement day there needs to be human freedom.
Explain two Muslim teachings about the resurrection. Refer to sacred writing or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One belief is that it is one of the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam and five roots of a Usul Ad Din in Shia Islam.
It is the belief that every human will be raised from the dead on judgement day
Another belief is that Allah will raise the dead, all the dead.
This will happen on Judgement day, which will be marked by angels blowing the trumpet.
The Quran says; 'Allah will raise up all those who are in the graves.'
This shows that Allah has the power to bring the dead back to life.
Explain two beliefs about heaven. Refer to sacred writing or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One belief is that it's a place of reward.
Muslims believe if you are righteous and have lived a life accordin
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This episode is going to cover Angels, their nature and role, including Jibril and Mika’il. The holy books: Qur’an: revelation and authority, the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel, the Scrolls of Abraham and their authority.
4-markers
Explain two ways in which belief in angels influences Muslims today
One influence is to understand Allah's imminence as Angels show that Allah is still involved in the universe.
For example, they perform different duties for him.
Another influence is to read the Quran because Angel Gibrel revealed the Quran to Prophet Muhammad
This happened on the Night of Power
Explain two ways in which the belief in Mikhail influences the Muslims today.
One influence is to thank Allah because Mikhail provides rain and food.
This allows humans to be nourished.
Another influence is to have hope because Mikhail sends rewards on behalf of Allah.
A Muslim would receive these rewards in this life or the next.
Explain two ways in which belief in holy books influences Muslims.
One influence is to follow the teachings of the Quran because the Quran teaches about Tawhid.
This is the final book of Allah
Another influence is to learn about previous prophets because books before the Quran may have lessons from other prophets Muslims can learn from.
For example the gospels of Jesus
Explain two ways in which the belief in the gospel influences a Muslim today.
The first one I could say is that it helps a Muslim learn from the life of Jesus which is in the gospel.
This is because the gospel may have lessons from prophet which we can learn from.
Another influence you should believe in Tawheed, that's my third mark.
This is because many Muslims would believe that believe about the Trinity was added to the gospel so they would reject this.
6-markers
Explain two Muslim teachings about the nature of angels. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer
One belief is that angels do not sin because they're no free will. Therefore cannot disobey Allah.
The Qur'an says, They do not disobey the commands they receive from Allah.
This shows that angels always obey whatever orders them, so they cannot sin.
Another belief is that the angels are special beings.
Muslims believe there are spiritual beings made from light who can come in different forms.
Explain two Muslim teachings about the role of angels. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer
One role is to reveal messages to prophets.
Angel Gibril is the Angel of revelation whose role is to communicate Allah's words to the prophets.
For example, the Prophet Muhammad.
The Quran says Gibril brings down the revelation.
This shows that Gibril revealed the Quran to Prophet Muhammad.
Another role is that angels distribute Allah's rewards to people.
Angel Mikhail is the Angel of mercy, and his role is reward humans in this life or the next.
Explain two Muslim teachings about Gibril. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answerOne belief was that Gibral appeared to Mary as a human.
He revealed to her that she was pregnant and will give birth to Isa Jesus.
Another belief is that Gibril is the Angel of revelation.
He communicates the words of Allah to the prophet Muhammad.
The Quran; says Gibril brings down the revelation.
This shows that Gibril revealed the Quran to Prophet Muhammad.
Explain two Muslim teachings about holy books. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answerOne belief is that it is one of the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam.
It is the belief th
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On 5th November 2025, a landmark recommendation was revealed for RE as a result of the Curriculum and Assessment Review. They proposed that RE become part of the National Curriculum for the first time in it's history. Then one day later, the DfE announced it's plans to bring RE into the humanities alongside History and Geography in the newly named 'breadth' bucket. But what will this mean for the subject? What question do we need to consider. To help us navigate this, I have invited Deborah Weston from NATRE, RECouncil and the RE Policy Unit. Katie Freeman - Chair of NATRE, and Sarah Lane Cawte from the RECouncil on to the podcast to answer some key questions.
- What is the CAR? Its purpose and what has the process been?
- What is the current status of RE?
- What are the current issues with RE?
- What were the findings in the interim report?
- What are the recommendations for RE in the final report?
- What is it NOT saying?
- How will this benefit RE?
- Why is high quality RE so important for young people in modern Britain?
- What happens next? Staged approach - Stage 1&2. Draft curriculum based on NCS. Consensus required.
- Recommendation for EBacc to be scrapped. How will this impact RE?
- Who will write it?
- What happens to SACRES?
- What about voluntary aided school’s with religious character?
- What will happen to the Right to withdraw?
- Should we change the name?
- What about Non statutory RE?
- What are the changes to GCSE?
- What about staffing, bursary, SKEs?
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This episode is sponsored by Reimagining Education https://reimaginingeducation.uk/
Hope you all had a lovely half term!
This episode is going to cover Prophethood, focussing on Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham) and Muhammad, plus the Imamate - an often weak area in the exam.
4 markers
Explain two ways in which belief in holy books influences Muslims.
One influence is to follow the teachings of the Quran because the Quran teaches about tawhid.
This is the final book of Allah
Another influence is to learn about previous prophets because books before the Quran may have lessons from other prophets Muslims can learn from.
For example the gospels of Jesus, called Injil
Explain two ways in which the belief in the gospel influences a Muslim today.
The first one I could say is that it helps a Muslim learn from the life of Jesus which is in the gospel.
This is because the gospel may have lessons from prophet which we can learn from.
Another influence you should believe in Tawheed, that's my third mark.
This is because many Muslims would believe that believe about the Trinity was added to the gospel so they would reject this.
6 markers
Explain two Muslim teachings about holy books. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer
One belief is that it is one of the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam.
It is the belief that Allah revealed books to different prophets before the Quran.
Another believe that the Quran is the most important source of authority for Muslims.
It is seen as the final book that Allah revealed which has never been changed.
The Quran says ‘this is THE book of which there is no doubt’
This quote shows the Qur’an as THE most important reveletaion because there are no mistakes in it
Explain two Muslim teachings about the Torah. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer
One belief is that the Torah was revealed to Prophet Musa.
It contained the messages that Allah wanted to give to the Jewish people.
The Quran says we sent down the Torah in which was guidance and light.
This shows the Torah was used at the time to receive guidance by Prophet Musa's followers
Another belief is that the Torah is no longer the words of Allah.
Muslims believe that some of the words and teachings were changed by humans
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This episode is sponsored by Reimagining Education https://reimaginingeducation.uk/
Hope you all had a lovely half term!
Over the summer, I recorded a series of episodes to support GCSE RE - specifically AQA Islam and Christianity. Suppose you are a student of GCSE RE, or a teacher of GCSE RE who is new to teaching GCSE, or new to AQA, or you are a teacher from another subject teaching GCSE for the first time. In that case, I hope these episodes are beneficial to you in consolidating your learning, preparing for exams if you are a student, or helping you feel more confident if you are a teacher.
The first episode provided an overview of Paper 1 - Religious Beliefs and Practices, covering the exam structure, how to approach the various question types, and offering some top tips for the exam. Each subsequent episode has gone through the whole of Christian beliefs and Christian practices
This is the FIRST episode in our series on Islam beliefs and will cover the Six Articles of Faith in Sunni Islam and the Five Roots of Usul Ad Din in Shia Islam.
4-markers
Explain two ways in which the belief in the Six Articles of Faith influences Muslims today.
So you could say Muslims could be influenced to worship Allah because one of the articles is to believe in Allah.
They would pray to him five times a day.
Muslims could also follow the example of Prophet Muhammad because one of the articles is to believe in the prophets
For example they would believe in Tawhid as Muhammad did
Explain two ways in which the belief in the Five Roots of Usul Ad Din influences Muslims today.
Muslims could be influenced to follow the example of the Imams because one of the roots is to believe in Imamate
Their teachings are followed by Shia Muslims after Prophet Muhammad.
Second, Muslims could also be influenced to work for a fairer world, because one of the roots is adalat
And adalat is a belief in justice
Explain two ways in which the belief in tawhid influences Muslims today.
Muslims could be influenced to worship Allah alone.
This is because they believe Allah is the only being worthy of worship, so they pray to him.
Muslim would also not associate any partners with Allah.
This is seen as the biggest sin in Islam to Muslim.
Explain two ways in which the belief of God's beneficence influenced Muslim today.
Muslims could be influenced to be kind to others. M
This is because Allah is generous and loving to them, they should do the same to others.
Muslim would show appreciation.
When they receive any blessing, they would thank Allah for showing them His beneficence.
Explain two ways in which the belief of God's transcendence influenced the Muslim today.
Muslims could be influenced to not compare a lot to other things
This is because Allah's transcendence shows he's above the laws of the universe. It cannot convey anything
Muslim would also appreciate Allah's greatness.
This is because Allah's transcendence shows he can never be fully understood by humans.
6-markers
Explain two Muslim teachings about the nature of God. Refer to sacred writing or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
One belief is that Allah is one.
This belief is known as Tawhid, which means Muslims believe in a monotheistic God.
The Quran says, ‘say he's Allah the one.
This shows that Muslims do not worship anything except Allah. <
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Explain two different ways Christians go on mission.
One way is by going to other countries to spread the gospel.
This is in obedience to Jesus’ Great Commission.
A different way is by going to other countries to provide aid.
For example, they might help build churches or schools or provide medical care.
Explain two reasons why church growth is important to Christians. Refer to sacred writing or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
It is important because it puts into practise Jesus teaching in the Great Commission.
According to the Bible, before he ascended into heaven, Jesus said go and make disciples of all nations.
Making disciples means there will be more Christians, so the church will grow.
It is also important because it ensures the continuation of the church, which is dependent on it growing.
Without church growth, numbers will decline and churches will close.
12-marker: The only reason to believe in Jesus is to get to heaven
BUG the question
B stands for BOX which means BOX the command word. For 12-markers the command word is EVALUATE. U stands for underline. This means underline the IMPORTANT words. I think the most important word is ONLY. This is because you have got to JUDGE is getting to heaven is the ONLY reason to believe in Jesus or are there OTHER reasons to believe in Jesus. The G stands for GO BACK and this means that once you have written your answer, you need to go back to the question and check you have answered it!
SALE technique. Each letter stands for a criteria for judging whether an argument is strong or weak
S stands for supported by most. So, for example, if most Christians think that all events in Jesus life are equally as important and there is no ONE important one, then this is a strong argument because it is the one held by most Christians
A stands for authority. Is this argument supported by a source of authority. This could be a holy book, religious leader or founder, or an the Church. So for example, if we are considering whether Jesus is the son of God, the official teaching of the established Church is that Jesus is the son of God, plus God said; this is my son; when Jesus was baptised so it comes from authority. To argue that he was JUST a human goes against this authority so it is a weak argument
L stands for logical. Does the argument make sense? For example, if the 12-marker was asking about which is the most important event in Jesus life, it makes no logical sense that one is more important than another because they are interdependent. If Jesus was not born, then none of the other events could take place, if he wasn’t crucified, there would be little point him being born as that is the reason he came to earth. And if he wasn’t crucified he wouldn’t have been able to resurrect, and without the resurrection, Christianity would not exist. So, logically one can’t be more important.
E can either stand for ethical or evidence. This is much more appropriate for paper 2 but can be used in paper 1 sometimes. For example, Salvation by grace is the ONLY way to get to heaven. You might say that this is a weak argument ethically because Christians will just do bad things knowing God will forgive them. E also stands for evidence. This again is much more useful in Paper 2 for example if making a judgement about Capital punishment – there is evidence that it doesn’t work, and actually evidence that it has the opposite effect – it creates MORE murders, so to argue FOR capital punishment could be seen as a weak argument. In paper 1 you might then collate ALL the reasons from authority, most popular bel
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For the role of the Church in the local community you need to know about street pastors and food banks and the role of the worldwide Church you need to know about working for reconciliation, how Christian churches respond to persecution or the work of an international charity like Catholic Agency For Overseas Development (CAFOD), Christian Aid, Tearfund.
4-markers
Explain two different ways Christians help in the local community.
One role is through street pastors, which is a Christian charity that helps vulnerable people on nights out in city centres.
For example, they would give out flip flops to people who are struggling to walk in their shoes.
A different role is through food banks, which are volunteer run charities that collect food for those who are not able to buy food for themselves.
They do this to put into practice Jesus’ teachings in the parable of the sheep and the goats to feed the hungry
Explain two similar ways street pastors help in the local community.
One role is by giving out flip flops to people who have had to remove their shoes on a night out.
This is to put into practice Jesus’ teaching about loving your neighbour as it’s a loving action to protect people from harm.
A similar role is by locating emergency services to support people on a night out who may need medical help or the police.
This is also a loving action because it’s offering someone the help they need
6-marker
Explain two reasons why the role of food banks in the local community is important to Christians in Great Britain today. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
They are important because they put into practice the teachings of Jesus, which is to help vulnerable people.
This is shown in the quote from the parable of the sheep and the goats IN the Bible. I was hungry and you have GAVE me something to eat.
There are hungry people in Great Britain today and this quote clearly shows Jesus’ instruction to Christians to feed them
It is also important because it is putting God's love into practise because God's love is agape love, which is selfless love,
Volunteering at a food bank to help vulnerable people is a selfless action.
4-markers
Explain two similar ways Christians work for reconciliation
One way is through evangelism, which is telling others about the good news of Jesus.
This is so humans have the opportunity to be reconciled with God.
A similar way is through a specific reconciliation organisation, for example the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
This helped reconcile blacks and whites in South Africa after the end of apartheid.
Explain two different ways Christians respond to persecution.
One way is through short term responses, for example prayer.
This might give people strength to endure their persecution.
A different way is through a long term response, for example campaigning and raising awareness of the persecution.
For example, charities like Open Doors runs campaigns to challenge governments to stop persecution in their countries.
6-marker
Explain two reasons why the work of either Cafod or Christian Aid or tearfund is important to Christians. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer.
It is important because it puts into practice Jesus' teaching to help those who are vulnerable
In the parable of the sheep and the goats in the Bible Jesus said whatever you do for the least of one of these, you do for me.
This means that the work of (Cafod or Christian Aid or Tearfund) is*
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4 markers
Explain two different ways Christians practice pilgrimage.
One way is by going to Iona an Island off the coast of Scotland.
this is known as a thin place as the veil between heaven and earth is at its thinnest.
a different way is by going to Lourdes, which is a place in France.
This place is believed to have healing water since the Virgin Mary appeared there.
Explain two similar ways Christians practice pilgrimage to Lourdes.
One way is by going to Lourdes to receive healing because they believe it has healing water.
This is since the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in a vision.
A similar way is by taking someone else to Lourdes to get healed because some people are too sick to travel by themselves.
This puts into practice Jesus’ teaching to help the sick.
YOUR TURN
Explain two similar ways Christians practice pilgrimage (or Pilgrimage to Iona).
Explain two different ways Christians practice pilgrimage to Iona /Lourdes.
6 markers
Explain two reasons why pilgrimage to Iona is important to Christians. Refer to sacred writing or another source of authority in your answer.
It is important because it's a thin place, which means that the veil between heaven and earth is at its thinnest.
This means Christians are able to experience what the Bible says is the still small voice of God.
A Christian can better hear this voice if they are in places like Iona.
It's also important because it is where Christianity first came to the British Isles around 1500 years ago with St Columba.
This means Christians can connect to their history.
YOUR TURN
Explain two reasons why pilgrimage to Lourdes is important to Christians. Refer to sacred writing or another source of authority in your answer.
Explain two reasons why Christians go on pilgrimage. Refer to sacred writing or another source of authority in your answer.
4 markers
Explain two different ways that Christians celebrate Christmas.
One way is by re enacting the nativity, which is the story of when Jesus was born.
For example, they will show the angels appearing to Mary to inform her she will give birth to Jesus.
So a different way is by giving presents to represent the belief that God became human as a gift to the world.
This also represents the gifts the wise men bought when they visited Jesus.
Explain two similar ways that a Christian might celebrate Easter.
One way is going to a sunrise service on Easter Sunday.
This is because this is when the women found Jesus’ tomb empty because he had resurrected.
A similar way is that they will go to a special Easter service on Easter Sunday.
At this service, they will hear a sermon about the resurrection story.
YOUR TURN
Explain two different ways that Christians celebrate festivals / Easter.
Explain two similar ways that a Christian might celebrate festivals / Christmas.
6 markers
Explain two reasons why Christmas is important to Christians. Refer to sacred writing or another source of authority in your answer.
It is important because it reminds Christians of the incarnation, whic
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This episode is sponsored by Reimagining Education https://reimaginingeducation.uk/
Over the summer, I recorded a series of episodes to support GCSE RE - specifically AQA Islam and Christianity. Suppose you are a student of GCSE RE, or a teacher of GCSE RE who is new to teaching GCSE, or new to AQA, or you are a teacher from another subject teaching GCSE for the first time. In that case, I hope these episodes are beneficial to you in consolidating your learning, preparing for exams if you are a student, or helping you feel more confident if you are a teacher.
The first episode provided an overview of Paper 1 - Religious Beliefs and Practices, covering the exam structure, how to approach the various question types, and offering some top tips for the exam. Each subsequent episode has provided an overview of the main content and apply it to key exam questions. Over the last few weeks I released episodes on The Nature of God, the oneness of God and the Trinity, different Christian beliefs about creation including the role of Word and Spirit (John 1:1-3 and Genesis 1:1-3), Jesus' incarnation crucifixion resurrection ascension, then last weeks episode focussed on Beliefs and teachings about sin, including original sin, the means of salvation, including law, grace and Spirit, and the role of Christ in salvation including the idea of atonement, the problem of evil and suffering and different Christian beliefs about the afterlife and their importance, including: resurrection and life after death; judgement, heaven and hell.
This is the FIRST episode in our series on Christian Practices.
- Different forms of worship and their significance:
- liturgical, non-liturgical and informal, including the use of the Bible
- private worship.
- Prayer and its significance, including the Lord’s Prayer, set prayers and informal prayer.
- The role and meaning of the sacraments:
- the meaning of sacrament
- the sacrament of baptism and its significance for Christians; infant and believers' baptism; different beliefs about infant baptism
- the sacrament of Holy Communion/Eucharist and its significance for Christians, including different ways in which it is celebrated and different interpretations of its meaning.
4-markers
Explain two similar or different ways Christian worship, practice liturgical worship, practise private worship, or practice set prayer
Explain two different ways in which Christians pray.
One way Christians pray is through set prayers, which means formal prayers that are written down and recited.
The Lord’s prayer is an example of a set prayer
A different way that Christians pray is through informal prayer which is spontaneous, personal prayers that are spoken in one's own words.
These are often used in liturgical worship publicly or privately.
Explain two similar ways in which Christians worship.One way Christians worship is through liturgical worship, which follows a set pattern.
An example of this might be singing hymns from a hymn book.
A similar way Christians worship is through non liturgical worship, which is spontaneous and informal.
This is similar in that it's still worshipping God and involves singing, but the words will be made-up rather than read from a book.
6-markers
Explain two reasons why the Lord's Prayer is important to Christians. Refer to sacred writing or another source of Christian belief in teaching in
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To celebrate 5 years of The RE Podcast, I have collected some of your funny stories from the RE classroom!
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To count down to the 5 year anniversary of the RE Podcast, here is a celebration of Season 15.
We had episodes on;
- BBC pilgrimage 2025 LIVE
- Diversity within Quakerism.
- Metaphysic
- Criminology
- Oak national
- The scopes trials
- The importance of RE in the 21st Century
- Barriers to research
- Pilgrimage to Karbala
- Areiac and Aulre
- A tribute to our dear friend, colleague and RE legend Dawn Cox
My thanks to all my guests this season;
- Jay Mcguiness
- Helen lederer
- Harry Clark
- Daliso Chaponda
- Stef Reid
- Nelufar Hedayat
- Dr Rhiannon Grant
- Dr Evelyn Svinger
- Adam Robertson
- Ruth Marx
- Alexandra Brown
- Zam Hussain
- Pat Hanan
- Katie Gooch
- Roy Watson Davis
- Dawn Cox
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To count down to the 5 year anniversary of the RE Podcast, here is a celebration of Season 14.
We had episodes on;
- AI
- Freedom of religion or belief
- Interfaith week
- The sea of faith network
- Educate against Islamophobia
- Decolonising the New Testamen
- EDI
- Homosexuality in the Anglican Church
- The Dao
- Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement
- Strictly RE
My thanks to all my guests this season;
- Henry Taylor
- Josh Cass
- Stacey Burman
- Carrie Alderton
- Alice Thomas
- Dave Francis
- Bizmah Afzal
- Dr Ewan Low
- DR Wouter Peeters
- Dr. Susannah Cornwall
- Bob Martin
- Wolfgang Vondey
- NATRE
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To count down to the 5 year anniversary of the RE Podcast, here is a celebration of Season 13.
We had episodes on;
- God is not a white man.
- Sikhi
- The importance of RE
- Social media theology
- Mental Health and faith.
- The Institute for the impact of faith in life.
- Tisha'bav
- The Wolf Institute
- The psychology of religion.
- MTPT project
My thanks to all my guests this season;
- Cannon Chine McDonald
- Lord Bilimoria
- Reverend Pippa White
- Claire Gough
- Dr Jake Scott
- Dr Lois Lee
- Adam Boxer
- Elizabeth Phillips
- Dr Carissa Sharp
- Naila Missous
- Jemma Brown
- Emma Shepherd
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Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message!
This episode is sponsored by Reimagining Education https://reimaginingeducation.uk/
Over the summer, I recorded a series of episodes to support GCSE RE - specifically AQA Islam and Christianity. Suppose you are a student of GCSE RE, or a teacher of GCSE RE who is new to teaching GCSE, or new to AQA, or you are a teacher from another subject teaching GCSE for the first time. In that case, I hope these episodes are beneficial to you in consolidating your learning, preparing for exams if you are a student, or helping you feel more confident if you are a teacher.
The first episode provided an overview of Paper 1 - Religious Beliefs and Practices, covering the exam structure, how to approach the various question types, and offering some top tips for the exam. Each subsequent episode has provided an overview of the main content and apply it to key exam questions. Over the last few weeks I released episodes on The Nature of God, the oneness of God and the Trinity, different Christian beliefs about creation including the role of Word and Spirit (John 1:1-3 and Genesis 1:1-3), Jesus' incarnation crucifixion resurrection ascension, then last weeks episode focussed on Beliefs and teachings about sin, including original sin, the means of salvation, including law, grace and Spirit, and the role of Christ in salvation including the idea of atonement.
Todays episode will cover;
- the problem of evil and suffering
- Different Christian beliefs about the afterlife and their importance, including: resurrection and life after death; judgement, heaven and hell.
This is the LAST episode in our series on Christian Beliefs. Next week will be a special 5 year anniversary episode and then we will start Christian Practices.
FOUR MARKERS
Explain two ways in which belief in the afterlife influences Christians today.
Belief in the afterlife influences Christians to do good deeds and follow the teachings of Jesus.
This is because where you go in the afterlife will be decided based upon your actions on earth.
Christians could feel comforted and hopeful because belief in the afterlife reminds them that there is life beyond earth and that they will be reunited with God.
Explain two ways in which belief in judgement could influence Christians today.
Belief in the judgement influences Christians to do good deeds and follow the teachings of Jesus.
This is because they believe that they will be judged on their actions when they die.
Christians could also be reminded to have faith and trust in God.
This is because God is just or fair, so everyone will receive a fair judgement.
Explain two ways in which the problem of evil and suffering influences Christians today.
Belief in the problem evil and suffering influences Christians to use their free will in a way which pleases God.
This is because free will is seen as a gift and an opportunity to turn towards God.
Christians could also trust in God when they are suffering because they believe suffering is a test of faith and that they can grow and develop from the challenges they face.
You could try: Explain two way a belief in heaven and hell would influence believers today
6 MARKERS
Explain two Christian teachings about judgement. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.
Christians believe t
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This episode is sponsored by Reimagining Education https://reimaginingeducation.uk/
Over the summer, I recorded a series of episodes to support GCSE RE - specifically AQA Islam and Christianity. Suppose you are a student of GCSE RE, or a teacher of GCSE RE who is new to teaching GCSE, or new to AQA, or you are a teacher from another subject teaching GCSE for the first time. In that case, I hope these episodes are beneficial to you in consolidating your learning, preparing for exams if you are a student, or helping you feel more confident if you are a teacher.
The first episode provides an overview of Paper 1 - Religious Beliefs and Practices, covering the exam structure, how to approach the various question types, and offering some top tips for the exam. Each subsequent episode will provide an overview of the main content and apply it to key exam questions. Last week I released one on The Nature of God, the oneness of God and the Trinity, different Christian beliefs about creation including the role of Word and Spirit (John 1:1-3 and Genesis 1:1-3) and last week was Jesus' incarnation crucifixion resurrection ascension
This episode focuses on one bullet points on the Christian beliefs spec;
- Beliefs and teachings about:
- sin, including original sin
- the means of salvation, including law, grace and Spirit
- the role of Christ in salvation including the idea of atonement
Sin
4-markers
Explain two ways in which belief in original sin influences Christians today.
Explain two ways in which belief in sin influences Christians today.
Belief in sin influences Christians to be more aware of their own actions and to not break God's laws.
This is because by committing sin, they are turning away from God and damaging the relationship that they have with Him.
Christians might pray to God to seek forgiveness.
This is because everyone has the ability to turn away from God, so they must repent and aim to become better people.
6-markers
Explain two Christian teachings about sin. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.
Explain two Christian teachings about original sin. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.
Many Christians believe that original sin was when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge.
This was the first act of disobedience against God.
In the Bible God said ‘you shall not eat the fruit of the tree that is in the garden, neither shall you touch it or you will die.
This shows that when God gave the instruction not to eat the fruit, that Adam and Eve disobeyed to cause original sin
Many Christians also believe that original sin is inherited by everyone from Adam and Eve, meaning people are born carrying sin with the ability to disobey God themselves.
Salvation
4-mark questions
Explain two ways in which belief in salvation through law influences Christians today.
Explain two ways in which belief in salvation through spirit influences Christians today.
Explain two ways in which belief in salvation through grace influences Christians today.
Explain two ways in which belief in salvation influences Christians today.
Belief in salvation influences Christians to give thanks to God.
This is because it's through God's all lovi
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Do your students get confused between these four events, or mention reincarnation? Such a common misconception. I hope this episode clarifies these key events in the life of Jesus, helps students understand the significance of them and apply them to 4 & 6 markers.
Over the summer, I recorded a series of episodes to support GCSE RE - specifically AQA Islam and Christianity. Suppose you are a student of GCSE RE, or a teacher of GCSE RE who is new to teaching GCSE, or new to AQA, or you are a teacher from another subject teaching GCSE for the first time. In that case, I hope these episodes are beneficial to you in consolidating your learning, preparing for exams if you are a student, or helping you feel more confident if you are a teacher.
The first episode provides an overview of Paper 1 - Religious Beliefs and Practices, covering the exam structure, how to approach the various question types, and offering some top tips for the exam. Each subsequent episode will provide an overview of the main content and apply it to key exam questions. Last week I released one on Creation and the role of the word and the spirit in creation, including the two key quotes that must be learnt.
This episode focuses on two bullet points on the Christian beliefs spec;
Beliefs and teachings about:
- the incarnation and Jesus as the Son of God
- the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension
Explain two ways in which belief in the incarnation of Jesus influences Christians today.
So belief in the incarnation influences Christians to celebrate Christmas.
This event marks the birth of Jesus and is a chance for Christians to give thanks to God for sending Jesus to save them from their sins.
Christians will be encouraged to show forgiveness to others and this is because whilst on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive those who put him there.
So Christians may wish to demonstrate forgiveness in their own lives.
Explain two Christian teachings about the crucifixion of Jesus. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.
Many Christians believe that Jesus is crucifixion was the act of sacrifice which saved them from their sins.
Through Jesus' death, Christians can achieve salvation and go to heaven to be reunited with God.
Christians believe that the crucifixion is the ultimate act of love from God
This can be seen in the Bible when it says for God so loved the world he gave his only son.
This shows that God loves his creation unconditionally and wants to give them the chance to be saved.
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Welcome back to a new school year and a new season of the RE Podcast. Over the summer, I recorded a series of episodes to support GCSE RE - specifically AQA Islam and Christianity. Suppose you are a student of GCSE RE, or a teacher of GCSE RE who is new to teaching GCSE, or new to AQA, or you are a teacher from another subject teaching GCSE for the first time. In that case, I hope these episodes are beneficial to you in consolidating your learning, preparing for exams if you are a student, or helping you feel more confident if you are a teacher.
The first episode provides an overview of Paper 1 - Religious Beliefs and Practices, covering the exam structure, how to approach the various question types, and offering some top tips for the exam. Each subsequent episode will provide an overview of the main content and apply it to key exam questions. Last week I released one on The Nature of God, the oneness of God and the Trinity.
This episode focuses on one bullet points on the Christian beliefs spec;
- Different Christian beliefs about creation including the role of Word and Spirit (John 1:1-3 and Genesis 1:1-3).
Explain two ways in which beliefs about creation influence Christians today.Christians could be influenced to worship God and give thanks.
This is because God is believed to be the creator of the universe and nothing would exist without him.
Christians could also care for the environment.
This is because earth is part of God's creation and they were given the responsibility by God to look after it as stewards of the earth.
Explain two Christian teachings about creation. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.Some Christians believe that the world was created by God in 6x24 hour periods with a day of rest.
This is because they interpret the creation story in a more literal sense and believe that the Bible provides an accurate account to explain how the world came to exist.
Many Christians believe that God gave humans a special status within his creation.
Unlike other living beings, humans were made in God's image, meaning that they have some of the same qualities of God. This can be seen in the Bible where it says, 'God created man in his own image.' This means that Christians believe God created humans differently from other living things.
Explain two ways in which the role of the Word in creation influences Christians today.
The role of the word influences Christians to understand the crucial role of Jesus in creation.
By believing that Jesus was present at creation, it reminds Christians that without him nothing would exist.
Christians might also be influenced to believe that Jesus is eternal.
This is because Jesus' presence at creation shows that he existed before the universe existed and therefore has no beginning or end.
Explain two Christian teachings about the role of the Word in creation. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.
Many Christians believe that the Spirit was present in creation and therefore has a necessary role in the existence of the universe.
This can be seen in the Bible where it states the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.
This shows that the Spirit played an active role.
Many Christians also believed that the Spirit breathed life
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Welcome back to a new school year and a new season of the RE Podcast. Over the summer, I recorded a series of episodes to support GCSE RE - specifically AQA Islam and Christianity. Suppose you are a student of GCSE RE, or a teacher of GCSE RE who is new to teaching GCSE, or new to AQA, or you are a teacher from another subject teaching GCSE for the first time. In that case, I hope these episodes are beneficial to you in consolidating your learning, preparing for exams if you are a student, or helping you feel more confident if you are a teacher.
The first episode provides an overview of Paper 1 - Religious Beliefs and Practices, covering the exam structure, how to approach the various question types, and offering some top tips for the exam.
Each subsequent episode will provide an overview of the main content and apply it to key exam questions.
This episode focuses on two bullet points on the Christian beliefs spec;
Beliefs about the nature of God: Loving, powerful, and just
Beliefs about the oneness of God and the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Copies of the exam questions used in the episode are below.
Explain two ways in which the belief in God as omnibenevolent influences Christians today.
Explain two ways in which the belief in God as just influences Christians today.
Explain two ways in which the belief in God as omnipotent influences Christians today.
Christians can be influenced to worship God, for example, by singing hymns or praying to Him.
This is because God is believed to be the most important being in the universe and the creator of everything; therefore, He is worthy of worship.
Christians could also pray to God in times of need to ask for help.
This is because God has the power to intervene and answer prayers to help them.
Explain two Christian teachings about God as loving and refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.
Christians believe that God loves humans unconditionally through agape love.
This means his love is not dependent on the behaviour of humans or the choices that they make.
Christians also believe that God demonstrated his love through the sacrifice of Jesus.
This can be seen in the Bible where it says; ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only son’
This quote demonstrates God’s love for His creation through His willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice to save humanity.
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Welcome back to a new school year and a new season of the RE Podcast. Over the summer, I have recorded a series of episodes to support GCSE RE - specifically AQA Islam and Christianity. If you are a student of GCSE RE, or a teacher of GCSE RE who is new to teaching GCSE, or new to AQA, or you are a teacher from another subject teaching GCSE for the first time, then I hope these episodes are really helpful to you to consolidate learning, or prepare for exams if you are a student, or to help you feel more confident if you are a teacher.
This episode offers an overview of Paper 1 - Religious Beliefs and practices, looking at the structure of the exam, how to do the different exam questions as well as some top tips for the exam. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A COPY OF A NEW STYLE EXAM PAPER TO HAND
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/religious-studies/gcse/religious-studies-8062/assessment-resources?secondaryResourceType=Question+papers%3BMark+schemes%3BAnswers+and+commentaries&limit=50&q=2026
Each episode after that will offer an overview of the main content and apply them to some key exam questions.
Copies of the exam questions used in the episode are below.
Give one Muslim belief about angels. [1 mark]
Answer 1
Muslims believe that the angel Jibril revealed the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on the night of power.
Answer 2
They are made of light.
Explain two ways in which the problem of evil and suffering influences Christians today. [4 marks]
Answer 1
One way is by trying to reduce as much evil and suffering through being good people. This is because they believe evil and suffering is caused by humans. Another way is by being hopeful of an afterlife. This is because they believe that in heaven there will be no more evil and suffering.
Explain two different ways in which Christians work for reconciliation
Explain two different ways pilgrimage is experienced in Iona
Explain two different religious practices Muslims could perform during Ashura
Explain two different ways in which Muslims may perform Salah
Explain two Christian beliefs about sin. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer
[6 marks]
Answer 1: 3/6
Christians believe sin is bad for us. It affects people negatively.
Christians believe original sin was the first time God was disobeyed. Adam and Eve ate from the tree. ‘The Lord God sent him out the Garden of Eden.
Answer 2: 6/6
One belief is that sin damages the relationship between God and humans. By disobeying God, Christians get further away from God because sin separates God and humans. In the Bible it says; ‘The Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden’. This shows the separation between God and Adam caused by his sin.
Another belief is Adam and Eve committed the original sin – eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil from which God had told them not to eat. All Christians are now born with original sin.
Explain two Muslim beliefs about prophets. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Muslim belief and teaching in your answer
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To finish off the school year in style, I am celebrating the recent Aulre and Areiac conference which took place in Exeter University on 26th and 27th June 2025. We speak with Pat Hanan, Ruth Marx, and Katie Gooch about the history of the two organisations and the planning that went into the conference. I then talk to delegates and speakers throughout the conference, and finally, Ruth, Katie, and Jan Maguire talk to us after the conference to celebrate the joys and successes of what was an incredible and rich two days. We also start looking forward to next year's conference. If you have never attended an Aulre/Areiac conference, I hope this episode whets your appetite and encourages you to join us in Lincoln next year.
It's such a lovely episode to end the year on as it celebrates the RE community as well as the amazing research that is being undertaken to help us be even more brilliant in the classroom.
http://aulre.org/
https://www.areiac.org.uk/
Thank you for listening over 2024/5. Have a summer holiday full of relaxation, joy, laughter, love and I'll be back in September.
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This weekend, 5th / 6th July (10th Muharram), sees many Shia Muslims all over the world mark the Day of Ashura. A commemoration of the martrydom of Muhammad's grandson, Husayn who died standing up for justice. In 2025 this fight is still poignant. Zam Hussain has already done an episode on Ashura which if you haven't listened then please do. But this week he joins us to tell us about his own personal pilgrimage to Karbala to visit the grave of Husayn. In his moving, human and deeply spiritual account of this pilgrimage. We discuss;
- What the pilgrimage is and what happens
- The history of this pilgrimage
- How it links to Shia teachings
- The challenges faced and what practical things were put in place to support the pilgrims
- Fun stories along the way
- The emotions at the grave
- The impact of completing this pilgrimage
Zam has recently had a tattoo relevant to this pilgrimage - listen to find out more!
Please also look at this incredible thread with pictures alongside the episode to get a sense of what it looked like as Zam speaks
https://x.com/MrZHussain/status/1830714068795355512?t=5nJ_45aNpWkWl9gi4cbMug&s=08
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This week, I speak with Alexandra Brown, RE Teacher, speaker, poet, and researcher.
Her unique intersection between race, gender, neurodiversity, and sexuality has caused many people to put up barriers as she attempts to put her research into practice. At great personal cost, she has had to navigate these barriers.
Alex speaks to us with humility and passion, from a place of pain and triumph, about her journey.
And wait till the end for something deeply profound.
To find out more about the work Alex does;
Artistic collaboration (which she does not often get to share)- Entitled ‘ Pain and womanhood
https://magicalwomen.co.uk/project/facilitated-collaboration-for-black-lives-matter/
Below is the link to the artistic reflection Alex did about the initial piece
https://magicalwomen.co.uk/project/alexandra-brown/
She also presented a paper entitled ‘A Black Queering of Encanto: Unearthing atmospheres of violence’
Reparative Queering of Religious Institutions | Queer(ing) Religion conference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D3Bd0Ypbis&t=1342s
Alex's section is from 22mins 28secs- 45mins 16secs
https://blackfeministcollective.com/contributor-alexandra-brown/
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If you are like me and really struggle to engage in and with REsearch, or know someone who does, then listen to this episode. I have left in parts I usually edit out to give you a sense at how vulnerable I was making this episode, and you will here at the end my leg bouncing with nerves. I have ADHD, so I really struggle to read things, remember things and organise new information. Listen to how Culham St Gabriel have helped me overcome my barriers to research and create some research on those barriers. I really hope it inspires you.
It might also give you an insight into the ADHD minds of your students and explain how the poor behaviour they present is masking an internal struggle they can't articuate.
If you want to find out more about the Culham St Gabriel Scholarship Leadership programme, then click on the link below.
https://www.cstg.org.uk/scholarship-programmes/leadership/
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This year we lost an legend. Words will never be able to capture everything that Dawn was to the RE Community or to her friends and family. But I hope this episode goes some way to pay tribute to the incredible person who was Dawn Cox ,and to say thank you.
We hear written and spoken tributes from Rachael Jackson Royal, Katie Freeman, Nikki McGee, Claire Clinton, Matt Pitcher, Jen Jenkins, Ruth Marx, Richard Farnyfun, Sue Nurse, Saima Saleh, Alice Thomas and Wendy Dossett.
And I speak to Roy - he partner of over 20 years about this brutal loss.
Warning - there are moments of joy and laughter but also moments of sadness and grief.
We will keep the legacy of Dawn alive in our hearts, minds and classrooms.
Here is a link to her blog;
https://missdcoxblog.wordpress.com/
Text and story in RE;
https://www.reonline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Dialog.pdf
Her books;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Dawn-Cox/s?rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3ADawn%2BCox
Her articles;
https://hwrkmagazine.co.uk/author/dawn-c/
Applying Rosenshine to RE;
https://my.chartered.college/early-career-hub/applying-rosenshine-to-religious-education/
Dealing with diversity;
https://www.retoday.org.uk/uploads/Publications/REtoday%20magazine/REtoday%20%E2%80%93%20Messy%20religion%20and%20belief/Dealing%20with%20Diversity.pdf
BBC coverage;
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgp422xljgo
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This Friday will see the release of a special episode celebrating the life and career of the late Dawn Cox.
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Think RE is irrelevant in the 21st Century or think it is only for religious people or can only lead to a career as a vicar or an RE teacher? Think again. RE A-level is dynamic, challenging and essential for life in modern Britain! Just listen and find out.
If you are a parent of a student who wants to take RE A-level, or a student who is thinking of doing it or are not sure, or you are a school leader who wants to understand the value of RE, then listen up!
Young people who are training to be Doctors and Barristers, who work in technology and finance and education speak on how important RE A-level has been in their further study and careers.
To be able to be trained in the art of argument, critical thinking, empathy, out of the box thinking, and much more has enabled them to be successful in a wide variety of careers.
- I chat to five young people who did RE A-level and we discuss;
- Why they choose RE and what they liked about it
- How has RE helped them
- Whether RE is academic?
- Whether you need to be religious to do RS
- Whether you need to have RS GCSE to do RS A-level?
- What advice they would have for someone thinking of doing RS or about to start it
I also chat to Dr. Fazilat Dar, Head of Data Science for TfL about why critical thinking and being able to see things from someone elses perspective are essential skills in industry.
Here are links to the things mentioned in the episode.
Informed Choices
https://www.informedchoices.ac.uk/start
The CBI Scandal
https://www.thecorporategovernanceinstitute.com/insights/case-studies/the-cbi-scandal-highlights-failure-on-every-level/?srsltid=AfmBOooTe5vr-FtGX5-5q36yGs7lrWb-xXTGwxXJe5_kt6qlSjSUOpZ0
David Roden
https://philpeople.org/profiles/david-roden
Simon Jenkins
https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/staff/sjenkins/
Wako - David Koresh
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Koresh
Dunning Kruger effect
https://www.google.com/search?q=dunning+kruger+effect&sca_esv=b703f1cd0674f892&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB1101GB1101&sxsrf=AHTn8zqWUAZg47-JSSu3DsRhTnECqw0Jqw%3A1747077462512&ei=VkkiaP-HH-CBhbIP3P7omAM&oq=dunning+kruger+eff&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiEmR1bm5pbmcga3J1Z2VyIGVmZioCCAAyCBAAGIAEGLEDMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAESI0fUJsBWNMQcAF4AZABAJgBWaABlgKqAQE0uAEByAEA-AEBmAIFoALCAsICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAg0QABiABBiwAxhDGIoFwgIOEAAYsAMY5AIY1gTYAQHCAhMQLhiABBiwAxhDGMgDGIoF2AEBmAMAiAYBkAYRugYGCAEQARgJkgcBNaAH3xayBwE0uAewAg&sclient=gws-wiz-serp
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If you have not ever heard of this trial or it's significance to the RE classroom then don't miss this episode. It underpins our teaching of fundamentalism, science and religion, diversity of worldviews and curriculum freedom. It also shines a light on global issues and polarisation.
As we approach the 100 year anniversary of this trial (10th July 1925) listen to Ruth Marx speak passionately about John Scope!
Here are the many links to things referenced in the episode
Charter for compassion
https://charterforcompassion.org/
Dawn Cox' blog
https://missdcoxblog.wordpress.com/
Sarah Silverman - we are all human and deserve love (warning, some people might find this language and humour offensive)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahdR6aHQvMQ
Karen Armstrongs ted talk on charter for compassion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMm4RAwVLo
Smithsonian Institution Archives
The Leopold And Loeb Trial: An Account
Big Ideas lesson plan and resources on the Scope trial (monkey trial)
C11-14-BI6-ex2-v1.docx
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In 2020 while the world went on lockdown, something incredible emerged to support us teaching remotely - Oak National Academy. Teachers from all over the country created online lessons along with videos which students could watch, pause, re-watch and learn. These were lessons created by teachers for teachers for all Key Stages for all subjects. When the world went back to normal, Oak National continued and teachers realised how perfect these lessons were for cover, CPD and revision. Five years later, Oak National is going from strength to strength; aiming to have an all through curriculum based on the latest educational research which can support teachers everyday.
Adam Robertson has been leading the team to develop the Oak Curriculum for RE and together they have created a worldclass, worldview curriculum which is my go to for cover and CPD for Teacher With Other Specialisms. I have also been priviledged to be part of the team developing these lessons and I know how merticuluously they are planned to ensure they are fit for purpose in the 21st Century. In this episode Adam joins me for a behind the scenes look at how Oak works.
https://www.thenational.academy/teachers/curriculum/religious-education-secondary-aqa/units
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Calling all teachers of Religion, Crime and Punishment. This weeks guest is Dr. Evelyn Svingen who's specialist subject is criminology. We discussion reasons for crime, aims of punishment, types of punishment, the history of punishment, the death penalty, women in prison, and the relationship between foriveness and retribution.
Evelyn mentioned lots of amazing resources to explore;
I was almost a school shooter: Ted Talk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azRl1dI-Cts
Gagaca Courts, Rwanda
https://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/assets/pdf/Backgrounder%20Justice%202014.pdf
The innocence Project
https://innocenceproject.org/
When they see us documentary
https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80200549
Elizabeth Loftus, False memories Ted Talk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB2OegI6wvI
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I LOVED this chat with Dr. Martin Pickup so much. He is an associate professor in Philosophy at the University of Birmingham and Director of the Birmingham Centre for Philosophy of Religion. His particular specialism is metaphysics and the Philosophy of Religion so we had a lovely chat about these two things; specifically What metaphysics, how it's changed over time and how this has impacted philosophy of religion. We discuss analytic theology, Leibniz and the Principle of Sufficient Reason, the Ontological Argument and look to the future of metaphysics.
Martin also tells about a new project he is working on - a global philosophy of religions project!
If you teach Philosophy or Religious Studies A-level then I think you will find this chat really helpful. It is also really accessible so your A-level students might find it useful too!
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As we continue to recognise diversity in faith traditions within our worldviews curriculums, I interview Dr. Rhiannon Grant about diversity in the Quaker tradition. Senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham, her specialism is modern Quaker thought.
Following on from the episode with Matthew Guest on Quakerism more generally, this focusses on how Quakers have changed overtime, non-theistic Quakerism, global Quakerism as well as advice about how to incorporate this into the classroom and avoid misconceptions.
Rhiannon was a knowledgeable and delightful guest and so easy to listen to!
She sign posted us to some great resources;
Her book 'Quakers do what? Why?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quaker-Quicks-Quakers-What-Why/dp/1789044057
Pink Dandelions' books on Quakers
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quakers-Very-Short-Introduction-Introductions/dp/0199206791
Quaker speak videos
https://quakerspeak.com/
Quakers in Britain website
https://www.quaker.org.uk/
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Please tweet along with us LIVE this Sunday as we watch the first episode of the new BBC Pilgrimage series BB2 Easter Sunday 9pm
Welcome to this very special Easter Episode of The RE Podcast where I am on location in London at the press screening of the new BBC Pilgrimage series set to air on Easter Sunday 2025 (20th April).
I chat to 6 of the 7 pilgrims who made the 300km pilgrimage across the Alps, all agreeing that the biggest journey was in their self awareness and friendships with each other. We talk about the importance of curiosity and asking questions and looking at the similarities between us. I even try and recruit a couple to teaching RE.
My thanks to agnostic Jay McGuiness, singer from boy band, The Wanted; actor and comedy legend Helen Lederer who is from a mixed heritage background, with a culturally Jewish father and a Protestant mother; practising Catholic, Harry Clark - The Traitors (series two) winner; standup comedian Daliso Chaponda, who grew up in a Christian family but is exploring the Baha’i faith; retired Paralympian and practising Christian Stef Reid and journalist Nelufar Hedayat, who refers to herself as a modern Muslim. Presenter Jeff Brazier, who went to Catholic schools but now is spiritual and meditates as part of his everyday life, was not able to attend the press screening so does not feature in this episode.
My thanks also so Katie Freeman and Angela Hill for asking some great questions to give me a lot of this material.
My thanks also to CCTV and the BBC for producing this programme.
Websites
https://superhumans.com/en/
https://www.ctvc.co.uk/
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If you have never been to Strictly RE before, then it is the biggest RE Conference in the country, organised by NATRE and RE Today, where RE teachers from all over the country, from all settings join together and geek out on all things RE. There are keynote speeches, panel discussions, seminars, resources room and most importantly OTHER RE GEEKS TO TALK TO.
This year was the first face to face conference since before lockdown and we wanted to celebrate this by taking you to Strictly. If you were lucky enough to attend, I hope this episode is a reminder of how amazing it was. If you have never been before, I hope this episode inspires you to come next year. Link below to register your interest.
https://www.natre.org.uk/courses-events/strictly-re/
I talk to NATRE chair, Katie Freeman for some behind the scenes chat about what it was like to put on this event, and Katie Freeman and NATRE Director Angela Hill join me after for a post Strictly debrief.
I speak to some of the delegates at the conference about their experience, you'll hear a few clips from some of the talks and all the sounds from Strictly RE 2025.
Thank you do everyone who made this episode possible;
Angela Hill
Katie Freeman
Paul Hopkins
Nikki McGee
Sarah from Jigsaw
Ria Searle
Lat Blaylock
Andy
Ian Coles
Zoe Higgins
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Advert for the full episode
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A pentecostal and a person from the charismatic movement were in a room... it sounds like the beginning of a joke doesn't it? But I wonder what might surprise them about the other?
In this week's episode, Wolfgang Vondey generously enlightens us on that. We define what we mean by Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Movement and look at the etymology of these terms. We identify what makes them distinct from each other, but as you know, RE is messy so they don't fit into neat categories and boxes.
We look at misconceptions, history, the first pentecost, controversies and of course, how we can teach it authentically.
Wolfgang is so knowledgeable and it was a delight to have this chat and find out more about these distinct movements.
Ultimately, this is about telling stories and engaging in the stories of others. Enjoy!
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I've had this episode ready to release for a while and I have been so looking forward to it. I knew so little about the Tao until this chat but was entirely curious about it. So I invited Bob Martin to awaken me, all the way from South America!
We discuss the best terminology and spelling, what exactly The Tao is and how it differs from other eastern philosophies like Buddhism or Confucianism, as well how it is similar to Christianity.
We explore the major authors and principle texts. Then we discuss TaiChi, I Ching (pronounced ee-jing), Ying Yang.
Finally we look at misconceptions and how we can use The Tao in the classroom and possibly in our lives.
Bob very generously signposted us to lots of places - all links below;
Links
https://longevity-center.com/grandmaster-hua-ching-ni-omni/
https://terebess.hu/english/tao/mitchell.html
https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/gospel-according-to-jesus-book-stephen-a-mitchell-9780060923211?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA-Oi7BhA1EiwA2rIu2wi7rStMYLaF0g4cDcQDgKkJd1soYpHKoDLzlfv9cZFCAR_ydq-ktxoCbs0QAvD_BwE&sku=GOR003016506
https://www.sapere.org.uk/
https://sites.google.com/view/the-philosophy-garden/home
https://iamthewaybook.com/the-author
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-079YIasck
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On the 13th February the General Synod met and discuss 'Living in Faith and Love' which is mentioned in today's episode (link below). A decision still had not been made on and three more months has been requested.
What stance should the Anglican Church take on homosexuality?
Dr. Susannah Cornwall from the University of Exeter Theology and Religion Faculty takes us through the history of the relationship between The Anglican Church and Homosexuality. She highlights the nuances of this debate that are often missed when we reflect on this relationship. While the Anglican Church were among the first to support the decriminalisation of homosexuality, it's more because they saw it as an illness rather a crime. Furthermore, as a global church, the impact that any change in Theology has to be considered against the variety of political and social contexts. Furthermore, colonialism has often pushed a western agenda insensitively onto other groups without a true understanding of them.
We discuss the importance of the adjusted position on contraception by the Anglican Church and how this is pertinent to discussions about homosexuality, as well as what the debate has been and where the Anglican Church might go next.
Living in Faith and Love
https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2025-01/gs-2386-living-in-love-and-faith.pdf
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/13-november/news/uk/living-in-love-and-faith-a-quick-guide-through-the-book
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To continue with the theme of inclusive education, I speak to Dr. Wouter Peeters about the moral importance of EDI. This is a great episode for RE teachers, for EDI leads in schools and SLT.
https://www.wouterpeeters.info/
We discuss;
- the purpose of EDI initiatives in terms of Human Rights
- the benefits to society and individuals in terms of self actualisation
- the challenges to EDI and how we overcome them
- how religion and both support and detract from EDI
- how we can teach our students the skills to uphold EDI
It's an amazing episode and both informative and practical so please share with as many colleagues and friends as possible as EDI benefits all!
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This week I continue my conversation with Dr U-Wen Low from the University of Birmingham about how to read the stories in the new Testament without a colonial lens. We focus in this episode on the book of revelation.
The episode is going to take a hermeneutical look at the book of Revelation (singular) and what it could really be saying and how it might have been misunderstood. But don't worry, this episode also isn't heavy and complicated. U-Wen has a brilliant way of making things simple and accessible.
It's a brilliant episode that I think will make you look at familiar stories in a new way which is something we love as RE teachers!
Please share with all Christians and Church leaders too!
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To continue on our theme of making our schools and curriculum representative and inclusive, I speak to Dr U-wen Low from the University of Birmingham about how to read the stories in the new Testament without a colonial lens. We focus in this episode on Jesus and Phliemonand will do a further episode on the book of revelation.
The episode is going to take a hermeneutical look at specific texts and how they can be interpretted to either be pro or against colonisation and sometimes both. But don't worry, this isn't heavy and complicated. U-wen has a brilliant way of making things simple and accessible.
We focus our converstation on Mary's magnificat, the Great Commission, views on the Romans, the story of Zaccheaus and the letter of Philemon (with it's nuanced take on slavery).
It's a brilliant episode that I think will make you look at familiar stories in a new way which is something we love as RE teachers!
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1st February was National Hijab Day! This episode is a detailed exploration of Islamophobia with Bismha Afzal, Schools Coordinator with Educate Against Islamophobia (EAI). We talk about what Islamophobia, what it looks like in modern Britain and how we as educators can tackle it. It is a whole school thing, not an RE thing so please share with your colleagues. Bismah referenced so many helpful resources. Here are the relevant links;
Islamophobia: Muhammd Vs Adam
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38751307
IHRC
https://www.ihrc.org.uk/countering-islamophobia-through-the-development-of-counter-narratives/
Interesting leaflet by Tariq Modood about Islamhttp://www.tariqmodood.com/uploads/1/2/3/9/12392325/muslims_in_bristol_and_britain.pdf
Muhammads last sermonhttps://www.iium.edu.my/deed/articles/thelastsermon.html
Runnymede report (2017 one)https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61488f992b58e687f1108c7c/61bcd30e26cca7688f7a5808_Islamophobia%20Report%202018%20FINAL.pdf
EAI
https://eai.org.uk/
APPG: Islamophobia definedhttps://static1.squarespace.com/static/599c3d2febbd1a90cffdd8a9/t/5bfd1ea3352f531a6170ceee/1543315109493/Islamophobia+Defined.pdf
IAM
https://www.islamophobia-awareness.org/
Role of educators in tackling islamophobiahttps://www.osce.org/odihr/93497
RE Hubs - School speakers
https://www.re-hubs.uk/get-involved/school-speakers/
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Have you heard of Don Cupitt? Of Big Ideas for RE? Or maybe you have used the In Converstations webinars! This only skims the surfaces of what the Sea Of Faith Network does to support the RE Community!
The Sofia publication, regional meetings, the Sea of Faith conference, Solarity...
We are so lucky to have this network who provides a space for people to have conversations about the human experiences free from the bias' of fundamentalist thinking.
My thaks for Dave Francis for talking to the RE Podcast and to the whole network for your work!
Below are all the links referred to in this episode;
https://www.sofn.uk/
https://bigideasforre.org/
https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/understanding-by-design/
https://www.solarity.org.uk/
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Today's episode is a delightful chat with Stacey Burman and Carrie Alderton about all things interfaith. And when I say all things, I mean ALL THE THINGS!
The history and purpose of Interfaith Week and why it is so important.
How we can get involved as a community a school and a teacher.
Where we can go for resources.
But also, how this is part of a bigger picture of Interfaith Education which should permeate schools, communities and RE classrooms? (Linking brilliantly to last weeks episode on Freedom Of Religion or Belief.)
It's a really practical episode with lots of tips and ideas and places to go for support
As part of the epsiode we hear from Alice who talks about all the amazing things she does for Interfaith week to give us some inspiration - get a notebook and make sure you are sitting down!
Please let Carrie know anything you have done for Interfaith week and how it went, or maybe you have some ideas and want some support on this for future IFWs?
Similarly, if you have any stories about interfaith education you want to share, or need support / resources to improve how you do it, please get in touch
Either contact me @therepodcast1 on X or @therepodcast on insta and bluesky or visit my website www.therepodcast.co.uk.
For more information;
https://www.interfaithweek.org/
https://faithbeliefforum.org/
https://www.ifw4schools.co.uk/
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This chat is just what we need to reinvigorate us as we start a new term, cold, exhausted from festive celebrations, still arriving and leaving in the dark, with depleted VItamin D reserves. This episode will give you an hour to be reignited and reinvigorated about the amazing work we all do and what is possible and help us start a new term with renewed energy.
We look at what FoRB is and what it isn't, trauma informed ways of dealing with violations, why it's so important in today's world.
My guest Josh Cass is as wise as he is humble, and will be the lift you need to see you through the last half of January.
A link to the REC article on The Toledo Principles
https://religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk/resource/toledo-guiding-principles/
https://religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk/rec/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/toledo-article.pdf
A link to all the FoRB resources from Culham St Gabriel
https://www.cstg.org.uk/campaigns/promoting-freedom-of-religion-or-belief/
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Happy New Year 2025 and the 5th year of The RE Podcast. And welcome to season 14 of The RE Podcast which is shaping up really nicely. The first half of the season will focus on how we embrace a multi-religious society looking at Islamophobia, Interfaith week, Freedom of Religion or belief and the Sea of Faith Network. Then I am going to explore some smaller religions like The Tao and Shinto. Can't wait to share all this with you. But first asn episode on the Ethics of AI.
Following the brilliant #REChatUK, last monday about how we use technology in the classroom, I wanted to share with you the thoughts of Henry Taylor.
We chatted about the history of AI, concept of consciousness and how you can test for this in Robots and the subsequent moral obligation towards them. We also looked at the ethics of using robots in the care of the elderly. Henry shares some ideas for film clips we can use in the classroom to support our teaching in this area.
We also chat briefly about the 'human fingertip' bias in programmes like ChatGTP and the questions we need to answer before this technology evolves.
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To help you celebrate the end of the longest term of the year, to get you in the festive spirit, to shine a beacon to parents, particularly mothers, as we focus on the amazing story of Mary, the mother of Jesus and the central role she plays in the Christmas story, I bring you tidings of great joy!
This last episode of the season, and of 2024, is a spotlight on two RE teachers as they talk about juggling motherhood with their careers. Naila Missous, and Gemma Brown. They are connected through the amazing MTPT Project - The UK’s charity for parent-teachers. It provides support and entitlements for pregnant and expectant staff. And check out the festive name of its founder, Emma Sheppard (so much festive joy). Emma, also joined us to tell us why she made the journey from English Teacher to wanting to support parent teachers.
The conversation not only includes information about the project and how it supported Naila and Gemma, and what needs to happen in the political sphere to support parents in education, but also how we can include the role of mothers into our curriculums, and where we see the role of mothers in scriptures.
As you can imagine, it is an empowering and uplifting chat.
https://www.mtpt.org.uk/
To all my listeners' my seasonal message for you is from Mary's song because all teachers, but specifically parents are often so humble and they need to be lifted up;
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
I hope this episode lifts you up.
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In a move towards multidisciplinary RE, I wonder if you are stuck on how to teach through a social sciences lens - particularly through a psychological lens. Maybe you are not sure what the psychology of religion is, or how to incorporate it into your lessons. Or maybe you have started to explore but have become overwhelmed. Dr Carissa Sharp is an associate professor of Psychology of Religion from The University of Birmingham and she came on to the podcast to guide us through how to do this.
For example, is this a psychological question – “Does God exist?” – and if not, how do we turn it into one?
For the answer and for much more, listen to this episode.
The links for this episodes are below;
Get in touch with Dr Carissa Sharp
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/tr/sharp-carissa
https://crosstrainingpsychologyandtheology.com/
https://crosstrainingpsychologyandtheology.com/resources/resources-for-re-teachers/
When Children Draw Gods by PY Brandthttps://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-94429-2
Believing, Bonding, Behaving, and Belonging: The Big Four Religious Dimensions and Cultural Variation by Vassilis Saroglouhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022022111412267#:~:text=Believing%2C%20Bonding%2C%20Behaving%2C%20and,Cultural%20Variation%20%2D%20Vassilis%20Saroglou%2C%202011
Experimenting with Religion by Jonathan Jonghttps://global.oup.com/academic/product/experimenting-with-religion-9780190875541?cc=us⟨=en&
Cambridge Elements
https://www.cambridge.org/core/browse-subjects/psychology/psychology-of-religion
Lambi Scale RE Today resource
https://www.natre.org.uk/resources/termly-mailing/bqic-secondary-challenging-knowledge-in-re/studying-god/8-using-psychology-to-investigate-ideas-of-god/
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If any of you want to look at how you can teach the complex socio political tensions between the Abrahamic faiths, or are teaching about interfaith relations, or maybe you want to draw out a feminist lens in your classroom, then please draw on the amazing research and services offered by the Woolf Institute.
A link to all the elements we spoke about are below;
www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/community-engagement/education
- In-Person and Online Visits to School
- Living in Harmony: Resources and Visits for Secondary Schools
- Gender in Religious Experience: Resources and Visits for Secondary Schools
- RE-Framing Education about Beliefs and Practices in SchoolsValuing Diversity: A Guide for Secondary School Teachers
To access these resources, simply email: publicengagement@woolf.cam.ac.uk
We also see how well aligned the worldviews approach is with the interfaith dialogue values.
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This may be something you have never heard of, it is certainly a new piece of subject knowldge for me. Tisha B'Av, which translates as the 9th of Av is an annual fast day in Orthodox Judaism which takes place at the beginning of August. It serves to remember the Jewish suffering from the past - specifically the destruction of the first and second temple which are said to have happened on Tisha B'Av. This is a day when many Orthodox Jews fast, deny themselves luxuries like chairs, and even refrain from reading the Torah which would offer comfort.
To explore this day, I speak to Adam Boxer and I promise this conversation is a really beautiful look at a solemn day and you will learn things about Orthodox Judaism which may surprise you as it surprised me.
Adam's online learning platform
https://www.carousel-learning.com/
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One thing we love is the messiness of RE! In the current worldviews approach we embrace this messiness and strive to accurately the diversity within worldviews. In this episode I speak to Dr Lois Lee, senior lecturer at the University of Kent. We look at the diversity of belief within the Nones - an area which called fall prey to simplifications if we are not careful. Lois and I discuss how to authentically represent atheism and all it's beautiful and messy diversity!
My take away is the suggestion of a category of a social worldview which sits inbetween and sometimes straddles personal and organised worldviews!
For more on the explaining atheism research, here is the website;
https://www.explainingatheism.org/
And the work with RE today is below;
https://www.retoday.org.uk/news/latest-news/re-today-working-with-explaining-atheism/
https://www.retoday.org.uk/school-support/publications/samples/primary-curriculum-book-exploring-non-religious-worldviews/
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https://iifl.org.uk/
Faith's transformative power takes center stage as we welcome Dr. Jake Scott, Director of the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life. Join us for an enlightening conversation on how faith is not only surviving but thriving amid growing secularism and religious diversity in the UK. Discover how historical influences and modern movements are shaping a society that values faith as a cornerstone for moral enrichment and societal good, particularly among younger generations who are championing a more active role for faith in public life.
Unravel the complexities of religious plurality and tolerance as we explore the bridges built by education and personal interactions across diverse faith communities. From Christianity's historical impact on British society to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by Islam's growth, we dive into the vital role of faith literacy in reducing prejudice and promoting understanding. Our discussion examines the dynamic interplay between faith and societal acceptance, noting how exposure to different beliefs fosters an inclusive community and how people perceive faith as a force for good.
Explore the multifaceted ways faith influences mental health, work environments, and even environmental stewardship. We spotlight faith's dual role in providing resilience while presenting challenges and how it shapes positive work ethics and community contributions. Our conversation delves into the environmental responsibilities embraced by various religious groups, highlighting the generational divide in climate anxiety and the power of faith as a coping mechanism. Tune in for a thought-provoking analysis of how religious education broadens our understanding of humanity, promising insights that could contribute to a more harmonious and inclusive world.
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What happens at the intersection of faith and mental health. Can a personal faith support you through this or create an extra layer to navigate as you try to reconcile your experience with a loving God. In this honest, authentic and hopeful conversation, I ask Claire Gough about her lived experience of being a Christian with depression, anxiety and disordered eating.
We consider how is depression and anxiety specifically difficult as a Christian, nisconceptions that Christians have about mental health, how she feels about seeing this as a spiritual battle, or a result of sin, the stigma of mental health in the Church, the use of medication in a Christian context, how it impacted her faith and relationship with God, how her faith,and the Bible, has helped her.
Content advisory: We do make reference to suicide in this episode.
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One of the things I love doing this podcast is it introduces me to things I didn't know were a thing but love learning about. This chat with Rev Pippa White is so significant for many reasons. For Christians, this is a real challenge to them for whether they are inhabiting the spaces of the younger generation. Jesus used the common communication tool of the time to communicate his message.
For teachers, this is about The Great Commission in the 21st Century - go out into 'all' the world. This now includes the digital world.
But this is also about the nature of Theology and doctrine. Where is the authority and accountability for the Theology that is being created and shared on Social Media? Can you be a Christian in a disembodied state and what the advantages and disadvangtes of that?
Plus, regardless of spending my teenage years in an Anglican Church and 23 years as an RE teacher, I learnt that I had no idea what the Anglican Church was!
But overall, it was just so lovely to talk to Pippa. She is a warm and delightful human being so please follow her on Social Media:
TikTok - notapriestess
Pippa also mentioned some other accounts to follow including;
Black liturgies https://www.instagram.com/blackliturgies/?hl=en
Rev Chris Lee https://www.instagram.com/revchris7/?hl=en
The book she mentioned was
Karen O'Donnell - The Dark Womb
https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334060932/the-dark-womb
To read more about Social Media Theology on Google Scholar;
https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Social+media+theology&btnG=
Friar Time
Through meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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This is one of my favurite episodes because of how powerful, emotional and authentic it was. I chat with former Islamist - Sohail Ahmed. His story is true, honest and relatable as he tells us what led him to become an extremist and what eventually led him to leave that life behind. It's linked to identity, sexuality, atonement, purpose and belonging! It reveals the misconceptions regarding extremists, what to teach our children and what to look out for. Sohail's grace and humanity is so evident in this interview and I know this will change the life of anyone who listens to it.
@SohailSNAhmed
https://t.co/c8QkL17PaJ
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In rememberance of LGBTQIA History Month, we remember this GLORIOUS chat with Rev. Andy Fitchet, we look at the damage that traditional and literal interpretations of Genesis have had on women and LGBTQIA Christians. Andy talks openly about his own difficult journey and the dangerous practices of the Church to heal people of 'gayness'. We discuss homosexuality, gender, sexism, hypocrisy. grinder and Jesus as a trans male. Andy is so theologically knowledgeable and also has the most wonderful sense of joy in his faith (the bit about finding Adam a 'helper' is my personal favourite, or how there is a special section in hell for polyester wearers if the Bible is to be taken at face value!) If God is not binary and we were made in his image, then we are not binary!
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To continue with the 4th Anniversary celebrations of the RE Podcast, I want to reincarnate some of my favourite episodes.
To start here are the chats with the Reverend Steve Chalke from season 2, and the one on restorative justice from season 7.
Not only is Steve one of my childgood heroes, I love what he says about love and salvation and homosexuality and crime and punishment
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In this episode I look back over the first 4 years of The RE Podcast using questions from you lot. And it's an occupational habit that RE teachers ask great questions!
Giles Gough - What for you, is the best and worst part of podcasting?
Karen Steele - What’s been your favourite RE podcast? Also, what inspired you to start; where did you find the courage?
MissM - What's been a conversation you've had for your podcast that has altered something you teach?
Dawn Cox - Does God exist?
Catriona card - What memories do you have of RE lessons at school? Did they inspire you to become an RE teacher?
Shammi Rahman - What’s special about the RE teaching community? What three fundamental? principles do you think that brings us together and unites us?
Katie Gooch - What's it like being an RE 'celebrity' to both teachers and students?
I also explain how and why I came to fall in love with RE!
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This is my very special summary of season 12 which started with a timely episode about how to revise, a deep dive into sources of authority in Islam, humanist funerals, a chat with Mary myatt, one about the REC and the handbook, sentientism, fostering curiosity, fallacies in arguments, veganism, re resources, miracles, and gay marriage.
My thanks to all my season 12 guests; Waqar Ahmedi and Zameer Hussain, Ed Finch, Mary Myatt, Ed Pawson and Sarah Lane Cawte, Jamie Woodhouse, Michelle St John, Heather Marshall, Karenza Passmore and the Rev John Squares.
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This is my very special summary of season 11 of The RE Podcast which started with a mini series on the sermon on the mount, then a deep dive into the REQM, an episode about the Veda’s, one about Quakerism, a lovely chat with Lat Blaylock, another with the people at NATRE, a look at the national content standard, one about social Catholic teachings, a chat with the people from CTVC who bought us TrueTube and the Pilgrimage series and the season ended with my most popular episode to date - a chat with some year 11 students about their experience of Ramadan.
My thanks to all my season 11 guests, Indy Nottage, Linda Ridge and Jake Womack, Molly Acharya, Matthew Guest, Lat Blaylock, Fiona Moss and Katie Freeman, Kathryn wright and Deborah Weston, Oli Aston, Alison Green, Bob Ayers and Dorcas Woods, Areez, Alisha and Nila.
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This is my very special summary of Season 10 of The RE Podcast, where I went to Israel, looked at assessment in primary RE, talked to Dawn Cox about her book ‘Every RE lesson counts’ then did two mini series: one on losing and finding religion and another on the parables of Jesus. I ended the season looking at paganism. So this has been another incredible season.
My thanks to all my guests in season 10 my fellow pilgrims to Israel including Dawn Cox and Katie Freeman, Gillian Georgio and her primary assessment experts, Clare Campbell, Neil McKain, Leanne, Giles Gough, Fiona Spargo Mabbs, James Holt and Tara and Linda for some festive witchy goodness. Enjoy these taster clips from each episode in case you missed any!
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Many of your will know the cross bench peer, Lord Bilimoria. With his Zoroastrian parsi background, his passion for RE and his success in business, I knew this would be a fantastic episode and it did not disppoint. Lord Bilimoria was open and generous and explained why RE is such an important subject to make our students work ready, not only in terms of critical thinking but also in terms of compassion and building trust.
We cover the need for war, the important of art and music, a little but about the Zoroastrian religion.
My favourite quote which I misquote in the episode is 'the price of freedom isn't free.'
Please find below links to his open letter article in the business times as to why business leaders must support RE in schools, as well as the video he made for Culham St Gabriel
https://www.rethinkre.org/ready-for-work-campaign
https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/why-business-leaders-back-religious-education-schools/opinion/article/1867687
https://www.cstg.org.uk/campaigns/promotional-film-collection/
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This is certainly not a comprehensive account of Sikhi, but what I hope this is is a brief overview to help you feel more confident in teaching this beautiful way of thinking.
If you are new to teaching Sikhi and want a starting point, or you are a new RE teacher, or someone embarking on training to be an RE teacher, then this may be a good jumping off point. Or maybe you want to direct your students to this episode if Sikhi is on your syllabus or curriculum.
This episode goes through;
- The history of Sikhi and Guru Nanak
- Beliefs about God and the Mool Mantar
- The Ten Gurus
- Guru Gobind Singh and the formation of the Khalsa
- The Five Ks
- The Gurdwara
- Festivals of Vaisakhi and Diwali
Link to Head of RE Job at Harris City Academy Crystal Palace
https://www.harriscareers.org.uk/200/search-our-vacancies/career/44046/head-of-religious-education?type=permanent&academy=Harris%20City%20Academy%20Crystal%20Palace&job_alert=false
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In the wake of the far right riots that are happening across the country in August 2024, I talk to Theos Director, author, broadcaster and Canon Chine McDonald about her upbringing, Christian faith and why we need a book to remind us that God us not a white man, or even a man. This is about reframing our unconscious bias to create a better tomorrow and how we can do this. Chine makes a few references throughout the conversation - please find the links below
God is not a white man by Chine McDonald
https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/chine-mcdonald/god-is-not-a-white-man/9781529349078/
What white people can do next by Emma Dabiri
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/443684/what-white-people-can-do-next-by-dabiri-emma/9780141996738
The Shack (movie)
https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/the-shack
Lemonade (Full Album) by Beyonce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHYwerZbMS4
Unmaking Mary - The Myth of Divine Motherhood by Chine McDonald
https://www.chinemcdonald.com/blog/coming-in-2025-unmaking-mary-the-myth-of-divine-motherhood
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I wrote and recorded this episode in August 2024 when everytime I caught the news there was warnings of another far right riot. While my initial reaction was one of anger and fear, the RE teacher in me took a step backwards. Those are the same emotions which fuel the far right. So why am I allowed to be angry if they are not? Why are they wrong and I am right? How do we even know what is right or wrong in a pluralist society? In this episode I look at the history of ethics throughout human evolutions, both from religious and non-religious worldviews, and then I look at three Ethical Theories;
Deontology
Utilitarianism
Situation Ethics.
I don't know if the episode answers all our questions about morality, but I hope it serves as an overview of ethical thought for those embarking on teaching or about to study ethics.
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In 2021, the Methodist Church voted 692-51 in favour of gay marriages. Two years later, the first gay marriage was performed in a Methodist Church - I think they were expecting more of a rush! In this episode I chat to Rev John Squares who performed the ceremony between John and Les.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cqll85zq5v0o
We discuss how gay marriage can be compatible with the Christian faith but more importantly, the need to love yourself before you can love others!
We also discuss the danger in extreme homephobic view points so a warning not to listen to this episode in front of young children or anyone who might be upset by it's content. Specifically we mention Matthew Shepard;
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45968606
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What are miracles? Do they happen? Are there any other explanations for them? Does believing in miracles open you up to being manipulated by faith healers? Do the presence of miracles in different religions cancel each other out?
I look into miracles. We look at Hume, Aquinas, Flew, RF Holland and Swinburne to help me do this.
I make reference to Miracles for Sale - the Derren Brown documentary which you can watch here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuP5uOI7Xwc&t=3281s
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Karenza Passmore has been a valued member of the RE Communinity for well over 30 years. In her role in the North East Religious Resources Center, she has emersed herself in RE resources so she is here so offer some of her insights.
Karenza is a passionate advocate for RE combining experience with Neuroscience to offer inspiration to all of us classroom teachers.
Below are some of the links of things that Karenza mentions
RE Hubs
https://www.re-hubs.uk/get-involved/resource-centres/
Areiac
https://www.areiac.org.uk/join-areiac
Gill Vaisey
https://www.booksatpress.co.uk/religiouseducation.html
RE Today membership
https://www.retoday.org.uk/school-support/natre-membership/
Please get in touch and let Karenza and I know what your one take away is from our episode!
@Karenza_RRC
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In this episode I talk to former CPS Barrister Michelle St John from VinE, and Heather Marshal from Edgehill University in Birmingham about Veganism as a worldview and how we can teach it in the classroom. We discuss;
What veganism is and why it is an important topic to discuss in the 21st century, why and how we should teach it, including how it is a unifying factor between religious and non-religious worldviews.
There were lots of places mentioned to find some great resources
www.teachvine.org
https://www.animalaid.org.uk/education/
https://climatehealers.org/
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/
https://www.cowspiracy.com/
https://gamechangersmovie.com/What the health
https://www.dominionmovement.com/watch
https://eating2extinction.com/
https://animal-interfaith-alliance.com/
https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/?s=vegan
https://www.natre.org.uk/about-natre/projects/spirited-arts/spirited-arts-gallery/2023/?ThemeID=109
https://www.laudatosi.org/the-letter/encyclical-letter/
https://www.almizan.earth/
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I think one of the trump cards of RE is our ability to teach critical thinking. In the wake of a general election, with the diverse voices and opinions our young people are exposed to, and as they embark on relationships, it feels that an ability to spot flaws in people's arguments is vital. In this episode, I explain what I mean by 'flaw' or 'fallacy and break down into easily accessible chunks a few of the most common fallacies;
- Post hoc ergo proctor hoc - after this, therefore because of this
- Reductio ad absurdum - reducing something to it's most ridiculous extreme to try and prove an opinion is wrong
- Slippery slope - arguing that one event will evetually lead to something catestrophic
- Ad hominem - when you can't find anything wrong with someone's argument so start attacking the person
- False dichotomy - when someone assumes there are only two options
- Straw man fallacy where you slightly misrepresent someone's argument to make it look like it is flawed
- Circular arguments where your premise is assumed to be true and therefore is used to prove your conclusion is
- Non-sequiter so where a conclusion doesn't logically follow a premise
- Fallacy of composition where you assume that something that is true for an individual is also true for the whole
- False authority - where you use an authority figure who isn't an expert to prove a point
- Confirmation bias - where you look for evidence to support what you already believe.
I apply these fallacies to philosophical arguments and modern day dilemmas and talk about how to overcome them.
I really hope this is a helpful episode that will help you equip your students for life in the 21st century.
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I have been thinking a lot recently about the Science of Learning and what that looks like in the RE classroom. I think we have a lot to learn from educational research. But what I am noticing is that children don't seem to LOVE learning, in fact some seem to resent it. I have been trying to work out why. Like many things, I think it is multifaceted with social and political factors, but what I am more interested in is solutions. HOW do we encourage children to LOVE learning? Children are naturally curious and love to ask WHY - and the RE classroom is such an ideal place to cultivate their curiousity and encourage them to be like they were when they were younger. So I was thinking about HOW we can cultivate curiosity in our classrooms. This episode is the result of my thinking.
I'd love to hear how YOU cultivate curiosity in your classroom so please get in touch!
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Back in February, Jamie and I discussed doing an episode together! And three months later it happened! And it was a delightful chat. We dicuss so many things including the worldview approach to RE, what sentientism is and what it means in terms of how we treat living things, as well as the the importance of evdience and reason in working out what's real!
Here is a link to Jamies website, articles of RE today, Christspiracy and how to contact him;
https://sentientism.info/
https://www.natre.org.uk/resources/termly-mailing/secondary-investigating-worldviews/investigating-non-religious-worldviews-re-today-services/investigating-a-non-religious-worldview-what-is-sentientism/
https://www.christspiracy.org/
@jamiewoodhouse
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On 2nd May The RE Council has published its Draft Handbook for the Religion and Worldviews in the Classroom: developing a Worldviews Approach project.
This is an historic day for the RE community. But, what is the RE Council (REC) and what is this handbook? Who is it for? And how is it different from the National Content Standard?
I discuss all this and more with former NATRE chair, current Deputy Chair for the REC and RE advisor, Ed Pawson, and chair of the REC and educational officer for the free Churches, Sarah Lane Cawte.
After a hard day it was delightful to chat to such wonderful people and appreciated them giving their time to me considering how busy they are.
I also learn something and demonstrate how NOT to do respectful curiosity!
https://religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk/rec/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/REC-Worldviews-Project-double-pages-Revised-cover-v1.2.pdf
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The wonder woman of the RE world! This incredible advocate of RE has worked tierlessly to champion RE, from her own teaching, to leading, training and supporting, advising, inspecting, writing and speaking.
She now teaches and advises about leadership, school improvement and the curriculum on a whole school level, but this interview highlights the passion she still has for RE.
We discuss her extensive career, why she loves RE so much, her proudest moment so far, top tips for teaching RE!
Wild Interest
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Have you heard of Ed Finch? You may know him from BrewEd or as a Primary Head Teacher? Well, he now is training to become a Humanist Celebrant. Following the death of his wife, he was introduced to the wonderful concept of a humanist funeral. Ed tells us all about the training he is recieving to be able to support others through grief in the way he was.
You would think that this would make this conversation depressing and heavy, but it is anything but. It is beautiful and joyful, as is Ed!
We discuss what a humanist funeral is, what happens at them and why there is a need for them. But also we consider beliefs about life after death and the wonderful phrase 'a taste of the sacred'.
Wild Interest
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If you teach GCSE Islam, then you will know how important sources of authority are. In this episode, Waqar Ahmedi, Zameer Hussain and I discuss sources of authority in Islam. We explore The Qur'an, The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the Sunnah and the Hadith as well as other Holy Texts that have authority, and we also consider the role of the Imamate as a source of authority in Shia Islam.
Some of you maybe aware of Zam's recent work on Ijtihad, This is a new concept for me so we explore that a little bit also. See links below for more details.
We look at common mistakes and misunderstandings when teaching sources of authority in Islam. A fascinating chat that will change the way you teach Islam!
https://www.reonline.org.uk/research/research-of-the-month/ijtihad/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13617672.2024.2312337
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It's a few weeks until the first GCSE RE exam and so here is a bitesized episode to help support revision. I look at different revision methods and some top tips for the exam. This won't replace the valuable work done in the classroom but might give some helpful tips alongside lessons!
Good luck to all of you out there as you embark on exam season. You got this!
Link to St Marys Catholic High School and Sixth Form Religious Education position:
https://stmaryschs.org.uk/Teacher-of-Religious-Education/
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On 9th March 2024, millions of Muslims around the world begin a month fasting between the hours of sunlight.
During past Ramadans we have spoken from men and women Muslims, and now it's the children's turn.
I chat to three Muslim year 11 students, Areez, Alisha and Nila, about what it is like to complete Ramadan whilst in a British school.
We look at the challenges and the benefits, as well as what schools can do to support children during Ramadan. A must for any RE teacher and student but please also share with SLT and policy makers!
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Did you know that the people who bring you TRUETUBE also bring you BBC PILGRIMAGE and SONGS OF PRAISE? CTVC are a media company behind all of these amazing things and was started by ARTHUR RANK!
To celebrate the new BBC Pilgrimage series starting on 29th March 2024, we do a deep dive into the minds of three passionate and talented people involved with the programme;
Alison Green - Head of Digital at CTVC
Bob Ayres - CTVC Education Specialist
Dorcas Wood - Works across TrueTube and the TV Pilgrimage
We laugh and we cry as we explore why the BBC Pilgrimage series is so unique and so needed in the current global context.
We also look at the state of religious programming generally!
The translation of what the Pope said to Stephen K Amos;Giving more importance to the adjective rather than the noun, this is not good
We are all human beings and have dignity
It does not matter who you are, or how you live your life, you do not lose your dignity.
There are people that prefer to select or discard people because of the adjective.
These people don't have a human heart.
I feel myself amoung brothers and sisters, and I have not asked any of you what your faith or belief is, because you have a basic faith in humanity.
For those of you who are believers, please pray for me.
For those of you who do not believe, could you wish me a good journey, so I do not let anyone down.
Thank you
Check out what's available on TrueTube by clicking on the link below
https://www.truetube.co.uk/
Holy Cribs series
https://www.truetube.co.uk/search/?_sf_s=holy%20cribs&_sfm_length=0+500+++++&sort_order=date+desc
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What a delightful topic and a delightful guest. Oli Aston awakens us to how radical Catholic teachings are, particularly in terms of social justice. We look at their link to Jesus, famous catholics who have put them into practice and how to teach them in the classroom.
Here is a link to 'Romero' - the film of Oscar Romero that we mention
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098219/
If you want to do some further reading;
https://capp-usa.org/catholic-social-teaching-principles/
And here is a link to Oli's article in HWRK magazine on Top Tips for the RE ECT teacher
https://hwrkmagazine.co.uk/tips-for-the-ect-re-teacher-to-thrive/
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In the absence of a National Curriculum, Culham St Gabriel CEO, Kathryn Wright and Deborah Weston have written a National Content Standard. But what is it? Why do we need it? And, Should there be a National Curriculum for RE? We discuss all this and more in this delightful chat with two people who are just so passionate about RE!
https://religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk/resource/national-content-standard-1st-edition-2023/#:~:text=The%20RE%20Council's%20National%20Content,what%20content%20schools%20should%20teach.
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I spent so much of my career not knowing about NATRE and I don't want any RE teacher to miss out on what this amazing organisation has to offer. From training, to support to resources, this organisation is run by RE teachers and for RE teachers. In this episode I talk to the CEO of NATRE, Fiona Moss and the Chair of the NATRE executive Katie Freeman. We discuss what NATRE is, how and when it started, what it has achieved so far and what it is hoping to achieve in the future.
If you are not currently a member of NATRE, we outline how you can become one and WHY you should become one!
We also hear from members of the exec both out going and in going so you can find out who they are and what they do.
https://www.natre.org.uk/
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Lat Blaylock became an RE teacher over 40 years ago. As he takes semi-retirement we look back over his extensive career and celebrate this wonderful subject. I ask him why he committed himself entirely to the teaching of RE. Why he loves RE so much and why he thinks it is such an important subject. We look at how it always seems to be in jeopardy but has always stayed above the water! He discusses the projects he been most proud to be part of and offers some words of wisdom about how to teach RE effectively.
If you are feeling in a slump, this chat will give you the lift you need. It will reinspire and reinvigorate you.
Here are links to The Spirited Arts project, the Why God, Why? by Bethany Lunney film that features in the episode as well as the Anti-racism resources;
https://www.natre.org.uk/about-natre/projects/spirited-arts/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRgdP5-oERs
https://www.natre.org.uk/about-natre/projects/anti-racist-re/
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This week I interview Mathew Guest about Quakerism. If you have the February blues then this episode will really cheer you up. Mathew enightens us about the history of the Quakers but also about the four tenants;
- Equality
- Peace
- Simplicity
- Truth
We also discuss their inspiration behind their commitment to pacifism and non-violent conflict resolution. We consider the importance and need for silence with others in the modern world, as well as the non-judgemetnal, inclusive nature of Quaker meetings. Although, if you want something done quickly, don't ask a quaker, but if you want something done well - you can learn a lot from their egalitaian methods!
I ask Mathew how to teach Quaker in the classroom as well as why he's a quaker. It is an enightening and uplifting chat and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
The website he recommends is;
www.quaker.org.uk/resources
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A fantastic chat with Molly Acharya about the Vedas - a set of four holy texts in Hindu Dharma.
- The Rig Veda
- The Yajur Veda
- The Sama Veda
- The Atharva Veda
These books are full of such wisdom that weaves so much into the modern day life of humans, from architecture to feng shui to yoga to diet.
It tells great stories too!
We delve into the the history and structure of these sacred texts, and even discuss how to feng shui your classrooms!
Molly also shares with us her favourite section of the Vedas - The Gayatri Mantra which she says is the best one to teach your students!
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Hands up if you knew that there was an RE Quality Mark? Who thinks their department deserves one? Who would like to know how to get one? All these questions and more are asked in my chat with Indy Nottage, Linda Rudge and Jake Womak. Indy is from the RE coucil of England and Wales that run the REQM and Linda is project manager for the REQM. Jake is a Head of Department who has just been awareded the Gold mark so gives us an insight into the process from a schools point of view. It's a beautiful chat with people who are passionate about good quality RE, but is also really infomative and practical about the process of recognising the fantastic work being done in RE across England and Wales.
https://religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk/our-work/reqm/about/
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In my final episode in my mini series on The Sermon On The Mount, I dive into the rest of the Sermon On The Mount. It meanders around a variety of subjects;
Fulfillment of the Law
Murder
Adultery
Divorce
Oaths
Turning the other cheek
Love for enemies
Fasting
Giving to the needy
Treasures in heaven,
Not worrying
Judging others
Turning the other cheek
Asking God for things
False Prophets and disciples
I explore what it might have meant for those listening to it at the time and what it could mean for humans today!
The Bible read again by my Da, Tony Smith
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To start 2024 I am doing a little mini series on the Sermon On The Mount. This was the first piece of teaching of Jesus recorded in the gospels. Jesus has been baptised, he's fasted and prayed and been tempted and now he begins his ministry.
In the last episode I explored the Beatitudes. In this episode I delve into the section on prayer, including the Lord's Prayer. What does Jesus teach about HOW TO pray and what does this mean for Christians today.
The Lord's prayer is also an example of liturgical worship and can be used as a source of authority at GCSE. It includes sections on God, poverty, forgiveness and temptation.
In the next episode I will look at the rest of the Sermon!
Featuing the voice of my Da, Tony Smith!
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So excited to be starting a new year with Season 11 of The RE Podcast. In the next few episodes I am going to delve into the Sermon On The Mount. This week I look at the Beatitudes, and next week I will look at prayer - particularly the Lords Prayer and the week after I will tackle the rest.
I have got my lovely Da to read the verses from the Bible so you get a break from my voice so 'Thanks Da!'
The Beatitudes are a list of people who don't always get it their way on earth, but will be rewarded in heaven! It is as relevant now as it was 2000 years ago.
A warning. Some of this content may be controversial to some of you. This is my interpretation so I may be totally off base here. Many of Jesus' teachings were controversial, however, that does not mean I am always right! Please get in touch if you want to discuss anything I have said further.
Link to the article referred to in the episode,
https://www.amnesty.org.au/israels-apartheid-against-palestinians-a-look-into-decades-of-oppression-report/
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To celebrate the winter solstice 21st December 2023, I have had a lovely chat with Tara and Linda. We discuss all things Pagan! How has ininfluenced British culture today, where it came from, the relationship between Paganism and Christianity - focussing on the upcoming festival of Christmas, as well as misconceptions about Paganism. Look out for the real reason Santa is dressed in red! A delightful and beautiful chat about a belief in positivity, environment and kindness!
Seasons Greetings everyone and Happy New Year 2024! See you then for Season 11 where we will find out more about the Sermon on The Mount, REQM and the work of NATRE!
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In the last in my series on the parables of Jesus, James Holt joins us to discuss 'The Parable Of The Prodigal Son'. We discuss why he loves the parable so much, the significance at the time and the various interpretations of what it means today. We also consider how you can use it in the classroom.
We don't actually discuss what the word 'prodigal' means , which we probably should have done.
Prodigal means someone who spends money or uses resources freely and recklessly; who is wastefully extravagant! You'll see why!
The story is read by one of my year 11 students, Scarlett (she slayed it!)
And the book that James refers to is 'Short Stories By Jesus' by Amy-Jill Levine;
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31001110291&ref_=ps_ms_391307717&cm_mmc=msn-_-uk_shopp_textboook-_-naa-_-naa&msclkid=cfe3eccea1cb1cd1725289bb3a15a691
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This is my favourte of Jesus' parables. Quite simply this is because it makes someone in authority look stupid, and it elevates the little guy - the outcasts. But what does the Parable of the Good Samaritan mean? Who are the Samaritans? What would this parable have meant to those listening? What does it mean to love our neighbour as ourselves and how can we use this parable in the the classroom?
This is a story about the hypocricy of religious leaders, and Jesus' expert way of highlighting this, while all the time keeping to the law of Moses. It is about how religious leaders use the law to justify their own actions and condemn those of people they don't like. It is as relevant now as it was 2000 years ago because human nature doesn't change!
It is a lesson to use all to love others but also to love ourselves!
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The parables of Jesus were stories he told to a specific group of people for a specific reason. In this new mini series, I unpack a couple of Jesus's parables starting with the parable of the sheep and the goats.
What did it mean to the people listening? How does it influence Christians today? Why sheep and goats? How do you get to heaven? How does it challenge any human being today?
All this and more is discussed in this episode.
Particularly helpful for GCSE RE influence quesitons!
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Some of you might have heard of Fiona Spargo Mabbs - founder of the DSM Foundation. The Foundation was named after Daniel Spargo Mabbs, Fiona's youngest son who tragically lost his life after taking ecstasy. Fiona talks openly and authentically about her wrestles with her Christian faith after many trials she has faced in her life, but how in the end, it was her faith that helped her through. This is a beautiful but heartbreaking story of the power of faith and how God uses broken people to do amazing things.
Here is a link to the DSM Foundation where you can find details about the drug workshops for teachers, parents and children, links to the resources and books available and more about the foundation;
https://www.dsmfoundation.org.uk/
Fiona mentions two Bible verses;
Isaiah 54:8
John 15:16
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I have just finished a mini series on people who have lost their religion. In the last episode, I spoke to someone who had lost and then found their faith again. That is a nice segway into a new mini series called 'Finding My Religion' - looking at people who have chosen to follow a religion. I start these conversations talking to Sir Giles Gough (not a real knight...yet) about his conversion to Christianity. From altar boy to altar call, chosing between Church and Star Trek voyager, a serious car accident, bullying. We discuss salvation and what 'being a Christian' means, and the impact it makes on his life - particularly as a husband and father. Really helpful for GCSE RE. Giles explains why he is a diagonal car parked in a parallel world, particularly when it comes to the established Chuches teachings on homosexuality. He refers to a book called Undivided by Vicky Beeching. Here is a link to it;
https://vickybeeching.com/book/
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Now I know that I don't usually put out an episode during holidays but I really wanted to finish my Losing My Religion series without a break!
But this is an interesting one as this is someone who lost and then found their faith again, and this will lead nicely into a series on people who have found faith.
Warwickshire RE teacher, Leanne had a Christian upbringing and she just accepted it. As a Brownie, she experienced hypocrisy and unfairness of these 'model' girls who bullied her because she didn't fit into the strict mould of what a girl needs to be. She therefore left Brownies and then the Church and became an agnostic.
How does she overcome her rationalism and take that leap of faith? It is not what you expect as it is a story of pain and suffering.
Warning - this may be triggering if you have ever miscarried or had trouble conceiving.
Wild Interest
Wild Interest is an audio magazine created by kids for curious minds of all ages....
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In this episode, Head of RE, NATRE exec Neil McKain talks about his gradual journey from Roman Catholicism to being the Vice Chair of Humanism UK, and why humanism appeals to him. We discuss unbaptised babies, the parable of the sower, original sin, resurrection, the patriarchy and the impact of a pluralistic Theology degree that offered alternatives to the narrow worldview he grew up with. We consider the sociology of religion and the three Bs - belief, behaviour and belonging and the impact of a Christian heritage on Humanism in the UK and the importance of repsecting the places our students are spiritually and philosophically. Then we look at the positive and negatives of a religious upbringing. We even mention Barbie and Aristotle, the Kindness Lab and our motivation of being moral and altruism, rationalism, romanticism and Euthanaisa. It's one of THOSE conversations.
Wild Interest
Wild Interest is an audio magazine created by kids for curious minds of all ages....
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To continue with my exploration as to why people walk away from organised religion, I talk to Clare Campbell. Although now a humanist, Clare was bought up within the Church of England - not necessarily because she believed it but because that is what happened in those days. But why did that experience not resonate with her? Are some of the stories in the Bible really suitable for children, for example the flood or the crucifixion of Jesus? Do these stories make sense? Is there othering and villifying of anyone who wasn't white, heterosexual, protestant Christians? We discuss all this and more.
Wild Interest
Wild Interest is an audio magazine created by kids for curious minds of all ages....
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Welcome to a new mini series within The RE Podcast called 'Losing my religion'. In this mini season I interview people who have left organised religion. We look at the reason behind this and what they have gained and lost from this decision. It is a deeply personal subject matter so I start with my own journey from Christianity to agnostic liberal humanism.
I am looking to do a counter mini series on people who have found organised religion - a fascinating subject to consider the impact and importance of religion in the 21st century. Please get in touch if you would like to be part of this
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To celebrate the third anniversary of the RE podcast TODAY 1st October 2023, here is the third and final best bits reel. This one is from season 9 where we have episodes on Orthodoxy, Empowering Voices, Homosexuality, Happy Valley, Baha’i, Humanism and Social Justice, P4C, GCSE RE success, Extended Writing In RE, Philosobrick and Being A Head Of RE. Such an amazing year with some many incredible guests. Feel as priviledged as ever and hope these continue to be of value to you!
My thanks goes to;
- Jennifer Jenkins
- Gillian Georgio
- Leanne Bignell
- Leanne Taylor
- Kieron
- Robb Sutherland
- Debbie Tibbey
- James Croft
- Andrew Rogers
- Dawn Cox
- Matt Pitcher
- Joe Kinnaird
- Amanda Rogers
- Pete Bowdery
- Charlotte Newman
If you are able to support financially there are two ways you can do this;
1) A one of gift through buy me a coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheREPodcast
2) Regularly support me from as little as £1 a monthhttps://www.patreon.com/therepodcast
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To celebrate the third anniversary of the RE podcast on 1st October, here is the second of three best bits reels. This one is from season 8 where we have episodes on Episodes about Episodes about Science And Religion, Animal Welfare, Religious Art, Angels, Salvation, Poverty, Addiction And Spirituality, Holi, Cancer, Philosophy In Prisons and Forgiveness. Why not check out any you've missed!
My thanks to;
- Emily Downe
- Nick Spencer
- Theos Think Tank
- David Clough
- Dr. Siobhan Jolley
- Stephen Miller
- Sean Harris
- Louisa Harrop
- Dr Wendy Dossett
- Molly Acharya
- Ash Kundi
- Catherine Woodcock
- Andy West
- Marina Cantacucino
If you are able to support financially there are two ways you can do this;
1) A one of gift through buy me a coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheREPodcast
2) Regularly support me from as little as £1 a monthhttps://www.patreon.com/therepodcast
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To celebrate the third anniversary of the RE podcast on 1st October 2023, here is the first of three best bits reels. This one is from season 7 where we have episodes on Episodes about World views, the Religion Media Centre, Grief, Sacraments, Marriage, Restorative Justice, The Decolonisation Of Islam, Exorcisms, The Holy Land, The Historicity Of Jesus, Interfaith RE, Decolonising Buddhism, Hajj, and The Census! Check any out that you missed!
- My thanks to;
- Dr Kathryn Wright
- Dr Kate Christopher
- Michael Wakelin
- Shuaib Khan
- Giles Gough
- Rev. Steve Chalke
- Ash Kundi
- Shabnam Khaliq
- Tim
- The Skeptical Heathen
- Kevin Baldwin
- Nikki McGee
- Dr. David Lundie
- Dr. Wendy Dossett
- Shazia Nazlee Khan
- James D Holt
If you are able to support financially there are two ways you can do this;
1) A one of gift through buy me a coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheREPodcast
2) Regularly support me from as little as £1 a monthhttps://www.patreon.com/therepodcast
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Making Every Lesson Count: Six Principles to Support Great Teaching and Learning was a book by Andy Tharby and Shaun Allison. From this initial book came a series of books which applied the principles to specific subjects. Within this series was 'Making every RE lesson count' so I spend this episode chatting to one of it's authors, Dawn Cox. We look at the 6 main principles; Challenge, Explanation, Modelling, Practice, Feedback and Questionning and discussed what this looks like in the RE classroom. I do get a little confused with the principles, but luckily Dawn corrects me!
You will have to read the book for some of it's juiciest nuggets, but this episode is an excellent overview of some ways you can make your teaching more dynamic and effective starting tomorrow. Excellent for ITTs, ECTs and experienced teachers who need some inspiration. Or maybe you are a school leader or head of department looking for ways to support your team! Always a joy to have Dawn on the podcast - and I think you are going to LOVE this one!
Link to buy the book below
https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/making-every-re-lesson-count
Wild Interest
Wild Interest is an audio magazine created by kids for curious minds of all ages....
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If you are a primary RE teacher or know someone who is, then this chat with some incredible practitioners is for you! Gillian Georgio gathered a team of RE Primary specialists to look at how we teach substantive and disciplinary knowledge in primary schools. Their piece of 'active research' will be vital to any primary school and this chat just skims the surface. We look at assessment, curriculum and progress!
Wild Interest
Wild Interest is an audio magazine created by kids for curious minds of all ages....
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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In August 2023 I got the opportunity to go on a trip of a lifetime. I can't remember a time when I didn't know about Bethlehem, Jerusalem, The Garden of Gethsemee and the dead sea. To try and communicate this trip in one episode is impossible, but in this epsiode I give an account of some of what we did in real time, and I interview other people on the trip to find out why they decided to book it, and what their highlights were. There are a few little gems for your classroom and an A=Z of the trip to give you some idea. WARNING: Once you listen to this episode, you may want you go - you have been warned. Please excuse the sound quality - it is not up to it's usual quality as I had a new bit of kit and I don't know how to use it!
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If you've just secured your first Head of Department job, or you are thinking about this as your next career move, or you are an experienced head of department in need of some inspiration, then listen to Charlotte Newman give some advice and ideas - the successes and the things she has learnt in her time as a head of deparment.
We discuss such questions like 'What makes a successful RE department?' 'How do you get SLT to support RE?' and 'What would be the first three things a new Head of Department should do?'
This is such a wonderful to end the academic year and give some food for thought over the holidays. If you need to totally switch off, then don't listen to this until the beginning of September!
Light in the Darkness
At LITD we dive into the paranormal & supernatural realm from a Christian perspective....
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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This week I am welcoming back my Head of Department Pete Bowdery. I am so proud of what we have achieved with our GCSE classes under his leadership that I really want to share it with you.
We discuss our sequencing choices. pedagogy, assessment model, exam question success, model answers, mock writing and feedback methods.
This really compliments the chat I had previously with Dawn and Matt so you can see that there are some wrong ideas, but there is more than one right way to teach GCSE RE.
We are a mixed academy with all our students doing GCSE full course (AQA, Islam and Christianity, Theme A,B,D,E)
I really think this episode would inspire new RE teachers, re-invigorate experienced teachers and is a must for any new RE leaders!
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Do you like Lego? Do you like philosophy? Then you'll love Philosobrick! Amanda Rogers (who's husband Andrew was on previously) talks to us about how she uses lego to help engage children in big ideas. We particularly look at how this can be used as a strengths based approach rather than a deficit approach when it comes to neuro-diverse children.
It is also transferable cross curricular. It can be used as a starter, plenary, flip learning or homework! It's so adaptable.
We also look at the drawbacks to this approach if it is not done correctly! (Leave time for free play!)
The Perth that is mentioned is in Western Australia - just to contextualise the regional and remote comment.
This is Amanda's website.
https://cultivatingcuriosity.com.au/
Here is a link to the quadrant question that is mentined
https://www.topsypage.com/blog/2019/7/15/question-quadrant
Lego serious play is an open source methodology - here is the link
https://seriousplaypro.com/about/open-source/
I'll add a PDF document with more information on the website!
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In last week's epsiode on Exam Success in RE, Matt Pitcher mentioned the work of Joe Kinnaird on extended writing, so guess what? Yes, you've guessed it, Joe graciously agreed to chat to me about how to support children with their extended writing in RE. Inspired by the writing revolution, Joe explains how we can support our children in KS3 - 5, for example the 'beacause', 'but, ''so' statements that we use loads in our department. We also look at barriers to some of these methods and how to overcome them, as well as how to scaffold them for students with weaker writing skills. It's such a great chat that I think you will find so useful for your practice.
Here is a link to the book that inspired Joe;
https://www.thewritingrevolution.org/about/the-book/
And here is a link to Joe's amazing blog;
https://mrkinnairdre.wordpress.com/
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You may be wondering why I am doing an episode on Exam Success AFTER the GCSE - but there is method in my madness. Many of us spend the summer term and gained time preparing for our exam classes next year, and this is therefore exactly when we need to think about HOW BEST to teach GCSE RE. Then, next year, when you ask your students to listen to this podcast, it will support what you have been doing and furthe embed that knowledge.
In this episode I chat to Dawn Cox and Matt Pitcher about how they approach;
Sequencing
Homework
Assessment
Revision
Pedagogy
Exam questions
What a treat!
Link to Dawns book:
AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (9-1) Workbook: Themes through Christianity and Islam for Paper 2: Get Revision with Results
https://amzn.eu/d/ixzsyIX
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This is part one of a series on P4C and I chat to Andrew Rogers. Andrew is an Australian Teacher of the Year, a teacher of Philosophy Religion and Ethics, a husband, a father , a thinker, a bibliophile, has recently been diagnosed with ADHD, is chair of the Association for Philsosophy in schools and he gave up his precious time after a days teaching to talk to us about P4C (philosophy for children).
I think this episode is going to be so helpful as it is simple and really practical - a step by step guide on how and why to teach children how to think! And not just in RE but to support lessons across the curriculum, bahaviour management and mental health! Please share this with as many colleagues as you can!
Andrew mentions a movie called Young Plato. This is the trailer - it's a tear jerker!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtHG7NcCbqc
Allah tala has given the Injeel Sharif as a light and guidance for us today.
Come and learn this amazing heavenly book for yourself.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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When I read James Croft's tweets about Social Justice I immediatly DMd him and within 36 hours we recorded this interview. I think it is really going to support us in teaching humanism more rigouressly and authentically. Plus I think it will reinvigorate us to consider what social justice looks like.
James takes us through his unique role as the first humanist Lead chaplain of university in England, what humanism is and the importance of COMPASSION, REASON and HOPE. We discuss what social justice is and consider the importance of interfaith coalition in tackling Social Justice as well as why a humanist would be motivated to deal with it. We take a quick look at what humanists are doing to tackle social justice - in particular in India to challenge the misconception that humanism is a white western worldview.
James is articulate, knowlegdable and passionate.
Here are links to some of the things we talk about in the episode
https://www.ethicalstl.org/who-we-are/what-is-ethical-humanism/
https://www.conwayhall.org.uk/about-us/ethical-society/
https://humanists.international/2009/06/atheist-centre/
https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/an_atheist.pdf
https://www.croftspeaks.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hq6sG4aROA
Allah tala has given the Injeel Sharif as a light and guidance for us today.
Come and learn this amazing heavenly book for yourself.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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Are you like me and don't really know very much about the Baha'i faith? If so then listen to me chat to Debbie Tibbie from the Baha'i community. We do a whistlestop, yet comprehensive overview of the main beliefs of the Baha'i faith;
Distinct beliefs
Founder
Holy Writings
The meaning of 'oneness'
Key values
Purpose of life
Afterlife
Evil and suffering
Morality
Worship
Holy days and festivals
Leadership
It really is a wonderful religious worldview and I hope you are inspired by it as I am. And how wonderful if some of us could create a space for it in our curriculum!
If you want more information on Baha'i go to
https://www.bahai.org/
or
https://www.bahai.org.uk/
Allah tala has given the Injeel Sharif as a light and guidance for us today.
Come and learn this amazing heavenly book for yourself.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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Now if you haven't seen Happy Valley yet then don't listen to this episode until you do as there are MASSIVE SPOILERS. Also, this programme is not going to be suitable for everyone as it deals with some serious issues like rape, torture, murder, prostitution and drug use. However, it is also one of the most incredible pieces of television I have ever seen, dealing with social issues like drugs and poverty, plus some big philosophical issues like forgiveness, justice, redemption and atonement.
I talk to the real life Happy Valley vicar, Robb Sutherland about what it is like to live in the town where Happy Valley is set, and we delve into some of the big themes that it deals with.
I loved chatting to Robb, he is experienced, wise and down to earth and just simply cool!
The link below takes you to an article where one of the actors in Happy Valley has opened a charity shop in the location of the programme!
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/ryan-actor-rhys-connah-open-26421769.amp
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Please note, there is some content in this episode relating to child sexual abuse, exorcism, and homophobia that some people may find distressing or triggering.
Kieron Riley tells us his authentic journey from Catholicism to Pentacostalism, through sexual abuse, homosexuality andd doing a dissertation involving an exogesis of Romans 1 while at Bible College. Plus he details the subsequent reluctance of Christians to engage in conversation about his discovery - a discovery he was not expecting find - that maybe the Bible is not as clearly against homosexuality as many Christians think.
Kieron is authentic and honest about the discrimination he has experienced from the Church, other Christians, the education system and other public sectors due to a people's damaging preconceptions about abuse victims and homosexuality.
Five Minutes of faith: https://open.spotify.com/show/2vCsfKuQuq2li9qPrSlDJ3
God and the Gay Christian: https://matthewvines.com/book/
Survivors Manchester: https://www.wearesurvivors.org.uk/
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This episode illuminates the incredible Empowering Voices project led by Gillian Georgio with a team of talented actors, artists, musicians, editors , directors and producers!
I chat with Gillian herself alongside Creative Director Leanne Bignell and producer Leanne Taylor. This project evolved out of REConnecting Lincolnshire project and I ask about both projects.
The empowering voices project is a series of podcasts which explore lived experiences through drama, conversation and soundscapes. I don't think I have ever seen such a unique RE resource in my 21 years of teaching!
The empowering voices project will inspire you and be an incredible free resource for you! I can't wait for you to hear all about it and explore it yourself.
Here is the link to the first two amazing Empowering Voices podcasts;
https://www.reconnectlincs.co.uk/empowering-voices
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I am opening season 9 with RE royalty! @KairosButterfly herself, Jennifer Jenkins. Jennifer and I talk all things Orthodox. The history of the Orthodox Church, it's distinguishing features, inconography, Pascha as well as her journey to becoming Orthodox herself.
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As we approach Easter, many Christians will be contemplating forgiveness. However, is forgiveness just the remit of religion? In the final episode of season 8, I talk to Marina Cantacuzino about The Forgiveness Project - a secular UK-based charity that uses real stories of victims and perpetrators of crime and violence to help people explore ideas around forgiveness and alternatives to revenge.
Marina, a former journalist, is also author of the book 'Forgiveness; An Exploration.
We discuss the importance of forgiveness, what it is and misconceptions of it, some powerful stories of forgiveness but also acknowledge that it is not always possible.
Marina is also a campaigner for clearn air and supporter of Dignity in Dying and was an incredible guest.
Please listen to her podcast The F Word;
https://www.theforgivenessproject.com/fwordpodcast/
And follow her on twitter
@forgivenessproj
Here is the link to Braver Angels - an organisation providing opportunities for polarised politcal worldviews to come together and communicate
https://braverangels.org/
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Andy West has made national news with his work using philosophy in prisons.
Read his article here
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/02/philosophy-children-prison-moral-anger-young-lives-wasted-politiciansYou can also read his book
The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Learning to Be Free
I have a chat with him about how he got into this work, how and why he uses philosophy in prisons, what we can learn from his work in our own classrooms. Discussing concepts like 'justice' or 'forgiveness' in prisons has extra layers of significance. We also have a wider chat about the state of the justice system in this country and the government pressure to be 'tougher on crime'. He also speaks about what he means by the term 'moral anger'.
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This is a tough topic, but in a country where someone is diagnosed with cancer every 2 minutes, leading to 1000 new diagnosis a day, it feels like one I didn't want to shy away from. My very good friend, Catherine Woodcock talks wisely and openly and honestly about her diagnosis and how her Christian faith has impacted this.
We discuss how her faith has been of comfort to her, and particular Bible verses that have been significant, her understanding of the problem of evil, life after death, euthanasia and miracles.
It's a truly beautiful and heartwarming chat with someone who has added so much to my life in the 3 years I have known her!
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The day I release this episode is Holi - the most revered festival from Hindu Dharma with colour powder and bonfires. It marks the end of the cold dark winter and the beginning of spring and new beginnings. Molly Acharya and Ash Kundi (intermittently) join me once more to discuss;
Discuss what Holi is, the stories behind them, why there are bonfires and coloured powder, how it is celebrated across the world, and how to teach it. We also explore the cross curricular links with art if you want to share this episode with your art department.
And, as usual, there is a lot of laughs and a lot about food in this episode! Enjoy
Bura na mano Holi hai
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I am so grateful that Dr. Wendy Dossett has agreed to come back on the podcast to talk about something she is deeply passionate and deeply knowledgable about, both from her own experience and her own research.
Please note this could be quite triggering from some people so please listen with caution.
Here is a website Wendy recommends if you might find it useful.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/drug-addiction-getting-help/
We look at what addiction is, what it has to do with spirituality and why might spirituality in recovery from addiction be of interest to RE teachers and students.
We explore the history of alcoholics anonymous and consider the idea of higher power
We look at other faith-based, and secular approaches to recovery, particularly Buddhism.
If you want to catch the BBC programme AA that featured Wendy I HIGHLY recommend it. Here is the link
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001fyzd
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In this very special episode I celebrate just some of the amazing people that have made it possible for The RE Podcast to get to 100th episode.
However, I also want to celebrate you, my amazing listener. Back in October 2020, I could not concieve that people would listen to me rattling on about RE - but goes to show how much I know.
In this episode I also tell the story of how the RE Podcast came about, what I have learnt from the podcast and some of my favourite episodes.
I hope you all know how much doing this means to me.
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As we are facing a cost of living crisis, and as many public sector workers are striking to secure urgent funding to these essential services, it feels timely to do an episode on Poverty.
- What is it?
- What causes it?
- What are the effects of it?
- What are the solutions?
- How do we best teach it in our classrooms and how do we deal with it in our schools?
I think this episode will relate to any educator, not just RE teachers so please share it far and wide!
I chat to Sean Harris ( @SeanHarris_NE ) who is a trust improvement lead, educator, journalist and author and who is currently doing a PHd related to poverty and Louisa Harrop an advisor to the Litchfield Diocese.
- Blair & Raver: Poverty, stress and brain development: New directions for prevention and intervention, Academic Paediatrics, 2016.
- Hackman & Farah: Socioeconomic status and the developing brain. Trends in Cognitive Science, January 2009: https://bit.ly/3FMvT6X
- Hanson et al: Family poverty affects the rate of human infant brain growth, PLoS ONE 8, December 2013.
- Harris: Doorstep disadvantage: Beyond the Pupil Premium, SecEd, May 2021: https://bit.ly/3kjax8v
- Harris: Crafting curriculum with disadvantage in mind, SecEd. 2021. https://www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/crafting-your-curriculum-with-poverty-in-mind-disadvantage-pupil-premium-teaching-schools/
- Jensen: Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What being poor does to kids’ brains and what schools can do about it, ASCD, 2009.
- Harris: Neurology of poverty, SecEd, 2022 https://www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/poverty-on-the-brain-five-strategies-to-counter-the-impact-of-disadvantage-in-the-classroom-cognitive-function-pupil-premium-pedagogy/
- Marmot et al: Build Back Fairer: Covid-19, Marmot Review, The Health Foundation, 2021.
- McLaughlin, Sheridan & Lambert: Childhood adversity and neural development: Deprivation and threat as distinct dimensions of early experience, Neuroscience and Biobehavorial Reviews (47), 2014.
- Noble, Houston & Brito: Family income, parental education and brain structure in children and adolescents, Nature Neuroscience (18), 2015: https://go.nature.com/3nKTO0K
- Raizada, Richards, Meltzoff & Kuhl: Socioeconomic status predicts hemispheric specialisation of the left inferior frontal gyrus in young children, Neuroimage (40,3), 2008.
- Rowland: Addressing educational disadvantage in schools and colleges: The Essex Way, Unity Research School & Essex County Council, 2021: https://bit.ly/3AlHHMz
- SecEd Podcast: Tackling the consequences of poverty, June 2021: https://bit.ly/3cUETeH
- Wagmiller: The temporal dynamics of childhood economic deprivation and children’s achievement, Child Development Perspectives (9), 2015.
Some additional organisational links
- Poverty Proofing© the School Day - Children
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What is Salvation? How do you get it? Are there different ways? Who gets it? How do I teach it?
I look at the history of Salvation, what we call the 'acr of salvation' from the fall to the law to sacrifice to good deeds to Jesus and grace all the way through to the spirit. How are they differnt and what is the relationship between them.
I also look at how to teach it and there is a quick exam focus at the end.
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OR
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I'm fascinated with the idea of angels so was so excited to have this chat with Stephen Miller, author of 'The book of Angels: Seen and Unseen.'
What does the word 'angel' actually mean? What actually are angels? Are they all the same? Where did belief in angels come from? What is the best film to watch about them plus much much more!
Stephen mentions quite a few pieces of art so here is a list of them so you don't have to write them down!
William Blake, When the Morning Stars Sang Together, pen & ink and watercolour, ca. 1804-1807, The Morgan Library and Museum, New Yor
Francesco Botticini, Assumption of the Virgin, 1475-76, The National Gallery, London
Carved relief from the Palace of Sargon II, 722-705 BC, featuring a four-winged deity from the Assyrian palace at Khorsabad
Winged Victory of Samothrace, ca. 220-185 BC
Alessandro Botticelli, The Mystical Nativity, ca. 1500-01, The National Gallery, London, photo Lucy Miller
William Blake, Satan Arousing the Rebel Angels, watercolour painted 1808, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Alexandre Cabanel, The Fallen Angel, 1847, Musée Fabre, Montpellier
Frans Floris, The Fall of the Rebel Angels (the surviving middle panel), 1554, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp
Caravaggio, The Inspiration of Saint Matthew, 1602, Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome
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In this weeks episode we take our attention to religion and art with Dr. Siobhan Jolley, curator of art and religion at the National Gallery. We discover her route on this path, what opportunities there are to use art in the classroom, her favourite piece of art, and why art in the British museum is White, European and Christian. We also discuss two exciting projects The Fruits of the Spirit exhibition and the Sin exhibition, as well as the Digital Bible Image project at KCL. All links below!
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/across-the-uk/sin#:~:text=This%20exhibition%20looks%20at%20theological,own%20meaning%20of%20'Sin'.
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/research/research-resources/exhibition-catalogues/fruits-of-the-spirit-art-from-the-heart
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/archive/news/kings/newsrecords/2016/12%20december/ground-breaking-digital-biblical-image-project-launched
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I have a #patreon page. If you are able to support #TheREPodcast financially, then you will get access to extra parts of the recording that get edited out, like this (edited out of this Friday's episode on #Religion and #art wtih
@siobhan_jolley
https://patreon.com/therepodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
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Do you teach 'Animal Rights' as part of your religion and life syllabus?
I have an informative and frank chat with David Clough from CEFAW (The Christian Ethics of Farmed Animal Welfare) challenging Christians to rethink their attitudes to eating animals in light of the farming techniques currently used and the climate crisis. We look at the biblical relationship with animals, and whether there is a biblical basis for veganism in terms of Stewardship and God's instructions on how we treat animals.
But we go one step further. Are animals part of the salvation story ie - are animals saved, will they be in heaven, can they worship God?
This is all done in the context of animal flourishing, rather than animal rights - David will explain the difference.
If you want to find out more ;
https://www.facebook.com/CEFAWproj/
Tweet: @CEFAWproj
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Happy New Year 2023 to you all and welcome back to Season 8 of The RE Podcast. If you teach Science and Religion then you are not going to want to miss this episode. Following the success of Nobody Stands Nowhere, Emily Downe has once again teamed up with Theos Think Tank to create another AMAZING short animation to help faciliate an understanding of the relationship between Science and Religion. The link to this 3 minute animation, called Worlds Apart, is;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXXj_YB--_g
Watch it before you listen to this episode and then again afterwards!
Then listen to my chat with it's creator, Emily Downe, as well as Nick Spencer from Theos think tank.
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On June 28th 2021, Britain completed a census. On 29th November, some of the data was released. And this data was of particular interest to RE teachers, leaders and educators because it revealed the religious and ethnic make up of Britain. For the first time since the dark ages, we are no longer a majority Christian country. But what does this mean for our country, our monarchy, our politics and our classrooms. Back by popular demand, James D Holt reveals his early analysis and conclusions. It is an accessible but complex look at this topic which I recommend to anyone interested in the reasons for, consequences of, and dangers of misinterpretting, the data!
Below are some of the links to things we reference in the episode.
James' two blogs:
https://jamesdholt.com/2022/11/29/other-religions-in-the-2021-england-and-wales-census/
https://jamesdholt.com/2022/11/30/difference-in-religion-2011-2021/
Regional map (scroll down to the bottom)https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/religion/bulletins/religionenglandandwales/census2021
Nabil Abdulrashid (X factor black Muslim comedian)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toJEByRJeGQ
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Hajj is a once in a lifetime experience for some Muslims, but my guest today has done it twice. So I talk to her about her experience so we can have an authentic voice in our lessons!
Shazia Nazlee Khan is Head of RE and Citizenship in Bradford, as well as director of learning for Humanities.
We disucss what Hajj is and the story behind it, the preparations for Hajj, the practical elements and cost involved in getting there, the different rites that are performed once you are there, the best parts and hardest parts, what you gain from completing Hajj as well as some of the changes that are being made to improve the experience of Hajj for people. Plus much much more!
The documentary Shazia mentions is Excellence on Netflix. Episode 1 focusses on what it takes to m,aintain the Great Mosque!
Connect with Shazia on Twitter @shaznazkhan
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In this incredible chat with Dr. Wendy Dossett we dive into the last of our decolonisation episodes and this time we turn to Buddhism. This episodes has really challenged my own bias' when teaching Buddhism. Do I sometimes focus on the more rational, popular aspects of Buddhism to appeal to a post-enightenment world? Do I use the colonial word of 'enlightenment' rather than 'awakening'. Do I miss out the violent acts of Buddhism for example in Myanma? Do I ignore the beliefs in gods and realms to make our lessons more palitable, so our students can relate to it more, and in turn feel more positively towards my subject. Do I ues Buddhism as a sales pitch, relating it to invogue ideas of meditation? Do I try and fit Buddhism into a world religions paradigm with founders and holy books. I have totally rewritten a new scheme of work on Buddhism because of this chat!
What does a critical, and therefore authentic study of Buddhism look like?
As this week is Interfaith week, I have a chat with Dr David Lundie about what interfaith RE looks like. We discuss the concept of God, religion and Jesus from different points of view, the contrasts and connections between religions depending on where you are standing. a few anecdotes for your classroom and the important of teaching interfaith RE for our students and wider society.
Check out David on twitter on @LundieEducation
Check out interfaith resources at www.interfaith.org.uk
Particularly: https://www.interfaith.org.uk/resources/school_resources
Would you like to come with me to a trip to the Holy Land next year? See the roads Jesus walked on, make the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, as Mary did, experience Tiberius - Blackpool with Hasidic Jews, see the caves where the Isaiah scrolls were discovered, look over Bethlehem, stand at the western wall? I thought so. Listen to this episode with Kevin Baldwin and previous attendees on the trip and find out how YOU could come with me on a trip of a lifetime Monday 7th - Wednesday 16th August 2023
For more information go to;
https://www.christian-travel.com/tours/detail/baldwin-hl-23.html
GPS: God. People. Stories.
God works in people’s lives in amazing ways every day. Listen to some of those stories...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Goodness I learnt so much from this episode! Was there a Jesus, is the Bible talking about different people, when were the gospels written, what is the historical context and worldview at the time these things were written down, was Jesus the Messiah?
In this episode, I talk to the skeptical heathen.
His podcast by the Skeptical Ghost Heathen covers, the purpose of Paul, the afterlife, pre-israelite religion. He is a wealth of knowledge on ancient history and I don't think he took a breath for an hour!
https://open.spotify.com/show/2Gg7brt6asTrzvCsfuMoQo
Here is a link to his podcast!
As we approach Halloween we bring our attention to things that go bump in the night, and I bring you a real life exorcist. To protect him and the identities of those he mentions, we will call him, Tim.
If you had told 25 year old Tim he would be a Christian, an Anglican vicar and an exorcist, he may not have believed you. But he has been led down a path where he now battles the forces of evil. I ask him the different between Exorcisms and Deliverance, how to recognise and deal with a possession, why such things still happen if Jesus has defeated Satan, and why a loving God allows this to happen. Tim is a measured and discerning man who talks wisely about this much misunderstood ministry.
ChatAholic
Inspiring conversations with one aim to help others, we all have a story
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
In the next installment of decolonising the curriculum, Ash Kundi and I have an amazing chat with Shabnam Khaliq about decolonising Islam. Sabnam is passionate about all things RS and Equality, Diversity and Decolonisation.
We discuss authentic language, how we can more effectively teach about Islam, the impact of Prevent on Muslim children, the impact of empire on our understanding of Islam. This chat has already positively impacted my teaching - even just using the word Allah, not God! And wait to you hear what Shabnam says about the recording of deeds! BRAND NEW INFORMATION!
Becoming Outlaws: True Stories of Divine Encounters with Ken McMullen
As many as three-quarters of Americans believe in the paranormal. This excludes most...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast
The podcast where we respond to your questions about faith, justice and church life.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Melchizedek Chronicles
Interviews with Pastors and people of faith on very interesting topics. Topics include:...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
f you teach Crime and Punishment, or have an interest in how schools can revolutionise discipline in their own schools, if you are interested in a restorative basis of dealing with children displaying poor behaviour, or what Jesus teachings of love look like in the 21st century then this is the episode for you.
The Rev. Steve Chalke, a previous guest of The RE Podcast, founded the Oasis Charitable Trust in 1985. Since its foundation Oasis has also developed into a family of charities now working on four continents (11 countries) around the world, with the goal of delivering housing, education, training, youthwork and healthcare. It runs homeless hostels. primary and seconday school and is now opening the first secure school for young people convicted of committing crimes. It is based on LOVE and is the first time a charity has been given a liscence for such an establishment. Steve talks wisely and passionately about how to support young people. This will inform and inspire you as an educator and as a human.
https://www.oasisuk.org/campaign/oasis-restore/
@SteveChalke
@OasisRestore
Becoming Outlaws: True Stories of Divine Encounters with Ken McMullen
As many as three-quarters of Americans believe in the paranormal. This excludes most...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Dignity and Respect
I was adopted by Cult leader God Father Divine in 1962
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Hear a Pastor's Family Say Things They Can't Say on Sundays.
The Alessis work and worship together under one roof. Learn how they keep it together.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
To celebrate two year of The RE Podcast on 1st Oct 2022, here are clips from each episode in season 5 I covered RE ECTs, Antisemitism, extremism, Identical twins with different faiths, interpretting Genesis, Peace and Conflict, reconciliation, love, the future of RE, The RE Leadership programme and Ashura
My thanks to my guests, Joe Gallagher, Micheala McCaughly, MIchael Walker, Freddy Naftel, Sohail Ahmedm Mark and Bryan, Rev. Andy Fitchet, Pete Bowdery, Paul Karensa, Claire Clinton and Katie Gooch, Zam Hussain and James Holt
To celebrate two year of The RE Podcast on 1st Oct 2022, here are clips from each episode in season 6 I covered Biblical prohecy, Church on the Streets, the future of humanity, Sunday Assembly, humanism, the Bible, philosophy, intersex, Prison, women in Islam and end with a very special guest!
My thanks to my guests, Jeff Cuozzo, Rev. Michael Flemming, Eron Dror, Stuart Hdldsworth , Seven Graham, David Shipley, Rumena Akhtar, Anjum Peerbacos, Waqar Ahmedi and Amelie!
To celebrate two years of The RE Podcast on 1st Oct 2022, here are clips from each episode in season 4 I covered the history of religion, messianic Judaism, Narssicism, types of knowledge, the beatitudes, the history of Christianity, horror and religion, Diwali, Ancient religions, decolonising Judaism and Christianity, women in the Bible and interviewed ADA France Williams
My thanks to my guests, Rabbi Binyamin Sheldrake, Gary Keogh, John W Morehead, Molly Acharya and Ash Kundi, Fazal Ahmed and The Rev. Canon Liz Sherclif.
Following on from last weeks episode on sacraments, it seems logical to do one on marriage. This comes under the Themes sections of the exam syllabus rather than the Christian practices so I wanted to keep it separate as people do different specs. I look at the etymology and history of marriage, the meaning of the symbols in the wedding ceremony and the biblical basis for marriage. I unpick lots of misconceptions and poltical and patriachal infuences on marriage and listen out for the film quote...
Here is a link to my scheme of work on marriage;
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/aqa-gcse-re-theme-a-relationships-and-family-12703121
And here is a link to True Tube
https://www.truetube.co.uk/
This is good for up to date data about marriage and the family
https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/family-relationships/marriage-divorce/
In most GCSE RE syllabus' in the Christian practices sections you have to learn about sacraments. In most syllabus' this specifically mentions Baptism and Holy Communion. This can be really hard to make engaging for the children. So in this episode I explore what sacraments are, and then focus on Baptism and Holy Communion with an exam focus and some tips about to teach it.
The voice of the Bible in this episode is kindly provided by Giles Gough from the God In Film podcast!
As we completed a time of national mouring for our Queen, Elizabeth II, many of us will be triggered by our own personal loss. This can be the loss of a loved one, a relationship. But what is grief, what is grief literacy, how can we cope with grief, what do we say to people who are grieving, does religion provide support when we lose someone, how do gender stereotypes impact our freedom to grieve? This year, my friend and former guest on the podcast, Shuaib Khan lost his brother, compounding grief for other people who he has lost. He has recently published a book of poetry inspired by his late brother and grandfather, and graciously agreed to talk to us authentically and vulnerably about his journey of grief. This is a powerful, and important conversation but right now might not be the best time for you to listen to this.
Below are links to Shuaib's books - Small Circle, Big Heart plus his blog where he writes profoundly on some of lifes biggest issues
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Circle-Heart-Shuaib-Khan/dp/1739642805/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
https://shuaibwriteskhanthinks.wordpress.com/author/shuaibskhan/
Listen to The Bearded Mystic Podcast
Creating a community to deepen our understanding of Non-Duality in Hinduism
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
I simply cannot believe how much awesome stuff Religion Media Center does! And when I discovered this fact, I just had to share it with you! Fact sheets, open press briefings, daily and weekly email updates, podacsts, festivals, conferences,... just so many things that will be invaluable to people all over the world - RE Teachers and students, journalists, humans... Listen to this lovely chat with Michael from RMC to find out more
Twitter: @RelMedCenter
https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/
The Kingdom Investor | Podcast
Take your generosity to the next level, impact more lives and build a godly legacy!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Welcome to Season 7 of the RE Podcast and welcome to a new school year! Over the last few years we have heard the terms 'worldviews' and 'lenses' being used more and more frequently in terms of RE. But what do these words mean? Why is everyone talking about them and what does it mean for the future of RE? To answer these questions and more, I chatted to Dr Kathryn Wright, CEO of Culham St Gabriel, and her colleague Dr. Kate Christopher.
I hope, by the end of this episode, you will be re invigorated in your classrooms as we embark on a new year of teaching!
Please find below the references from the episode;
‘Telling my Worldviews Story’ blog series on RE:Online: https://www.reonline.org.uk/resources/telling-my-worldview-story/
Email Kate for the ‘Islam as a Worldview resources’ (Rumi for KS1, Muhammad Ali for KS2- 3, the mosque for KS3 and Malala Yousafzai for KS4): kate@rethink.network
Ofsted Research Review for Religious Education: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-review-series-religious-education/research-review-series-religious-education
Exeter University ‘RE-searchers’ resource for Primary: https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/bitstream/handle/10871/18932/The%20RE-searchers%20A%20New%20Approach%20to%20RE%20in%20Primary%20Schools.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Goldsmiths University ‘RE 4 Real project’, looking at Katie Freeman’s case study: https://www.gold.ac.uk/faithsunit/current-projects/reforreal/#:~:text=RE%20for%20REal%20brings%20together,the%20gaps%20between%20the%20two.
Case Study: https://www.gold.ac.uk/media/documents-by-section/departments/research-centres-and-units/research-units/faiths-and-civil-society/NARRATIVE-ANALYSIS-FINAL_-Plymouth_Bickleigh-Down.pdf
Culham St Gabriel’s FREE online short courses: https://courses.cstg.org.uk/
EdX MOOCs: https://www.edx.org/
Big Ideas for RE: https://bigideasforre.org/
REC Worldviews curriculum resource, focus on pages 18- 19: https://www.religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/REC-Worldviews-Project-single-pages-Revised.pdf
Norfolk Agreed Syllabus, a multidisciplinary syllabus for Primary: file:///C:/Users/kbchr/Downloads/RE-in-a-Balanced-Curriculum.pdf
file:///C:/Users/kbchr/Downloads/Norfolk%20religious%20education%20agreed%20syllabus%202019.pdf
OSV Talks
Catholic Talks to Get the Church Talking
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Every year RE Online host a competition for students of RE
https://www.reonline.org.uk/news/pupil-blog-competition-2022/
This year it was all about lessons that make a difference.
This week I had the priviledge of interviewing one of the winners - Amelie - a link to her blog is below. You will see from her interview and her entry why she is a deserving winner!
She talks about why RE is an important subject and what skills it teaches, plus her views on some big questions. We also hear from her teacher - well known to regular listeners of the RE Podcast @WaqarAhmedi
https://www.reonline.org.uk/2022/04/26/lessons-that-make-a-difference-amelie-ks3/
In this weeks episode I chat to Rumena Aktar and Anjum Peerbacos about women in Islam.
We discuss the misconceptions of treatment of women in Islam, differences between men and woman in Islam, the treatment of women by Muhammad, polygamy, wearing Hijab, confusion between Islamic teachings and social norms and culture in Islamic countries, Jummah prayers, plus we laugh a lot! It's a delightful episode that shows just how empowered and awesome Muslim women are!
Do you teach Crime and Punishment to your GCSE students? Or maybe you are a sociology teacher who teaches crime and deviance,, or maybe you are a teacher who understands the importance of education in keeping people out of prison.
In this episode I have the unique priviledge of talking to David Shipley who was sentenced to 45 months in prison for fraud.
David talks openly and humbly about why he committed the crime, his experience of prison , the impact it has had on him, what is wrong with our justice systems and what is needed to reform it. He also talks about the role of religion in prison and how he now understands his catholic beliefs of sin, salvation and atonement on a new level.
Follow David on Twitter @ShipleyWrites
To celebrate PRIDE month I humbly and gratefully introduce Seven Graham - who has been all letters of the LGBTQIA community at some point!
For anyone who doesn't know what intersex means, or is interested in issues of gender, who wants to understand the harsh reality of how intersex people have been and are being treated...well actually erased, and the devestating impact on their mental and emotional wellbeing, for anyone who is compassionate towards all humans, particularly those who face unfair and unecessary discrimination. For those who want to understand the full spectrum of creation, where we see religious precident for accepting all genders, to anyone is interested in why the patriarchy are so invested in seeing the world as binary.
Seven is a British intersex activist, comedian, filmmaker, and drug addiction counsellor. He co-founded of the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
Look him up on instagram @angelsareintersex, you tube
Sex and Uncertainty in the body of Christ by Susannah Cornwall
https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/susannah-cornwall/sex-and-uncertainty-in-the-body-of-christ/9781845536695?gclid=CjwKCAjw-8qVBhANEiwAfjXLrqjtjZl79d1JiVDdE0a6gQNxZqqR4CV3TpOjc3338OW4arrHp9lIYBoCqHoQAvD_BwE
In our change to look at Religion and World Views, we are also encouraging our students to look at these through three lenses; Theological, philosophical and Social sciences. In this episode I try and tackle philosophy! What is it? when did it start? Whe are the main philosophers and what did they say? From Plato to the logical positivists!
How do we look at RE through a philosophical lense? This is quite a deep episode but I really hope it is helpful!
So the Bible is pretty long, most people haven't got time to read the whole thing so here is a summary of it in 20 minutes. I outline the structure, how to read it, what each book is about and respond to criticisms levelled against it! Warning - I sing quite a lot in this episode!
RE is changing! The Commission on Religious Education (CoRE 2018) means that by law religious education has to to include teaching about non-religious worldviews alongside religions. So the RE Podcast is here to help you out! In this episode I talk to Director of Understanding Humanism, Luke Donnellan. Together we explore what humanism is, what they believe, misconceptions about humanism and what humanists actually do!
https://understandinghumanism.org.uk/
If you have any further questions for Luke he can be found @inspiringcities on twitter!
In the last episode when we spoke to Eran Dror he mentioned something called 'Sunday Assembly' in the context of religion for atheists. So I got hold of Stuart Holdsworth from Sunday Assembly to tell us more. We discuss what Sunday Assembly is, how and why it started and what do expect when you get there. I also got the opportunity to go to a sunday assembly so I have thrown in a few clips of what I expected! This feels like what humans need, and would be a really interesting topic for the classroom. Can you have religion without the doctrine.
https://www.sundayassembly.com/
https://inspiringcity.com/
Wow! I cannot believe how many things I dip into with Eran Dror! AI consciousness, Buddhism, sense of self, the future of religion, the ethics of algorithms and how we counter this, and religion for atheists! We really unpack what it means to be human, what our needs and our weaknesses are and what we need to be our best self, the need for connection. We mention Sunday assembly and soon I will be interviewing someone from the Sunday Assembly to look more into this - it's Church for atheists! Watch this space!
https://www.sundayassembly.com/
Here is a link to Alain De Botton's book that Eran mentioned too!
https://www.alaindebotton.com/religion/
If you haven't come across Paster Mick Flemming then you are not doing to want to miss this episode! A man who humbly uses tragedy in his own life as inspiration to love othes. The incredible human embodies what it means to be a Christian in the 21st century and live out the teachings of Christ. His work in the community with addicts and the homeless is awe inspiring - Church on the street ministries in Burnley.
Prepare to be inspired!
www.cots-ministires.co.uk
In the last episode Rev Jeff Cuozzo enlightened us about what prophecy is and specific prophecies in the Bible? This week he is back to focus on the book of Revelation. What are the signs of the end of the age? What is the rature? What will happen to Satan? What will happen when Jesus returns? Exciting stuff.
It feels like we only scratched the surface so if you want to know more, check out his website
https://www.calvarybath.com/
Welcome to season 6!!!! And to start off the season I have a fascinating chat with Jeff Cuozzo about prophecies in the Bible. We find out what prophecies are and what their purpose is, why they are significant and get deep into some really specific prophecies in the Bible about the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine!
Jeff will be back next week to look at prophecies in the book of Revelation and what to expect in the end times! Exciting stuff and great to be back!
Ever wondered the answers to any of these questions?
1) What is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and how does it differ from other parts of Christianity?
2) What do the Church of the believe that God is like
3) What difference does your beliefs make to your life?
4) Who is Joseph Smith and what is his place within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?
5) What do you think of the Book of Mormon?
6) What is the biggest misconception of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?
Well hear the answer of these questions and more with James Holt! A man of conviction and knowledge! Such a delightful and enlightening conversation!
Now, I don't have any inside knowlege (other than what AQA have released) but I think Ashura is going to come up in the GCSE exam, and might even be the 12-marker... So this chat with Zam Hussain will give your children so much RICH KNOWLEDGE about this commemoration. What is it and what is the story behind it. Is it a festival or a commemoration, how do different Muslims spend this day, why is it still so important in the 21st century? This day is a wonderful antedote to toxic masculinity - for young Shia Muslims to grow up watching male adults cry and express emotion, and a very poignant discussion in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"Everyday is Ashura, every land is Karbala"
ALL RE TEACHERS MUST LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE with Claire Clinton @ClaireClinton67 and Katie Gooch @goochkt !
Are you an RE teacher that wants help in considering your future career? Do you feel a bit stale and need some inspiration? Do you sometimes think about leaving teaching all together?
Did you know that there is a Leadership programme just for RE teachers and it is FULLY FUNDED. Successful applicants will get a bespoke 1 or 2 year prgramme and your own mentor.
It goes 2/5 of the way to a charted teaching accreditation and could help you get and REQM!
https://www.reqm.org/
https://www.reonline.org.uk/leadership/leadership-programme/
Paul Karensa was invited to take part in a parliamentary roundtable on the future of RE. He, poiticians, RE teachers and RE students, representatives from Natre and REOnline were also present.
Paul Karensa is a children's author, stand up comic, broadcaster and comedy writer for the BBE Christians and father of children who study RE so I was really interested in his unique persective of why RE is so important in the 21st Century and what he would like it to look like!
Listen out for a sound which is a blast from the past!
Pat http://patreon.com/paulkerensa Mail http://eepurl.com/M6Wbr Bks http://amzn.to/1DOAXDK YT http://tinyurl.com/ydaxjmp4 FB http://ow.ly/CkkO309jIXv IG http://bit.ly/31mYnkP Pod http://apple.co/2fUSKVO Blg http://bit.ly/2ZhDfe4 Gigs http://ow.ly/vkr9309jJ2G 4Hire http://bit.ly/2Zl3kJh
I thought we needed a bit of cheering up at the moment so I am looking at love! What different types of love are there, love in the Bible, the history of Valentine's Day, use of Love your neighbour in exam questions! Hope this brings a bit of light in the darkness!
When most of your year 11 get 0 on the question about something in their mock, you KNOW you're teaching it wrong. This was the experience of my department with RECONCILIATION! So we got together to replan our lesson on this with the hope of improving this. Such a measurable target. This week I am delighted to welcome MY BOSS Pete Bowdery to the RE Podcast to talk about what reconciliation actually is, how we teach it. At the end there is also an exam focus too - what questions could you get and how would you answer them? I really hope this is a clarifying, enightening and practical episode that will change your practice.
I have a powerpoint, video links and worksheets for anyone who buys me a coffee :-)
https://buymeacoffee.com/TheREPodcast
As we check the news for updates regarding Russia and Ukraine, I take a look at the topic of Peace and Conflict. A popular theme in the GCSE, I consider what war is, different types and causes of war. Is war sometimes our moral duty or is all war is immoral? I look at inspirations from some of the world religions consdering the Old Testament God and the teachings of Jesus, Islamic teachings of Jihad, and the symbolism of the Kirpan in Sikhi. I look at Aquinas' Just War theory, the pacifist teachings of Quakers, and the example of Desmond Doss as a Conscientious Objector.
In rememberance of LGBTQIA History Month!
In this GLORIOUS chat with Rev. Andy Fitchet, we look at the damage that traditional and literal interpretations Genesis have had on women and LGBTQIA Christians. Andy talks openly about his own difficult journey and the dangerous practices of the Church to heal people of 'gayness'. We discuss homosexuality, gender, sexism, hypocracy. grinder and Jesus as a trans male. Andy is so theologically knowledgable and also has the most wonderful sense of joy in his faith (the bit about finding Adam a 'helper' is my personal favourite, or how there is a special section in hell for polyester wearers if the Bible is to be taken at face value!) If God is not binary and we were made in his image, then we are not binary!
Connect with @AndyFitchet if only to see his amazing array of jumpers and velvet jackets!
www.proudstuff.co.uk is his company that sells queer cards (contact him if you are able to make queer tea towels!
In this episode I interview identical twin brothers, Mark and Bryan from the US. Mark is a baptist and Bryan is a Buddhist. Their podcast 'The Baptist and the Buddhist' have the two of them chatting openly for the first time about their different faiths. 'Same DNA, different faiths. It is so mutually respectful and models what good dialogue looks like. These two humans are so calming that I actually felt so much more chilled after spending an hour chatting to them - it was magical.
We talked about their upbringing, what they love about their respective faiths, the similarities and differences in their beliefs; focussing on creation, ethics, life after death and consider that Jesus and the Buddha would say to each other if they met.
Definitely check out their podcast where they discuss symbols, figures of faith, death, prayer and meditation and so much more! A wonderful resource
https://baptistandbuddhist.podbean.com/
This is a very powerful and very emotional and authentic chat with former Islamist - Sohail Admed. His story is true, honest and relatable as he tells us what led him to become an extremist and what eventually led him to leave that life behind. It's linked to identity, sexuality, atonement, purpose and belonging! It reveals the misconceptions regarding extremists, what to teach our children and what to look out for. Sohail's grace and humanity is so evident in this interview and I know this will change the life of anyone who listens to it.
@SohailSNAhmed
https://t.co/c8QkL17PaJ
A heart-breaking, straight-talking epiosde that speaks of the heartbreak of the holocaust and the unfathomable increase in anti-semitism that is happening today as you read this. In the wake of the recent anti-semitic comments by Wiley, I chat to Freddy Naftel, about his personal experiences of anti-semitism, his incredibly personal history and the experience of his parents, grandparents and great grandparents as German Jews, his reaction to the anti-semitism that still exists today throughout powerful institutions like the BBC and thoughout our political systems and I ask him what we, as RE teachers and students, can do!
He is available to come to you schools and I have included contact details below;
https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddy-naftel-75701462/?originalSubdomain=uk
https://www.facebook.com/Holocaust-Enrichment-Education-103072695233278/?hc_ref=ARSX8PtY-Fqa60iFCaMgvquW_htvxkeBC6MZ6ywumbEbA8luqJRCdPg8rfwK7s1Qw60&fref=nf&__tn__=kC-R
For us oldies, ECT stands for Early Career Teacher! In this episode I chat to three RE teachers who have just finished their training and embark on their first jobs! Why did they decide to become RE teachers? Why is RE such an important subject? What was the training like? What advice would you give to poeple thinking about training to be a teacher or about to embark on their training? What has their first term in their first jobs been like. They also chat about funny stories from the classroom!
If you or anyone else you know is thinking about training to be an RE teacher, this chat is invaluable. Or maybe you are involved in training teachers. Some of it is RE specific but there are lots of general advice for any subject.
This chat makes me excited for the future of RE - the passion and enthusiasm of these three teachers is so clear!
Michaela @MichaelaMcCaugh1
Michael https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-walker-642b7170/
This is going to be my last episode this season so I have saved a really special conversation for you. The Rev. Canon Liz Sherclif is the Director of Studies for Readers of the Diocese of Chester, Agent of Change nominee for the 2022 Northern Power Awards, author of 'Preaching Women: Gender, Power and the Pulpit and 'Out of the Shadows' preaching women of the Bible. We discuss the way women of the Bible are presented, our views on St. Paul, complimentarianism, toxic masculinity, the genders of the trinity and Jesus treatment of women, institutional sexism and then we delve into some of the powerful women in the Bible - Eve, Sarah, Bathsheba, and, as it is near Christmas - Mary.
It was a wonderful conversation full of wisdom and grace!
Merry Christmas everyone!
https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/978033406
https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334058380/preaching-women
In the next of my collaboration with Ash Kundi on decolonising the curriculum, we chat to previous guest Rabbi Binyamin Sheldrake. In a frank and fascinating discussion we consider the best language to use when teaching Judaism, handy tips to making our teaching more authentic and advise on whether to and how to teach the Holocaust.
We look at the Christianisation of holy texts and the innaccuracy of the name 'Jesus', and what happened to the Book of Jacob (Yeshua's brother), and much much more.
The link to the book;
https://www.bookdepository.com/Before-Religion-Brent-Nongbri/9780300216783
In this episode I chat to Fazal Ahmed - an expert on Ancient Religions. We really delve deep into the connection between the religions and consider the fact that different groups of people from different places who have never met came independently to the same religious beliefs.
We challenge the difference between beliefs known as religions because they have a written authority, and beliefs which are seen as superstitions because they have no written authority only an oral tradition.
We travel the beliefs of the world from South America, to Africa to Australasia.
It
Faz heads up the Comparative Religions section of a magazine called The Review of Religions: Review of Religions
Anthony G Reddie is a black liberation theologian, author, fellow of both Oxford and Cambridge, proud son of the windrush generation and the first black man to achieve an A rating from the University of South Africa.
In this powerful conversation, he talks about the devestating impact of empire on Western Christianity. He reminds us of the brown Jesus who was a Palestinian Jew in an occupied land. His exogesis of the Parable of The Talents is going to change the way we think about the Bible, Christianity and how we teach! He enlightens us on the work of James Cone and his comparison between the Cross and the Lynching Tree. This is not for the faint hearted and a warning of some postentially upsetting details of lynchings. Do not listen to this with children around.
We also discuss climate change, Brexit and what it means to talk about Black Liberation Theology within these discussions, as well as his wish for the future.
A.D.A France Williams' book Ghost Ship: Institutional Racism and the Church of England has blown open the discussion on why a religion based on the teachings of love by a Jewish Palestinian from the first century has become steeped in discrimination against black and brown people.
In this episode I got the pleasure of unpacking the main message of his writing. We discuss what racial inequality in the Church of England looks like, why the Church has failed black people and look at real life experiences of discrimination. We delve into the past to see what happened to get us to where we are today including how some people have used the Bible to justify racism. We discuss the need to reclaim the brown skinned Jesus for the 21st Century and why attempts to rid the Chuirch of racism has failed.
An important conversation and a challenge to ALL Christians, and humans today.
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780334059356?gC=5a105e8b&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrJOMBhCZARIsAGEd4VGI7XYx0hXrK3ktBP8T-XcgfKM6Cojc56jH1Ab3Is9mZL6kvyzwcEgaAtmhEALw_wcB
Happy Diwali!
Diwali is on 4th November so I thought it would be wonderful to find out more about it - and who best to explain it to us that RE Podcast friends and veterans Molly Acharya and Ash Kundi!
We start by talking about the meaning and stories behind Diwali but end up discussing the link between science and religion! It is a wonderful, enlightening and important conversations.
HALLOWEEN SPECIAL
In this episode I chatted to John W Morehead, expert in Religion and Horror and author of;
The Undead and Theology
The Supernatural Cinema of Guillermo del Toro: Critical Essays
Joss Whedon and Religion: Essays on an Angry Atheist's Explorations of the Sacred
Theology and Horror: Explorations of the Dark Religious Imagination (Theology and Pop Culture)
The Paranormal and Popular Culture: A Postmodern Religious Landscape (Routledge Studies in Religion)
We discuss the relation between horror and religion, why people are fascinated by horror, horror storyies in the Bible and how tBiblcal stories have ifluenced Horror and specific examples of which horror movies have been influenced by the Bible, as well as the imilarities between horror and religion. Would there even be a Horror genre without religion?
His blog is;
https://www.theofantastique.com/
For further reading on this topic, John as recommened the following;
Reading the Bible with Horror by Brandon R. Grafius (Fortress Academic, 2019)
Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen by Douglas E. Cowan (Baylor University Press, 2016)
Religion and Its Monsters by Timothy Beal (Routledge, 2001)
In this episode I explore the history of Christianity from the creation of the world to the end of the world, in less that 30 minutes! I know!
We look at all the major players and events that have made Christianity what it is today. Adam and Eve, the fall, the covenant with Abraham, Moses, King David, The Eyptians and Romans. Jesus, Paul, Peter, Constantine, Henry VIII and all the Johns - I count at least 4!
I recorded this episode with Covid so sorry that my voice is a little impaired!
It is about the Beatitudes. The context in which they were said by Jesus, what they might have meant to those listening, how they fit into the context of Jewish beliefs and subsequent Christians beliefs and what they might mean for Christians and non-Christians today!
In order to celebrate 1 year - 12 whole months - of the RE Podcast, here is a sample of each episode from season 3.
I discuss sex, capital punishment and the Ten Commandments,
I also interview a feminist, men and woman about Ramadan, a Sikh, a film buff, some students and two Hindu's
My thanks to Nikki McGee, Waqar Ahmedi, Zameer Hussain and Shuaib Khan, Sanum Khan, Wahida Begum and Naila Missous, Ashish Kundi, Dr. Jasjit Singh, the winners of the RE Online Blog writing competition, Giles Gough, and Molly Acharya,
And special thanks again to Brad Glen who returns as the voice of God!
In order to celebrate 1 year - 12 whole months - of the RE Podcast, here is a sample of each episode from season 2.
I ask, is there life after death, how the world was created, whether God exists and what Easter is all about, what authenticity is, and why equality is important?
I also interview my childhood hero, 2 Hindus, two Muslims and a Unitarian .
My thanks to Steve Chalke, Molly Acharya, Ashish Kundi, Shuaib Khan, Zam Hussain, Cody Coyne
And special thanks again to Brad Glen who returns as the voice of God!
In order to celebrate 1 year - 12 whole months - of the RE Podcast, here is a sample of each episode from season 1.
I ask, are humans good, are religions evil, is there anything which is absolutely wrong, is religion funny, is God evil, what is the middle way, what are euthanasia and abortion and what does Christmas celebrate?
I also interview my dad, a pilgrim, a Muslim and a Catholic so thank you to Tony Smith, Simon Donlevy, Waqar Ahmedi, and Mary Shanahan
And special thanks to Brad Glen who is the voice of God!
In this episode I interview the impressive and busy Gary Keogh PHd. In between teaching, lecturing, writing books, running marathons, making music, and becoming a doctor of Theology, Gary found time to talk to us about how we know things - Empiricism vs Rationalism, science verses religion, morality, proof for religious beliefs and his idea for a film. In a world distracted by FAKE NEWS this is an important conversation. We mention Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Popper, Hick, Dawkins, Copernicus, Galileo, Descartes - name drop central - did you spot any others? - we could play Bingo!
Below are the links to Dr. Keogh's books and Thesis!
Enjoy
In this episode I explore the idea of Narcissism. It is a slight diversion from my normal topics but one I think is helpful for all educators to be aware of, not only for their own experiences and relationships but also to potentially support children you come in contact with. It is a topic very close to my heart and is steeped in ideas about kindness which is central to all religions. In this episode I interview someone who has experience abuse at the hands of a narssicist. We talk about her ideas about what narssicism is, early warning signs, how to get help and how to recover. It is a deeply personal interview. For obvious reasons, names have not been used in this episode.
https://www.melanietoniaevans.com/
Here is a link to Melanie Tonia Evans website - the current leading expert on Narssicistic Abusive Relationsips. We also discuss somatic experiencing - a trauma healing programme which can support recovery from Narssicistic Abusive Relationsips.
https://mailchi.mp/medicinalmindfulness.org/somatictraumatherapy?e=456fc67a75
In this episode I interview Rabbi Binyamin Sheldrake from the Adat Yeshua Messianic Synagogue in Norwich. He is also the Chair of Exec UBMS.
We have such an interesting chat about the importance of the name Yeshua, and why he is believed to be the Messiah, what happened in the first century after his death and resurrection, the relationship between Messianic Jews and other Jews and Christians, the importance of Israel.
If you want to learn more;
www.adatyeshua.co.uk
https://rabbibinyamin.wordpress.com
Welcome to Season 4! This is a whistle stop tour of the history of religion, starting with stone age burials, to animism, native americans, Maori then looking at the ancient religions of mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, stonehenge, druids, throught to early Judaism, Santan Dharma, the Romans, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Sikhi. I will be inviting guests on throughout this series to unpack each ancient religion in more details
In this weeks episode I delve deep into the Ten Commandments, where did they come from, what do they mean, are they relevant to the 21st Century. In this episode I give a brief history of the Israelites, and take each commandment in commandment in turn and analyse it. I even sing and attempt to speak Hebrew. I also have some interesting facts from my lovely followers from Twitter.
I refer to an article and a video - links below;
https://wehavekids.com/family-relationships/When-Honoring-Your-Father-and-Mother-Is-Challenging
https://www.videoman.gr/en/140297
https://face2faceafrica.com/article/42-ancient-egyptian-laws-that-might-have-inspired-the-ten-commandments
In this episode I am joined by Ash Kundi and Molly Acharya to teach us how to decolonise the teaching of Hinduism). We look at what we do right, how we can make our language more authentic, explaining the symbols- and we talk a lot about chicken! You'll need to listen to find out why!
Here is a quick glossary to support the episode
Hindu dharma/dharam rather than Hinduism
Swasti for symbol, Use Hackenkreuz for nazi symbol
Su- (good) asti-(existence)
Murtis rather than Idols
Mandir not temple
Varna rather than Caste - coming from Portuguese word casta meaning lineage, colonial influence
Brahman - ultimate reality rather than god
Atman - inner self (pronounced atma)
Ganga rather than Ganges for the river
http://www.hinduacademy.org/index.php
WARNING: THERE ARE FILM SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE
In this episode I invite Giles Gough from the God in Film Podcast to talk to us.
https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-god-in-film-podcast-giles-gough-GUMQ3Eb1A60/
The God In Film Podcast is one of my favourite podcasts because it combines two of my greatest loves - Film and Religion. Giles, a Christians, is joined by his atheist friend, Phil, to dicscuss religious elements in film in a bitesized, accessible way.
On The RE Podcast, Giles talks about Messiah figures in films - focussing mainly on Captain America.
We also look at the dos and don't of using films in the classroom!
We would love to hear from you so please tweet Giles or I with your suggestions of characters you think represent the Messiah or to give give us your thoughts on the ones we have discussed.
In this weeks episode I interview five AMAZING young people from KS2-5 about why they think RE is an important subject in the 21st Century. The five of them are actually winners of an online blog competition for RE Online, answering the question 'Why does an education in Religion and Worldviews (R&W) matter? You can find all their entries on the link below.
https://www.reonline.org.uk/blog/?cfilters=%7B%22group%22%3A%22post%22%2C%22items%22%3A%5B%7B%22term_id%22%3A%2212677%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22post_tag%22%7D%5D%7D
I asked them what they loved about RE, why it was such an important subject in the 21st century, what particular topics they liked and what their views were on some of these and what they might like to do in the future.
In this episode we look at the legal and religious guidelines about sex including who can have it, when and for what purpose. We look at the attitudes of some of the main religions towards sex, and I suggest that maybe we should focus more on how to love! Warning, some of the content may not be suitable for younger listeners!
In this episode I explore Capital Punishment. I explore the history of Capital Punishment, facts and figures, arguments for and against Capital Punishment, religious arguments, and case studies. And an opportunity to think about your own opinion!
I so excited to say that this next episode is in collaboration with Ash Kundi. Together we are going to create a series of podcasts which decolonise RE. This week we invited Dr. Jasjit Singh to enlighten us about how we can be more authentic in teaching Sikhi. But the discussion goes so much deeper than that as we explore the representation of Sikhi in the media, the history of Sikhs in Britain and the contribution they have made to British culture. Dr. Singh is both knowledgeable and wise, and presents ideas that will change the teaching of Sikhi in RE forever! Don't miss this one.
Twitter: @DrJasjitSingh
In our last episode we talked to the men, now let's here about Ramadan from a female perspective. What is it like celebrating Ramadan as woman? What is an average day in Ramadan like? What are the highs and lows? What are your family traditions? (always put meat in the rice!) and how does it differ from culture to culture? All this and more in a delightful and enlightening chat with Sanum Khan, Wahida Begum and Naila Missous.
As millions of Muslims around the world complete Ramadan, I invite Waqar Ahmedi, Zameer Hussain and Shuaib Khan back on to The RE Podcast to discuss Ramadan. In a fascinating and enlightening talk, we discuss what Ramadan is, why Muslims keep it, what it is like - the benefits and the struggles, as well as how they spend Eid.
To start season 3 off with an enormous bang, I have a conversation with Nikki McGee. Nikki McGee is a subject lead specialist for religion and philosophy at Inspiration East, a teacher and a NATRE executive. In this episode we discuss her upbringing and her path to being an RE teacher, as well as what feminist theology is and how we can rediscover the empowerment of women in religious stories and texts.
https://www.inspirationtrust.org/
In part two of my special Easter episodes, I explore the resurrection. What does the Bible say happens, why is this event so significant to the BIGGEST religion in the world, and are there any alternative explanations for the empty tomb?
As an extra special Easter present to all my listeners I have also taught you how to EVALUATE arguments using the PLEASURE technique.
As it nears Easter we look at the meaning behind this festival, including it's pagan roots, what it means to Christians today and we delve into the story of Jesus last few days of his life on earth. A warning - there are some graphic descriptions of crucifixion so this episode may not be suitable for everyone.
In this weeks episode I have an enlightening conversation with Ashish Kundi. Ashish is the founder of Teacher Consciousness. He is a Head of RE and PSHE in the East Riding. The Hindu Representative for SACRE and Leader of YorkshiR.E.
https://teacherconsciousness.wordpress.com/
He was recently featured on the Teach me a lesson podcast with BBCs Greg James and his wife Bella Mackie talking about Love and Marriage in different cultures and religions;
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p097ctcz
We talk about what anti-racism is, what decolonisation is, and how and why our RE curriculums should be more authentic. We unpack the relationship between colonialism and racism and the impact that has on our curriculum.
In this weeks episode I have a delightful chat with the Rev. Cody Coyne - a unitarian minister. He tells me all about the beautiful and exclusive beliefs of the Unitarian Church. If you are like me and know nothing about this faith then I highly recommend this episode. If you already know about Unitarianism then this is a delightful 15 minutes with a very calming and delightful human!
This week I have a most delightful conversation with Shuaib Khan. Teacher, Sociologist, Poet, Aspiring author, Host of the podcast Anti Small talk, writer of the blog Shuaib Writes Khan Thinks.
We talk about what equality is, why there isn't equality and how we get it. We discuss positive and negative discrimination, and why Malcolm X is his hero!
There is a link below to his song recommendation!
https://www.antismalltalk.com/
https://open.spotify.com/show/0MsVm8Ao58HRD8GE0YkSWw
https://shuaibwriteskhanthinks.wordpress.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C_3eYj-pOM
This weeks episode takes a critical look at reasons for and against the existence of God. I explore theism, atheism and agnosticism. I refer back to the Problem Of Evil and also look at the Cosmological, Teleological and Ontological Argument. I also briefly look at prayer, religious experience and miracles.
This week I interview Molly Acharya. In her own words she is a Head of RE, Teaching & Learning Coach, Teacher of Politics and Citizenship, Examiner at GCSE and A Level, Mum of Twin Mischief Makers. As a Hindu she gives some valuable advice about the misconceptions of Santana Dharma and how best to teach things like the Caste System and Trimurti. It's a challenge to us about how we teach it.
A wonderful charity that Molly is involved in. https://www.facebook.com/robandhisangels/
Julius Lipner - Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hindus-Their-Religious-Beliefs-Practices/dp/B0085P4J4K
Some words that are used in the podcast that might be helpful;
arnashramadharma - duty from both caste and stage of life.
Varna - caste
Ashrama - stage of life Dharma - Duty
Mughal times
In this weeks episode we tackle the HUGE question of how the world was made - was it God, The Big Bang or a bit of both? And how did life begin? Did God create us or did we evolve. We take a look at the scientific and religious answers to cosmology. And we are very please to welcome back voice artist Brad Glen as the voice of God and Einstein.
Find out about Brad Glen - https://www.bradglen.co.uk/
Stat your podcast - https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1258280
Listen to The RE A Level Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/7pBEhOP7Gt9E592NVEE5IQ
Tune into Teacher Hug Radio - www.teacherhugradio.co.uk
In this weeks episode we hear the second part of my interview the Rev. Steve Chalke MBE. Baptist minister and social activist. He was awarded his MBE for his charity work. He is the founder of Oasis Charitable Trust, a former UN special advisor on Human Traffiking and founder of the 'Stop The Traffik' campaign and founder of Oasis Community Learning. This week we talk about the ideas he has that are controversial in the Christian Community - his belief that a God of love would not send the people he has made to hell. He also gives us some final thoughts and words of wisdom.
This man gives me hope!
https://highprofiles.info/interview/steve-chalke/
https://www.stopthetraffik.org/
https://www.oasiscommunitylearning.org/
https://www.oasisuk.org/
In this weeks episode we interview the Rev. Steve Chalke MBE. Baptist minister and social activist. He was awarded his MBE for his charity work. He is the founder of Oasis Charitable Trust, a former UN special advisor on Human Traffiking and founder of the 'Stop The Traffik' campaign and founder of Oasis Community Learning. We talk about the ideas he has that are controversial in the Christian Community - his acceptance of homosexuality.
https://highprofiles.info/interview/steve-chalke/
https://www.stopthetraffik.org/
https://www.oasiscommunitylearning.org/
https://www.oasisuk.org/
In this episode I interview Zameer Hussain, Head of RE, RE teacher and Shia Muslim. We discuss the difference between Shia and Sunni Islam, the importance of the Imamate and the story behind Ashura, science verses religion, and Zam also shares with us some wonderful words of wisdom!
Welcome to 2021! To start off a new year and a new Season for the RE podcast, we explore whether there is life after death. We consider it as the first religious belief for which we have evidence. We look at the variety of religious beliefs through history and within the biggest religions in the world, plus consider evidence for it. We also take a look at the idea of a SOUL - what is the SOUL and is their evidence for them.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-clues-found-in-understanding-near-death-experiences/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhGX1YCsvAM
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
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In this final episode of the season we take a look at the Christmas Story. What does the Bible actually say about the birth of Jesus and what does it all mean? There will be some surprises as the story you think you know may be very different from the one you have learnt from school.
GUEST STARRING the voice actor, Brad Glen who kindly read the Bible for this episode!
https://www.bradglen.co.uk/
As a special Christmas present, here is a special episode just for Primary Schools. We look at what philosophy is and the concept of an infinite God, with humour, audience participation and mind-blowing questions.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/watch/video/18013
Use this video at the end
In this episode, we take a festive inspired look at the Catholic faith, through the experience of Dr. Mary Shanahan - Catholic, Feminist, wife, mother, and Director of R.E. at STACS. In a beautiful chat we look at the person of Mary, the significance of the incarnation, the abuse scandal, women priests, the crucifixion and the impact of being a catholic in the 21st century.
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/the-church/catholic-bishops-conference-of-england-and-wales/departments/social-justice/.
http://www.catholicsocialteaching.org.uk/.
In this episode we tackle the two big moral issues about Abortion - the removal of a fetus from the womb, and Euthanasia - deliberately ending the life of a terminally ill patient. What are the religious and non-religious arguments for these issues. We look at New Zealand's referendum, the sanctity of life, real life-cases and give you the opportunity to consider your opinions. Please note, as these are quite sensitive issues, a personal conclusion will not be offered.
https://www.kooth.com/
https://www.samaritans.org/
https://www.childline.org.uk/
An absolutely wonderful chat with Waqar Ahmedi, an Ahmadiyya Muslim. An honest and open insight into what it means to be a Muslim in 21st century Britain. We discuss the afterlife, Jihad, predestination, free will, extremism, the second coming of Isa, and we get to the heart of what Ahmadiyya Islam is.
This weeks episode is being made in association with www.houseofself.co.uk
Listen out for a special promo code.The Episode relates the Buddhist idea of The Middle Way to the issues facing the 21st Century. It explores Siddhartha Gautama's path to enlightenment and goes through the main teachings related to the elimination of suffering. The Three Universal Truths, The Four Noble Path, The Eightfold Path. It ends with a little guide to meditation.
https://tricycle.org/magazine/noble-eightfold-path/
This week we interview Simon Donlevy, who, despite being agnostic, undertook the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in northern Spain and has just written a book about his deeply spiritual experiences and how he now believes that 'there is something going on'.
There's Something Going On - buy the book on Amazon*
Look Sussex - Look Sussex is a small local charity, who support families across East and West Sussex who have a child who is blind or visually impaired.
https://www.careforveterans.org.uk/
In a world battling Covid 19, this episode asks why God allows suffering - the classic Problem of Evil. It defines evil, explains why it is a problem for God, and considers how religious people deal with this problem. The solutions to this problem are called 'Theodicies' and this episode looks at The Free Will Defense, Irenean Theodicy, and how Jesus solves the problem of evil. At the end it also reveals 'The Problem of Good.'
This episode explores the relationship between religion and humour. It asks whether it is ok to make jokes about religion and reveals jokes told by religious founders and in religious books.
In this weeks episode I interview Anthony W Smith. An author, Christian, Evangelist and...my dad. I ask him why he is a Christian, how he feels about some controversial issues like homosexuality, hell and other religions. He also offers his answer to whether humans are good or bad.
This episode explores the claim that religions are the root of all evil. It considers evil acts that have been done in the name of religions, and wars about religion, but counters that with all the good things that religions offers the world
This episode explores whether humans are inherently good or evil. It critically evaluates studies that have been done which show humans to be bad and uses examples to support the argument that humans are actually good.