The paper “Religion in Britain: Challenges in Education” explores the evolving nature of society and the changing landscape of faith and religion statistics. Understanding individuals’ positive and negative experiences with faith, as well as the complexities surrounding it, is crucial within an educational context for both students and educators. Religion and faith hold significant importance in the lives and communities of many individuals, encompassing aspects such as belonging, spirituality, and belief systems. For me, a surprising finding in the paper was the majority of university students identifying as spiritual, suggesting the influence of faith and religion on identity and a sense of belonging within the university community. It is worth noting that despite the decline in traditional beliefs, a sense of belonging persists. Therefore, it is essential to broaden our knowledge and engage in open conversations about the diverse layers of faith and religion among our students, respecting their sensitive differences.
Kwame Anthony Appiah further delves into the multifaceted nature of religion, highlighting that religion/Faith comprises not only beliefs but also shared practices, community, and a body of beliefs. Often, we tend to focus solely on the specifics of religious beliefs, overlooking the importance of community and other elements that shape religious identity. Within a university setting, understanding the complexities and diverse experiences surrounding religion and its influence on identity is vital to comprehending the student experience fully. In workshops and discussions related to faith, we should aim to inclusively support students, acknowledging and respecting the complexities inherent in such conversations.
In a society where acceptance may be lacking, religion can offer solace and a safe haven. Universities have a responsibility to ensure that all students have a secure space to explore and celebrate their faith and religion, fostering conversations that promote understanding and acceptance of differences. This commitment inspires compassion, active listening, and support for all students and staff, amplifying voices and perspectives that deserve to be heard.
You can read my comments on another post of this theme here
Hello,
It is insightful to read your thoughts on this. I also found the text by Kwame Anthony Appiah really insightful. It also maybe wonder how we can actively welcome / support conversations about faith and how do we diversify those.
When and how does faith enter in your teaching? (through visual references? briefs? thematics? visits? methodologies? making processes? craft? ways of relating to one another? processes of critique?) What resources are you pulling in order to do this and are they diverse enough to cover different ground?
How is faith acknowledged / discussed / deconstructed? When is there space to do this? Is there spaces outside the learning environment yet within the university where students can practice?
It might be worth thinking and talking about your own positionally as well as that will affect the way you bring faith into learning environments.
Hi Tilly!
Your blog post is interesting, although, as Eleni is highlighting through her comments, it would have been good to get some of your own views about religion and how you think this might affect how you support students. This is something that I have considered given my own views on Faith/Religion. I have thought about how I might manage situations where students want to explore in their work views and positions that do not align with my own. Shura reminded me in one of my tutorials that as educators, we bring ourselves to the learning process and therefore, we are not neutral subjects. When thinking about this, I have thought about the role of debate/discussion/dialogue in the classroom as a way of not necessary trying to ‘win the argument’, but as a way to foster understanding across difference. I prefer ‘understanding’ over ’empathy’. I need to unpack this preference. I think it has to do with the fact that empathy implies to me that there is an equality in which the privileged person ‘feels for’ the less privileged. In learning spaces working towards the practice of social justice, all the individuals including the educator, I feel, should be equals in the process.