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On the 13th February the General Synod met and discuss 'Living in Faith and Love' which is mentioned in today's episode (link below). A decision still had not been made on and three more months has been requested.

What stance should the Anglican Church take on homosexuality?

Dr. Susannah Cornwall from the University of Exeter Theology and Religion Faculty takes us through the history of the relationship between The Anglican Church and Homosexuality. She highlights the nuances of this debate that are often missed when we reflect on this relationship. While the Anglican Church were among the first to support the decriminalisation of homosexuality, it's more because they saw it as an illness rather a crime. Furthermore, as a global church, the impact that any change in Theology has to be considered against the variety of political and social contexts. Furthermore, colonialism has often pushed a western agenda insensitively onto other groups without a true understanding of them.

We discuss the importance of the adjusted position on contraception by the Anglican Church and how this is pertinent to discussions about homosexuality, as well as what the debate has been and where the Anglican Church might go next.

Living in Faith and Love

https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2025-01/gs-2386-living-in-love-and-faith.pdf

https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/13-november/news/uk/living-in-love-and-faith-a-quick-guide-through-the-book

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To continue with the theme of inclusive education, I speak to Dr. Wouter Peeters about the moral importance of EDI. This is a great episode for RE teachers, for EDI leads in schools and SLT.

https://www.wouterpeeters.info/

We discuss;

• the purpose of EDI initiatives in terms of Human Rights
• the benefits to society and individuals in terms of self actualisation
• the challenges to EDI and how we overcome them
• how religion and both support and detract from EDI
• how we can teach our students the skills to uphold EDI

It's an amazing episode and both informative and practical so please share with as many colleagues and friends as possible as EDI benefits all!

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This week I continue my conversation with Dr U-Wen Low from the University of Birmingham about how to read the stories in the new Testament without a colonial lens. We focus in this episode on the book of revelation.

The episode is going to take a hermeneutical look at the book of Revelation (singular) and what it could really be saying and how it might have been misunderstood. But don't worry, this episode also isn't heavy and complicated. U-Wen has a brilliant way of making things simple and accessible.

It's a brilliant episode that I think will make you look at familiar stories in a new way which is something we love as RE teachers!

Please share with all Christians and Church leaders too!

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To continue on our theme of making our schools and curriculum representative and inclusive, I speak to Dr U-wen Low from the University of Birmingham about how to read the stories in the new Testament without a colonial lens. We focus in this episode on Jesus and Phliemonand will do a further episode on the book of revelation.

The episode is going to take a hermeneutical look at specific texts and how they can be interpretted to either be pro or against colonisation and sometimes both. But don't worry, this isn't heavy and complicated. U-wen has a brilliant way of making things simple and accessible.

We focus our converstation on Mary's magnificat, the Great Commission, views on the Romans, the story of Zaccheaus and the letter of Philemon (with it's nuanced take on slavery).

It's a brilliant episode that I think will make you look at familiar stories in a new way which is something we love as RE teachers!

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1st February was National Hijab Day! This episode is a detailed exploration of Islamophobia with Bismha Afzal, Schools Coordinator with Educate Against Islamophobia (EAI). We talk about what Islamophobia, what it looks like in modern Britain and how we as educators can tackle it. It is a whole school thing, not an RE thing so please share with your colleagues. Bismah referenced so many helpful resources. Here are the relevant links;

Islamophobia: Muhammd Vs Adam
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38751307

IHRC
https://www.ihrc.org.uk/countering-islamophobia-through-the-development-of-counter-narratives/


Interesting leaflet by Tariq Modood about Islam
http://www.tariqmodood.com/uploads/1/2/3/9/12392325/muslims_in_bristol_and_britain.pdf

Muhammads last sermon
https://www.iium.edu.my/deed/articles/thelastsermon.html

Runnymede report (2017 one)
https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61488f992b58e687f1108c7c/61bcd30e26cca7688f7a5808_Islamophobia%20Report%202018%20FINAL.pdf

EAI
https://eai.org.uk/

APPG: Islamophobia defined
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/599c3d2febbd1a90cffdd8a9/t/5bfd1ea3352f531a6170ceee/1543315109493/Islamophobia+Defined.pdf

IAM
https://www.islamophobia-awareness.org/

Role of educators in tackling islamophobia
https://www.osce.org/odihr/93497

RE Hubs - School speakers
https://www.re-hubs.uk/get-involved/school-speakers/

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Have you heard of Don Cupitt? Of Big Ideas for RE? Or maybe you have used the In Converstations webinars! This only skims the surfaces of what the Sea Of Faith Network does to support the RE Community!
The Sofia publication, regional meetings, the Sea of Faith conference, Solarity...
We are so lucky to have this network who provides a space for people to have conversations about the human experiences free from the bias' of fundamentalist thinking.
My thaks for Dave Francis for talking to the RE Podcast and to the whole network for your work!

Below are all the links referred to in this episode;

https://www.sofn.uk/
https://bigideasforre.org/
https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/understanding-by-design/
https://www.solarity.org.uk/

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Today's episode is a delightful chat with Stacey Burman and Carrie Alderton about all things interfaith. And when I say all things, I mean ALL THE THINGS!
The history and purpose of Interfaith Week and why it is so important.
How we can get involved as a community a school and a teacher.
Where we can go for resources.
But also, how this is part of a bigger picture of Interfaith Education which should permeate schools, communities and RE classrooms? (Linking brilliantly to last weeks episode on Freedom Of Religion or Belief.)
It's a really practical episode with lots of tips and ideas and places to go for support

As part of the epsiode we hear from Alice who talks about all the amazing things she does for Interfaith week to give us some inspiration - get a notebook and make sure you are sitting down!

Please let Carrie know anything you have done for Interfaith week and how it went, or maybe you have some ideas and want some support on this for future IFWs?
Similarly, if you have any stories about interfaith education you want to share, or need support / resources to improve how you do it, please get in touch
Either contact me @therepodcast1 on X or @therepodcast on insta and bluesky or visit my website www.therepodcast.co.uk.

For more information;
https://www.interfaithweek.org/

https://faithbeliefforum.org/

https://www.ifw4schools.co.uk/

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This chat is just what we need to reinvigorate us as we start a new term, cold, exhausted from festive celebrations, still arriving and leaving in the dark, with depleted VItamin D reserves. This episode will give you an hour to be reignited and reinvigorated about the amazing work we all do and what is possible and help us start a new term with renewed energy.
We look at what FoRB is and what it isn't, trauma informed ways of dealing with violations, why it's so important in today's world.
My guest Josh Cass is as wise as he is humble, and will be the lift you need to see you through the last half of January.
A link to the REC article on The Toledo Principles
https://religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk/resource/toledo-guiding-principles/
https://religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk/rec/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/toledo-article.pdf

A link to all the FoRB resources from Culham St Gabriel
https://www.cstg.org.uk/campaigns/promoting-freedom-of-religion-or-belief/

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