Why should we teach about freedom of religion or belief?
Children have a right to voice their opinion, and in my view the right to develop an informed, opinion which can contribute to an open, respectful, society. We want people to live well together. Education is fundamental to this. This is the vision of my Trust. In the UK, compared to many other parts of the world we are largely free to pursue our religious or non-religious beliefs, but we should not become complacent. As society changes, new challenges will always present themselves, so it is vital that we equip future leaders to handle FoRB sensitively and diplomatically. It is also important that children learn about FoRB within the context of other human rights – how to balance and navigate sometimes conflicting rights for example. In addition, in an increasingly global society it is imperative that children know that the freedoms they have are not upheld everywhere and become involved in working for and campaigning for equity, justice and inclusion.
What might we teach about freedom of religion or belief?
Nobody stands nowhere. This is the title of a short animation produced by the Think Tank Theos. It carefully examines the idea that we all have a position which is shaped by our identity, beliefs, culture, experiences and so on. For many a helpful term to describe this is our personal worldview. This personal worldview may be shaped by an organised worldview, such as Catholicism or Hindu dharma. It might also change over time; my own personal worldview has been shaped by a diversity of Christian worldview experiences for example. So for me the starting point for ‘what’ we teach begins with self-awareness and acknowledgement that we all have a lens through which we interpret the world around us. Teaching explicitly about this from an early age helps to develop positive attitudes towards divergence and difference of opinion. These foundations can then be built on by considering in the English context the development of FoRB over time as well as contemporary case studies from the UK and around the world.
How might we teach about freedom of religion or belief?
My own doctoral work delves deeper into this question exploring three principles for how we might educate in religion and worldviews more widely than just freedom of religion or belief. These principles are creating space, encountering others and listening for wisdom. Two key themes running through these are the importance of story and hospitality. Stories connect the pupil and the subject matter. We can listen to stories attentively, allow them to speak, interact with them and allow them to connect with us. Secondly, my understanding of hospitality is that it intentionally includes those on the margins; listening and engaging with voices which are often not heard. This means dialogic and communal approaches to learning are important.
I’d like to finish with some words from the Protestant Theologian Miroslav Volf,
In an embrace I open my arms to create space in myself for the other. Open arms are a sign that I do not want to be by myself only, an invitation for the other to come in and feel at home with me. In an embrace I also close my arms around the other. Closed arms are a sign that I want the other to become part of me while at the same time I maintain my own identity. By becoming part of me, the other enriches me. In a mutual embrace, none remains the same because each enriches the other, yet both remain true to their genuine selves.
(Volf, 1995, p.203)
For me, this metaphor of an embrace sums up a true understanding of what it means to have freedom of religion or belief.
Dr Kathryn Wright, CEO Culham St Gabriel’s Trust
References:
Nobody Stands Nowhere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFRxKF-Jdos
Wright, K. 2018. A Pedagogy of Embrace https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/67089/
Volf, M. 1995. A Vision of Embrace: Theological Perspectives on Cultural Identity and Conflict. Ecumenical Review, 47 (2) pp.195-205