ISRSA

An important article if you are interested in the future of RE.

Well worth a read

Let's ensure RE engages pupils with the substance of religious belief and practice. Good RE naturally fosters understanding and respect between different faiths. It shouldn't lose its academic integrity by becoming primarily a vehicle for broader social objectives. END.

Many of the values our increasingly secular society prizes—human dignity, equality, forgiveness—are uniquely Christian As Glen Scrivener puts it, Christianity is "the air we breathe". Pupils deserve to understand the faith that has so profoundly shaped our nation.

Our nation's children deserve to learn about Christianity in appropriate depth. It has shaped Britain's history, laws, education, literature and institutions more profoundly than any other belief system.

This isn't about resisting change. An academically rigorous, theologically accurate, and knowledge rich curriculum would be fair to all faiths—including Christianity. I care about how the next generation learns about the Christian faith. The curriculum cannot be instrumentalised.

Why does this matter? Christianity is not simply a cultural tradition or a collection of individual experiences. It makes truth claims about God, humanity, Jesus Christ and salvation.

Replacing that with THIS centrally determined curriculum risks sacrificing theological depth in favour of a simplified vision of religion designed to promote social cohesion- something the overseers repeatedly referred to.

If RE increasingly treats religions as 'dynamic and constantly changing', pupils may never encounter Christianity- or other religions- on their own terms through rigorous study of their texts, practices and teachings.