World Religions Mark Plater December, 2006

Purpose of this session: That you will have an improved understanding of religion & religions That you will feel more confident in knowing what resources are available to support you in teaching about world religions That you will know how to find information about different world religions

The variety: How many different religions are there? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religions http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/

The 6 main religions in UK: Christianity (Christians) Buddhism (Buddhists) Hinduism (Hindus) Islam (Muslims) Judaism (Jews) Sikhism (Sikhs)

Teacher resources: Sainsburys Religions of the World Essex CC Teaching about World Faiths RE Today magazine (and Resource) Various Education Publishers… QCA Glossary Channel 4 CD: Worlds of Faith (Tel: 0871 246444)

Non-confessional approaches to world religions: Ninian Smart’s Dimensions or Religion Doctrinal (teachings, beliefs) Mythological (stories, heroes, etc) Ethical (ideas of good and evil) Ritual (religious ceremonies & practices) Experiential (normative experiences) Social (social norms or expectations) Aesthetic (artistic expressions)

Approaches to religions 2: Warwick Project Ethnographic Approach “Religions” are a Western construct This is a simplistic and inaccurate way of describing religions All religions contain many different ‘ways’, or spiritual expressions In studying religions, we should consider the ideal, and personal expressions of that

A few tips on teaching about religions: Have a go! Don’t avoid it. Be inquisitive- read, & ask questions. Try to be accurate, but don’t be too hard on yourself if you make mistakes Include the general and personal stories of faith. Make use of visits, speakers, video, etc whenever you can.

Thank you for your interest… Take a booklet.. Have a peaceful afternoon, And download the other booklets from your website