Good Practice Conference
“…collating, disseminating and encouraging
the adoption of good practice…”
Religious Literacy?
Graeme Nixon – University of Aberdeen
Political
Aesthetic
Religious
Literacies?
Ecological
Scientific
Technological
Spiritual
An Ofsted inspector was reading the work of 11-yearold pupils who had been writing about themselves.
One boy had written:
‘I am Abdul; I am 11 years old; I have a mum and a
dad and two brothers;
I am a Muslim.’
Another boy had written:
‘I am Kawaljit; I am 11 years old; I am Sikh.’
A third boy wrote:
‘I am John; I am 11 years old; I am nothing’
From ‘I am Nothing- Does it matter?’
Linda Rudge.
British Journal of Religious Education Vol 20; no 3
Religious literacy allows people to better understand religion
as complex and individual religious traditions as internally
diverse and constantly evolving – not uniform and absolute.
Learning about religion also helps us understand how religion
has been – and will continue to be – used to justify the full
range of human agency from heinous to heroic.
(Parna Taylor - Guardian 2009)
Would your students pass Prothero’s test?
Is this your understanding of religious literacy?
A Philosophical Approach to RME
The Structure
1. Focusing Exercise
2. Linking with previous week
3. The Stimulus
4. Pair/group work
5. Dialogue
6. Closures
7. Thought for the week
Religious, spiritual or philosophical Literacy
has to do with the realisation that Human beings are
universally meaning seeking animals
“Let me show in a parable to what extent our nature is
enlightened or unenlightened” (Plato 5th century BCE)
The universal religious/philosophical
dynamic?
Resonance with CfE?
Literacy?
When I engage with others I can make a
relevant contribution, ensure that everyone has
an opportunity to contribute and encourage
them to take account of others' points of view or
alternative solutions.
I can respond in ways appropriate to my role,
exploring and expanding on contributions to
reflect on, clarify or adapt thinking LIT 4-02a
.
Resonance with CfE?
Health and Well-being
I know that we all experience a variety
of thoughts and emotions that affect
how we feel and behave and I am
learning ways of managing them.
HWB 4-02a
Conclusions
Religious and philosophical literacy is not about
glossaries and artefacts, but authentic experience of
what it is to be human.
This is the Personal Search approach