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To help you celebrate the end of the longest term of the year, to get you in the festive spirit, to shine a beacon to parents, particularly mothers, as we focus on the amazing story of Mary, the mother of Jesus and the central role she plays in the Christmas story, I bring you tidings of great joy!
This last episode of the season, and of 2024, is a spotlight on two RE teachers as they talk about juggling motherhood with their careers. Naila Missous, and Gemma Brown. They are connected through the amazing MTPT Project - The UK’s charity for parent-teachers. It provides support and entitlements for pregnant and expectant staff. And check out the festive name of its founder, Emma Sheppard (so much festive joy). Emma, also joined us to tell us why she made the journey from English Teacher to wanting to support parent teachers.
The conversation not only includes information about the project and how it supported Naila and Gemma, and what needs to happen in the political sphere to support parents in education, but also how we can include the role of mothers into our curriculums, and where we see the role of mothers in scriptures.
As you can imagine, it is an empowering and uplifting chat.

https://www.mtpt.org.uk/

To all my listeners' my seasonal message for you is from Mary's song because all teachers, but specifically parents are often so humble and they need to be lifted up;

He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.

I hope this episode lifts you up.

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In a move towards multidisciplinary RE, I wonder if you are stuck on how to teach through a social sciences lens - particularly through a psychological lens. Maybe you are not sure what the psychology of religion is, or how to incorporate it into your lessons. Or maybe you have started to explore but have become overwhelmed. Dr Carissa Sharp is an associate professor of Psychology of Religion from The University of Birmingham and she came on to the podcast to guide us through how to do this.
For example, is this a psychological question – “Does God exist?” – and if not, how do we turn it into one?
For the answer and for much more, listen to this episode.
The links for this episodes are below;

Get in touch with Dr Carissa Sharp
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/tr/sharp-carissa
https://crosstrainingpsychologyandtheology.com/
https://crosstrainingpsychologyandtheology.com/resources/resources-for-re-teachers/

When Children Draw Gods by PY Brandt
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-94429-2

Believing, Bonding, Behaving, and Belonging: The Big Four Religious Dimensions and Cultural Variation by Vassilis Saroglou
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022022111412267#:~:text=Believing%2C%20Bonding%2C%20Behaving%2C%20and,Cultural%20Variation%20%2D%20Vassilis%20Saroglou%2C%202011

Experimenting with Religion by Jonathan Jong
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/experimenting-with-religion-9780190875541?cc=us&lang=en&

Cambridge Elements
https://www.cambridge.org/core/browse-subjects/psychology/psychology-of-religion

Lambi Scale RE Today resource
https://www.natre.org.uk/resources/termly-mailing/bqic-secondary-challenging-knowledge-in-re/studying-god/8-using-psychology-to-investigate-ideas-of-god/

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If any of you want to look at how you can teach the complex socio political tensions between the Abrahamic faiths, or are teaching about interfaith relations, or maybe you want to draw out a feminist lens in your classroom, then please draw on the amazing research and services offered by the Woolf Institute.

A link to all the elements we spoke about are below;
www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/community-engagement/education

• In-Person and Online Visits to School
• Living in Harmony: Resources and Visits for Secondary Schools
• Gender in Religious Experience: Resources and Visits for Secondary Schools
• RE-Framing Education about Beliefs and Practices in SchoolsValuing Diversity: A Guide for Secondary School Teachers

To access these resources, simply email: publicengagement@woolf.cam.ac.uk

We also see how well aligned the worldviews approach is with the interfaith dialogue values.

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This may be something you have never heard of, it is certainly a new piece of subject knowldge for me. Tisha B'Av, which translates as the 9th of Av is an annual fast day in Orthodox Judaism which takes place at the beginning of August. It serves to remember the Jewish suffering from the past - specifically the destruction of the first and second temple which are said to have happened on Tisha B'Av. This is a day when many Orthodox Jews fast, deny themselves luxuries like chairs, and even refrain from reading the Torah which would offer comfort.
To explore this day, I speak to Adam Boxer and I promise this conversation is a really beautiful look at a solemn day and you will learn things about Orthodox Judaism which may surprise you as it surprised me.

Adam's online learning platform
https://www.carousel-learning.com/

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One thing we love is the messiness of RE! In the current worldviews approach we embrace this messiness and strive to accurately the diversity within worldviews. In this episode I speak to Dr Lois Lee, senior lecturer at the University of Kent. We look at the diversity of belief within the Nones - an area which called fall prey to simplifications if we are not careful. Lois and I discuss how to authentically represent atheism and all it's beautiful and messy diversity!
My take away is the suggestion of a category of a social worldview which sits inbetween and sometimes straddles personal and organised worldviews!
For more on the explaining atheism research, here is the website;

https://www.explainingatheism.org/

And the work with RE today is below;
https://www.retoday.org.uk/news/latest-news/re-today-working-with-explaining-atheism/

https://www.retoday.org.uk/school-support/publications/samples/primary-curriculum-book-exploring-non-religious-worldviews/

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https://iifl.org.uk/

Faith's transformative power takes center stage as we welcome Dr. Jake Scott, Director of the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life. Join us for an enlightening conversation on how faith is not only surviving but thriving amid growing secularism and religious diversity in the UK. Discover how historical influences and modern movements are shaping a society that values faith as a cornerstone for moral enrichment and societal good, particularly among younger generations who are championing a more active role for faith in public life.

Unravel the complexities of religious plurality and tolerance as we explore the bridges built by education and personal interactions across diverse faith communities. From Christianity's historical impact on British society to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by Islam's growth, we dive into the vital role of faith literacy in reducing prejudice and promoting understanding. Our discussion examines the dynamic interplay between faith and societal acceptance, noting how exposure to different beliefs fosters an inclusive community and how people perceive faith as a force for good.

Explore the multifaceted ways faith influences mental health, work environments, and even environmental stewardship. We spotlight faith's dual role in providing resilience while presenting challenges and how it shapes positive work ethics and community contributions. Our conversation delves into the environmental responsibilities embraced by various religious groups, highlighting the generational divide in climate anxiety and the power of faith as a coping mechanism. Tune in for a thought-provoking analysis of how religious education broadens our understanding of humanity, promising insights that could contribute to a more harmonious and inclusive world.

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What happens at the intersection of faith and mental health. Can a personal faith support you through this or create an extra layer to navigate as you try to reconcile your experience with a loving God. In this honest, authentic and hopeful conversation, I ask Claire Gough about her lived experience of being a Christian with depression, anxiety and disordered eating.
We consider how is depression and anxiety specifically difficult as a Christian, nisconceptions that Christians have about mental health, how she feels about seeing this as a spiritual battle, or a result of sin, the stigma of mental health in the Church, the use of medication in a Christian context, how it impacted her faith and relationship with God, how her faith,and the Bible, has helped her.

Content advisory: We do make reference to suicide in this episode.

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One of the things I love doing this podcast is it introduces me to things I didn't know were a thing but love learning about. This chat with Rev Pippa White is so significant for many reasons. For Christians, this is a real challenge to them for whether they are inhabiting the spaces of the younger generation. Jesus used the common communication tool of the time to communicate his message.
For teachers, this is about The Great Commission in the 21st Century - go out into 'all' the world. This now includes the digital world.
But this is also about the nature of Theology and doctrine. Where is the authority and accountability for the Theology that is being created and shared on Social Media? Can you be a Christian in a disembodied state and what the advantages and disadvangtes of that?
Plus, regardless of spending my teenage years in an Anglican Church and 23 years as an RE teacher, I learnt that I had no idea what the Anglican Church was!
But overall, it was just so lovely to talk to Pippa. She is a warm and delightful human being so please follow her on Social Media:

TikTok - notapriestess

Pippa also mentioned some other accounts to follow including;
Black liturgies https://www.instagram.com/blackliturgies/?hl=en
Rev Chris Lee https://www.instagram.com/revchris7/?hl=en

The book she mentioned was
Karen O'Donnell - The Dark Womb
https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334060932/the-dark-womb

To read more about Social Media Theology on Google Scholar;
https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Social+media+theology&btnG=

Through meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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