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In the wake of the far right riots that are happening across the country in August 2024, I talk to Theos Director, author, broadcaster and Canon Chine McDonald about her upbringing, Christian faith and why we need a book to remind us that God us not a white man, or even a man. This is about reframing our unconscious bias to create a better tomorrow and how we can do this. Chine makes a few references throughout the conversation - please find the links below

God is not a white man by Chine McDonald
https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/chine-mcdonald/god-is-not-a-white-man/9781529349078/

What white people can do next by Emma Dabiri
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/443684/what-white-people-can-do-next-by-dabiri-emma/9780141996738

The Shack (movie)
https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/the-shack

Lemonade (Full Album) by Beyonce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHYwerZbMS4

Unmaking Mary - The Myth of Divine Motherhood by Chine McDonald
https://www.chinemcdonald.com/blog/coming-in-2025-unmaking-mary-the-myth-of-divine-motherhood

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I wrote and recorded this episode in August 2024 when everytime I caught the news there was warnings of another far right riot. While my initial reaction was one of anger and fear, the RE teacher in me took a step backwards. Those are the same emotions which fuel the far right. So why am I allowed to be angry if they are not? Why are they wrong and I am right? How do we even know what is right or wrong in a pluralist society? In this episode I look at the history of ethics throughout human evolutions, both from religious and non-religious worldviews, and then I look at three Ethical Theories;
Deontology
Utilitarianism
Situation Ethics.

I don't know if the episode answers all our questions about morality, but I hope it serves as an overview of ethical thought for those embarking on teaching or about to study ethics.

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In 2021, the Methodist Church voted 692-51 in favour of gay marriages. Two years later, the first gay marriage was performed in a Methodist Church - I think they were expecting more of a rush! In this episode I chat to Rev John Squares who performed the ceremony between John and Les.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cqll85zq5v0o

We discuss how gay marriage can be compatible with the Christian faith but more importantly, the need to love yourself before you can love others!

We also discuss the danger in extreme homephobic view points so a warning not to listen to this episode in front of young children or anyone who might be upset by it's content. Specifically we mention Matthew Shepard;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45968606

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What are miracles? Do they happen? Are there any other explanations for them? Does believing in miracles open you up to being manipulated by faith healers? Do the presence of miracles in different religions cancel each other out?
I look into miracles. We look at Hume, Aquinas, Flew, RF Holland and Swinburne to help me do this.
I make reference to Miracles for Sale - the Derren Brown documentary which you can watch here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuP5uOI7Xwc&t=3281s

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Karenza Passmore has been a valued member of the RE Community for well over 30 years. In her role in the North East Religious Resources Centre, she has emersed herself in RE resources so she is here so offer some of her insights.
Karenza is a passionate advocate for RE combining experience with Neuroscience to offer inspiration to all of us classroom teachers.
Below are some of the links of things that Karenza mentions

RE Hubs
https://www.re-hubs.uk/get-involved/resource-centres/

Areiac
https://www.areiac.org.uk/join-areiac

Gill Vaisey
https://www.booksatpress.co.uk/religiouseducation.html

RE Today membership
https://www.retoday.org.uk/school-support/natre-membership/

Please get in touch and let Karenza and I know what your one take away is from our episode!
@Karenza_RRC

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In this episode I talk to former CPS Barrister Michelle St John from VinE, and Heather Marshal from Edgehill University in Birmingham about Veganism as a worldview and how we can teach it in the classroom. We discuss;
What veganism is and why it is an important topic to discuss in the 21st century, why and how we should teach it, including how it is a unifying factor between religious and non-religious worldviews.

There were lots of places mentioned to find some great resources

www.teachvine.org

https://www.animalaid.org.uk/education/
https://climatehealers.org/
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/

https://www.cowspiracy.com/
https://gamechangersmovie.com/What the health
https://www.dominionmovement.com/watch
https://eating2extinction.com/

https://animal-interfaith-alliance.com/

https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/?s=vegan

https://www.natre.org.uk/about-natre/projects/spirited-arts/spirited-arts-gallery/2023/?ThemeID=109

https://www.laudatosi.org/the-letter/encyclical-letter/

https://www.almizan.earth/

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I think one of the trump cards of RE is our ability to teach critical thinking. In the wake of a general election, with the diverse voices and opinions our young people are exposed to, and as they embark on relationships, it feels that an ability to spot flaws in people's arguments is vital. In this episode, I explain what I mean by 'flaw' or 'fallacy and break down into easily accessible chunks a few of the most common fallacies;

• Post hoc ergo proctor hoc - after this, therefore because of this
• Reductio ad absurdum - reducing something to it's most ridiculous extreme to try and prove an opinion is wrong
• Slippery slope - arguing that one event will evetually lead to something catestrophic
• Ad hominem - when you can't find anything wrong with someone's argument so start attacking the person
• False dichotomy - when someone assumes there are only two options
• Straw man fallacy where you slightly misrepresent someone's argument to make it look like it is flawed
• Circular arguments where your premise is assumed to be true and therefore is used to prove your conclusion is
• Non-sequiter so where a conclusion doesn't logically follow a premise
• Fallacy of composition where you assume that something that is true for an individual is also true for the whole
• False authority - where you use an authority figure who isn't an expert to prove a point
• Confirmation bias - where you look for evidence to support what you already believe.

I apply these fallacies to philosophical arguments and modern day dilemmas and talk about how to overcome them.
I really hope this is a helpful episode that will help you equip your students for life in the 21st century.

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I have been thinking a lot recently about the Science of Learning and what that looks like in the RE classroom. I think we have a lot to learn from educational research. But what I am noticing is that children don't seem to LOVE learning, in fact some seem to resent it. I have been trying to work out why. Like many things, I think it is multifaceted with social and political factors, but what I am more interested in is solutions. HOW do we encourage children to LOVE learning? Children are naturally curious and love to ask WHY - and the RE classroom is such an ideal place to cultivate their curiousity and encourage them to be like they were when they were younger. So I was thinking about HOW we can cultivate curiosity in our classrooms. This episode is the result of my thinking.

I'd love to hear how YOU cultivate curiosity in your classroom so please get in touch!

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