The protection and regulation of religious expression present complex challenges. Blasphemy laws, which criminalize acts deemed disrespectful to religious beliefs, have been abolished in England, allowing for broader freedom of expression. However, concerns and discussions about blasphemy persist. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman (2023), has…

As perspectives from the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky have made a substantial impact in the field of educational sciences, they have generated interest even in the field of religious education. To address some possible implications of Vygotskyan perspectives for religious education, this study focuses on Vygotsky's notion of symbolic…

Religious Education has long been part of Zambia's primary and secondary education curriculum. Though it contains a social justice section, it has been weakly socially transformative. This could be seen to be a major challenge today if Religious Education is to be educational. With a swiftly expanding social situation placing increasing numbers at…

This paper takes up the theme of divergent political and educational paths in Religious Education (RE) by drawing out some educational theories from the German tradition of what is sometimes called 'continental pedagogy'. As a development of work undertaken within the "After Religious Education" project, my interest in this paper is what…

England and Wales are now amongst the least religious countries in the world. According to Census data between 2011 and 2021, the number of people identifying as having 'No Religion' jumped by over 8 million, from 25% to 37%. Further, although there was a small upward shift in those identifying with minority religions, during the same period, the…

This paper will examine four potential areas of pressure to RE in England in the 2020s: Academisation--and the structural issues arising from ever greater numbers of schools being outside local authority control; the alleged secularisation of the curriculum through the Worldviews Paradigm; the financial situation of Standard Advisory Councils on…

The Jewish Passover seder meal is one of the central celebrations for Jews. The commemoration of the Exodus annually celebrated in this ritual meal has attracted the attention of Christians in recent years who seek to replicate the experience of Jesus of Nazareth in his Last Supper in Jerusalem. However, the practice of a "Christian…

The Right-wing populism in Poland faces multiple challenges with respect to Religious Education. This is a complex issue, given it is not only about school education supporting pro-democratic positions in the modern generation of students, but also the fact that today's populists have participated in long-term and complex educational processes of…

The spiritual formation of teachers in Church-based schools is of great importance but doesn't always receive the attention it deserves. In the 1920s and 30s, the British writer in spirituality, Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941), gave three Addresses to teachers and one lecture at Oxford University, discussing the teacher's spiritual life, and the…

This article approaches questions regarding religious pluralism from the perspective of a religious educator. It argues for the importance of educating both in the particularity of one's home tradition and for a religiously pluralistic world: It concludes with some recommendations for educating Christians in such a way that the religious…

This article draws on the experiences of Ireland and England, which support different conceptions and practices of religious education (RE), in order to provide a normative framework for the organisation of RE in multicultural states. This analysis consists in an assessment of three conceptions of RE: the liberal conception, which emphasises…

This article draws on an empirical research project in which we explore the roles and understandings of knowledge in Religious Education (RE). Plural understandings of knowledge in schools (and society) lead us to concerns about the relationships between knowledge and social justice. We define epistemic literacy as the capability to recognise, and…

This article presents an analysis of why advocates of RE in English Catholic schools have managed to avoid seriously engaging with confessional Religious Education. The arguments presented here are set against the context of curriculum change in RE with the impending introduction of the "Religious Education Directory" in England and…

To what extent do teachers' sense of their religious, cultural and national identity impact on their attitudes and approaches to the teaching of religion in publicly funded schools in Northern Ireland? In a context where schooling remains largely separate according to perceived religious identity, can religious education contribute positively to…

This article argues that the teaching about Jesus in English primary schools urgently needs to include scholarship in Religious Education (RE) about teaching religion through the principles of Religion and Worldviews research and scholarship in Religious, Biblical and Theological Studies about decolonising the curriculum. RE teachers from the…