Religious Education - Observations and potential solutions

It wasn't that long ago that Ofsted were telling us that the quality of religious education in schools was declining and that something like 20% of schools were failing and providing inadequate religious education.

If we ignore the inane mutterings and protestations of humanists and secularists who drone on, respectively and, endlessly about their belief (or rather lack of it) being included in the RE curriculum or made optional we can see their are some obvious issues and some equally obvious solutions.

Religious education is all about educating schoolchildren about matters religious! It is supposed to do what it says on the tin, couldn't be simpler. Now the first problem is that many of the RE teachers I have met at various functions, conferences and the like are people of no, or perhaps limited, faith. I have yet to meet any language teachers who are unable to converse in the languages they teach or dialogue about the finer grammatical points and the the culture of the nations what speak their lingo! I have rarely met anyone who, unlike the teachers when I was a child, was a practising member of any of the mainline faith groups and could dialogue regarding their faith or any faith with any degree of confidence.

Solution the first
Religious education teachers need to be people of faith and need to be specialists in their chosen subject. Religion is not merely a matter of geography - we're in England and so we're Christian, Anil is from India and so has to be a Hindu, etc. I don't expect theological degrees, but I do expect understanding of the core values, practices and outworking.
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The next problem is one which if I understand the baccalaureate (B) correctly is set to increase. Religious Education might still be a 'core' subject, but it's points what wins prizes and there don't seem to be any attached to RE with regard to the IB. It might be a core subject but it, like assemblies which are now non-religious mumblings before the first lesson in many places, is is an observance rather than engagement role these days, and this appears to be likely to descend further rather than pick up.

Solution the second
Secularism is taught in every subject outside of the religious Education classroom. Everything is secular and this is naive and rather than supporting choice (which secularists claim to want but really mean 'their choice') secularists lay the seeds of dissent, conflict, misunderstanding and sectarian differences.

Regardless of the point-winning examination subjects, there is a need within a balanced society for people to have some understanding of the beliefs, attitudes and actions of others because of their faith. This is what brings peaceful co-existence. What point is there in having an intellectually equipped people who can't live alongside others (the secularist problem in a nutshell). So the solution is that we must teach faith issues - simple isn't it!
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Humanists drone on about not being included in the RE syllabus, but in case they haven't realised it, they are actually a 'non-religious' bunch of often confused and fatalistic people who come under the classification of 'philosophy' (flawed or skewed philosophy more often than not, but hey ho - it's an 'ology'!).

One school I engaged with a few years back had an anti-Christian, alternative faith, head of RE. This person used the lessons to proselytise (unsuccessfully) and to attack and ridicule the beliefs of the faiths they were supposed to be teaching about. With this talk of 'Big Society' the reality is that 'Big Society' is what Christians are, and have been since we first set up shop - it who Jesus is!

Solution the third
Those of us who are trained in matters theological and are able to dialogue and discuss regarding other faiths, the differences and the similarities, who are equipped to explain the philosophy of religion and the realities of faith need to get off of our fat backsides and offer ourselves to the schools. I visit schools and do issues like the 'shoah' and genocide, other faiths, ethical issues, moral choices and whatever else they ask me to bring in. I do this from infant through to 'A' level and find that open and honest engagement is always well received, even when agreement might not be forthcoming.
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So, if you are someone who complains about the falling standards of Religious Education in our schools here's the bottom-line (honestly it is):

Stop complaining and get out there and be the difference!

Receptive Ecumenism

I have been reading a number of papers and articles on the rather high-sounding topic of 'Receptive Ecumenism'. This is an interesting journeying point for those seeking to be 'Churches Together' in that it looks at news ways of being 'One Church' and that the prime movers appear to be Catholics called into both action and response to John Paul II's 'Ut Unum Sint' ('may they be one').

The question before the Catholics was one of finding ways that the Catholic church could keep to its own beliefs (or as they put it, 'maintain their integrity') engage with, and learn from, other Christian traditions with regard to matters of faith, spirituality, worship, churchmanship and engagement with the secular world and yet not (my words) 'be tainted or changed'.

One of the popular expressions in this is, "From Ecumenism to Silent Apostasy" (initially used by a paper from the SSJ).

The reality is that many within the Christian world are coming to the conclusion that the Church (universal) finds itself in an 'ecumenical winter' and that the days of people assuming that putting Christians, or their leaders, in a room and labelling it as 'unity' is drawing to a close. That said, a continued presence in the room with a desire to see ways in which unity could become a reality heralded (very early) signs of Spring and is perhaps one of the first stages of what might become a realised unity.

A key element of this is that rather than bring what we have, or push the position we occupy, we come to listen to what others have and from here begin the dialogue. We come and, creatively, explore how we might engage, not just at personal, congregational or other local levels but at wider and deeper (denominational?, now there's a wonderful, yet frightening, thought!)levels still!

Receptive Ecumenism seeks to (and I quote here):
"To extend Spiritual Ecumenism into an explicit exploration as to how Christian traditions might most effectively and genuinely learn, or receive, from each other with integrity."

Just to get you started with this, here's a link to Paul Fiddes' excellent paper: Learning from others - Baptists and Receptive Ecumenism

Enjoy!