Understanding Hinduism Reviews

The first couple of pre-publication reviews are in!

“This is a clearly written and enjoyable book that teachers of Religious Education need to read. It lays out the issues in a commendably balanced way and guides us through the complexity of Hindu traditions and their histories.” Gavin Flood FBA, Professor of Hindu Studies and Comparative Religion, Oxford University, UK

“Understanding Hinduism is a worthy and useful addition to the plethora of textbooks that have been published from various global locations, within and  outside of India — e.g. USA, UK, Europe, Australia, South Africa, and Singapore.  It echoes in many respects the patterns followed in standards accounts of Hinduism or what Hindus believe in, namely:  where does the name ‘Hinduism’ come from, whether the Āryans invaded the subcontinent and brought the Ṛveda with them,  whether the periodization set up by historians and scholars of religion – such as Thapar, Smart, Doniger, Bilimoria – is adequate for teaching Hinduism in schools, and last but not least, has Hinduism in the modern, post-indepenendent era, became a political  football between politicians and the sadhusangh (holy family) to garner a stronger foothold  in the secularizing and globalizaing world of which India is so much a part today, with its pluralist polity and minorities? But of course, Hinduism does not just belong to the adherents in India, as  the diaspora today witnesses some six million observers of  Hindusim in one  or other of its prismscape forms. This book is invaluable toward guiding teachers of Hinduism in a clear and conscise manner to convey to their students and clientele the wonder that was and is Hinduism.” Purushottama Bilimoria, Teaching Faculty, University of San Francisco, USA and Editor-in-Chief, Sophia

Religion and Worldviews

In a recent CPD for a number of schools James explored what is meant by religion and worldviews and how this might affect our approach to understanding teaching religious and non-religious approaches to life.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

James recently sat down with the RE Podcast as part of their series on parables to discuss the parable of the Prodigal Son. It’s on various platforms including Apple, Spotify, and Amazon.

Book Launch

The recording of James’ book launch and lecture on Buddhism is now available. It is a 40 minute lecture followed by a Q&A.

Recording available

The first of James’ inter-faith week events is available as a recording. In the video he reflects on the why and how of interfaith engagement for Latter-day Saints.

Interfaith Week

Week beginning 12th November is inter-faith week in the UK. James will be hosting two online events- one focussed on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the other focussing on Buddhism and the launch of his new book. Click underneath the photos below.

First “Understanding Buddhism” review

We’re thrilled that the first review for the forthcoming “Understanding Buddhism” has been sent in. Available for preorder here

Recent Conversations

James has had the opportunity to sit down for a couple of papers/interviews recently. The first was at the Global Mormon Studies Conference delivering a paper entitled: “Lost in Translation: The problems of a shared religious lexicon”

The second was a few minutes with Voice of Islam Drivetime discussing whether religion is a force for good. That can be found here at 14:40

Understanding Buddhism

We’re very excited to announce the forthcoming publication of ‘Understanding Buddhism. A Guide for Teachers’ from Bloomsbury in November 2023. 

This is the second in a series of books to help teachers enhance their subject knowledge. Future volumes will follow at pace.

Available to buy

Understanding Sikhism is now available in all good bookshops. Purchase from Bloomsbury, Amazon, and many others!

2021 Census

At the end of November the Office for National Statistics released the religious data for the 2021 England and Wales Census. A lot of the headlines surrounded the decline of people identifying as Christian, and the rise of the non-religious. James collected the data about the ‘other’ religions and also the changes in religion since 2011. He also sat down with Louisa at the RE Podcast to discuss the census. Have a listen!

TMRS Icons

We’re excited to announce that on 5th November James will be speaking at TMRS Icons Teach Meet in Manchester. He will be speaking about his vision for religion and worldviews in the classroom. If you haven’t got tickets already, don’t miss out! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/teachmeet-religious-studies-icons-tickets-386955443147

Understanding Sikhism Reviews

The pre-publication reviews are coming in for Understanding Sikhism. A Guide for Teachers. I am absolutely thrilled as the three people who have commented are people for whom I stand in awe and respect greatly.

Freedom of Speech

James was recently part of an Inter-faith discussion on freedom of speech with Altrincham Interfaith Group. The panel explored the concept of freedom of speech from a Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu perspective. James’ remarks can be found here.

Religious Education in the Secondary School (Second Edition) now available

We’re thrilled to announce that Religious Education in the Secondary School (Second Edition) is now available to purchase (click the image below). Use the code FLA22 for a 20% discount (only on orders direct from Routledge).

Religious Education in the Secondary School is a comprehensive, straightforward introduction to the effective teaching of Religious Education (RE) in the secondary classroom. Acknowledging the highly valuable yet often misunderstood contribution of RE, this text shows how the subject can be taught in a way that explores the impact of religion on the lives of people and society, engaging pupils and preparing them to become individuals who celebrate and respect diversity.

This second edition has been thoroughly updated and includes a new chapter on ‘Religion and Worldviews’ and new material on the development and assessment of an RE curriculum. It is illustrated throughout with ideas for teaching at different key stages and offers expert chapters introducing you to both the World Religions and the core aspects of effective teaching and learning. With an emphasis on developing an understanding of the importance – and different ways – of meeting the learning needs of all pupils, key chapters cover: 

• The nature of Religious Education.

• What is religion and worldviews? 

• Understanding different pedagogies of RE.

• Effective planning and assessment.

• An approach to teaching across the Key Stages.

• Core subject knowledge in Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.

Understanding Sikhism

We’re very excited to announce the forthcoming publication of ‘Understanding Sikhism. A Guide for Teachers’ from Bloomsbury in January 2023.

Sikhism is often the religion that teachers have the least confidence in teaching, despite being the fifth largest religion in the world, and being commonly regarded as one of the six main religions to be taught in schools. This book fills that gap in knowledge and expertise by exploring the beliefs and practices of Sikhism as a lived religion in the modern world. It engages with Sikh beliefs and practices and provides students and teachers with the confidence to address misconceptions and recognise the importance of beliefs in the lives of believers, in a way that will enable readers to go forward with confidence. 

Aspects of Sikhism that it explores include the concepts that form the central beliefs of Sikhism, and then the expression of these beliefs in worship, daily life, and the ethics of Sikhs in the modern day. Each chapter includes authentic voices of believers today and provides opportunities for the reader to consider the concepts and how they can be respected and taught in the classroom.

This is the first in a series of books to help teachers enhance their subject knowledge. Future volumes will follow at pace.

The RE Podcast

James recently sat down with the team at the RE Podcast and recorded an episode about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Among some of the questions I answer are:

1) What is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how does it differ from other parts of Christianity?

2) What do the Church of the believe that God is like

3) What difference do your beliefs make to your life?

4) Who is Joseph Smith and what is his place within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

5) What do you think of the Book of Mormon Musical?

6) What is the biggest misconception of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

The episode is available here

Beyond Tolerance

The recording of James’ “Beyond Tolerance” lecture from the University of Chester’s Diversity Week is now available to view.

New Booklet

We’re excited that a new booklet has been published by Share, Teach and Testify. This is a devotional booklet that explores how members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can better prepare children, youth and adults to attend the temple. We are reminded of the simple and daily things we can do to help prepare others to enter the holy temple. We learn ways to make the temple a natural part of our lives and help develop a desire to go there. Available here!

Upcoming talks/lectures

The next two months are looking rather full with James speaking in numerous places. Some of the lectures are free to register for and are available online. Please see below for details

Thursday 17th February 4pm – Teaching Sikhism across the Key Stages – please email CPDfacultyofeducation@chester.ac.uk to register for this online event.

Monday 7th March 1230pm- Sharing our Stories. Part of the University of Chester Diversity Festival. This is a face to face event in Chester. Tickets can be booked here

Tuesday 8th March 7pm- Beyond Tolerance. Part of the University of Chester’s Diversity Festival. Tickets for this online event are available here

Friday 11th March 5:15pm (UK time)- Religious Freedom in the UK: A Latter-day Saint Reflection. Part of 2022 Church History Symposium. Details can be found here

Monday 21st March- Towards a Latter-day Saint theology of religions: How do we live theologically in a pluralist world? Part of the Global Mormon Studies Annual Conference. University of Coventry. Details can be found here

Saturday 26th March 1030am – A transformative third space: Latter-day Saints and popular culture. Part of Mormon Scholars in the Humanities Conference, University of Oxford.

The Latter-day Saint Image in the British Mind

James recently contributed to a documentary entitled ‘The Latter-day Saint Image in the British Mind’ – this is part of the interview that didn’t make it into the final cut. He explores some tensions in understanding the relationship between my faith and other Christian Churches in the UK.

Invitation to a lecture and discussion on Freedom of Religion and Belief in the UK

THURSDAY 18 NOVEMBER 19.00 – 20.30

Join us as part of Interfaith week for a reflection on Freedom of Religion and Belief in the UK by Dr James Holt, Associate Professor of Religious Education at the University of Chester, and Chair of the charity, Freedom Declared Foundation. In this event James will discuss

• What is freedom of religion and belief?
• How is this reflected in UK law?
• How is this experienced by individuals in the UK?
• A way forward in individual and institutional freedom of religion and belief.

This will be followed by a Q&A/Discussion around these issues

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 136 York St, Manchester, M1 7XN

Registration is encouraged: https://forms.gle/CdL9kR2pd9mUsJcf7

Religious Education in the Secondary School Second Edition

We’re thrilled that Religious Education in the Secondary School. An introduction to teaching, learning and the World Religions will have its Second Edition published by Routledge in April next year. It is available for pre-order here.

This second edition has been thoroughly updated and includes a new chapter on ‘Religion and Worldviews’ and new material on the development and assessment of an RE curriculum. It is illustrated throughout with ideas for teaching at different key stages and offers expert chapters introducing you to both the World Religions and the core aspects of effective teaching and learning. With an emphasis on developing an understanding of the importance – and different ways – of meeting the learning needs of all pupils, key chapters cover: 

• The nature of Religious Education; 

• What is religion and worldviews; 

• Understanding different pedagogies of RE;

• Effective planning and assessment;

• An approach to teaching across the Key Stages;

• Core subject knowledge in Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.

Freedom Declared Foundation

We’re excited to announce that James has been appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees for Freedom Declared Foundation– a UK based charity involved in the promotion of freedom of religion and belief. He sat down with Chief Operation Officer to talk about this appointment.

Venturing into podcasting

To accompany the Religions of the World and the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ Institute course James is venturing into podcasting each session. This is recorded separately to the lesson but covers the same material. It is on Anchor, Spotify, and Apple so far

New Edition of Hearing Him available in USA (and worldwide)

Following the publication of the devotional booklet Hearing Him last year, the US publisher Cedar Fort have published an expanded Journal Edition. This booklet explores the need in today’s world to ‘Hear Him’. The book explores that if we seek the Lord first in our lives, then all of our activities will be strengthened because we are Hearing Him first, so we will always know of His will and guidance in our lives. In our busy lives we need to find time for Him. We need to “be still” and seek His Hands in our lives. It is impossible unless we actively seek Him. It is available from Cedar Fort; Amazon; Amazon (UK); Book Depository and many others.

Freedom of Religion and Belief in the UK during the pandemic

Freedom Declared Foundation was set up to promote Freedom of Religion or Belief within the United Kingdom in a way which is not biased to any one faith or belief. We believe that throughout Government departments across the United Kingdom, the importance of religion or belief in individual lives is not truly understood, resulting in lower awareness about the implementation of Freedom of Religion or Belief in the United Kingdom.

James was invited to chair the first episode of our webinar series which aims to highlight this lack of genuine understanding within the context of the Covid pandemic. With Governments around the UK closing places of worship, Freedom Declared Foundation wants to understand more deeply the interaction between Governments and different faith groups. Some questions we would like to ask are:

Did all faiths and beliefs have representatives on the Government’s taskforce?

Were the right people invited to these task forces?

Were all faiths and beliefs given an equal voice during the task force meetings, or did some faiths/beliefs get prioritised over others?

Did the task forces actually have an influence over Government policies?

What lessons can be learned from these task forces to promote religious literacy, and greater inter faith and belief dialogue?

Joining James for this conversation was Bishop John Keenan, Catholic Bishop of Paisley; Jagtar Singh Gill, trustee and founding member of the Sikh Assembly; and, Richy Thompson, Director of Public Affairs at Humanists UK.

Freedom Declared Foundation

James is excited to have been appointed to the Board of Trustees of Freedom Declared Foundation. Freedom Declared Foundation (FDF) champions the right of everyone to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief. They provide research, information, educational and training resources and are the only UK charity on Freedom of Religion or Belief founded and governed by people of various faiths or those who hold no faith. 

One of the distinctive areas of FDF’s work is to explore issues surrounding Article 18 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights in both the United and Kingdom and abroad.

The Messiness of Religion Extended Edition

Here is the video from the Education All lecture hosted by Cambourne Village College. It’s longer and different from the Kitchen Session below

The Messiness of Religion

James has been invited to give a public lecture as part of an Education All series of lectures. Joining details are on the poster. For those who have listened to him speak about this topic before, it will have new thoughts. In contrast to the 20 minute lecture as part of the Kitchen Sessions, this lecture will be 40 minutes with a 20 minute Q&A.

Kitchen Sessions now available to view

James’ lecture about Beyond the Chocolate Box: The Messiness of Religion is now viewable online. It is a 20 minute lecture followed by 40 minutes Q&A.

Kitchen Sessions: Beyond the Chocolate Box: The Messiness of Religion

The University of Chester is running a series of 20 minute sessions. On Wednesday 10th February at 4pm, James will be presenting a session about the messiness of religion. You can book here

When we talk about religion and religions we have particular views of what constitutes a religion, and what a religious person looks like and believes.  In his talk, Dr James Holt, Associate Professor of Religious Education, argues that there is a need to break out of this ‘chocolate box’ view of religion, where all people of a religion believe and practice the same things. We should constantly emphasise that the lived experience of religion is messy and full of diversity. There are many reasons for this, not least the attempt to systematise the beliefs and practices of groups and practices into a particular structure. This talk will suggest a way forward in understanding and recognising this diversity.

Gospel Lessons from my Heroes

This FABULOUS new book by James D. Holt is a wonderful new view on the Gospel Lessons that we can learn from some of the worlds most famous ‘Heroes’, perfect for youth and YSA as well as anyone who has a little inner geek! It is available from Latter-day Bookstore and More

“In this booklet I talk about what I have learned from some of my heroes in the world of fantasy. Some may not be your heroes, but their stories and what you can learn from them are for you to discover. Please remember that my responses to these stories and the things that I learn from them are probably not what the author intended but that doesn’t matter. They have helped me understand some Gospel principles and that is what I am going to share. The heroes we will learn from are Superman, the Black Panther (and Shuri), Elphaba, and Samwise Gamgee.”

“Sitting as a Latter-day Saint at the Interfaith table: a personal and theological reflection”

James was invited by the Altrincham Interfaith Group to deliver a lecture. The lecture was entitled “Sitting as a Latter-day Saint at the Interfaith table: a personal and theological reflection”. In this he explored aspects of the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and also how this has impacted his work in inter-faith using some examples from the past thirty years.

Hearing Him

James has published his first devotional book(let). It is a 40 page reflection on how we can hear the Lord in the busyness of our lives.

“If we seek the Lord first in our lives, then all of our activities will be strengthened because we are Hearing Him first, so we will always know of His will and guidance in our lives.

In our busy lives we need to find time for Him. We need to “be still” and seek His Hands in our lives. It is impossible unless we actively seek Him.”

It is available through the Latter-day Bookstore in the UK here.

 

University of Chester Reunion 2020

James’ association with the University of Chester began in 1993 when he began his undergraduate studies. A BA Honours, MA and PhD later he has been a member of staff at the University for eleven years. As a result of this he was asked to speak at this year’s virtual reunion. He explores his time at Chester as well as ‘Beyond the Big Six Religions’

 

New book!

James has decided to bite the bullet and self publish a book based on his PhD thesis. It explores issues surrounding a theology of religions and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a theological discussion of the value of other religions in the plan of salvation and Latter-day Saint theology. It is available in Kindle and Print versions- click the picture above.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and education

During the lockdown James’ ability to deliver lectures at different places has been physically curtailed but he has been very busy with other activities.

In the latest issue of RE Today James co-authored an article about vision in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His co-author is his daughter Abi.

As a free supplement with RE Today James was also the author an Guide for Educators about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Click the image below for a free download.

CPD Opportunities

One of the initiatives James has launched during lockdown is online CPD sessions for teachers and beginning teachers.

For more information and recordings/slides please click below:

James is the author of

Religious Education in the Secondary School. An introduction to teaching, learning and the World Religions (Routledge, 2015).

Beyond the Big Six Religions: Expanding the Boundaries in the Teaching of Religion and Worldviews (University of Chester Press, 2019)

Both are available for purchase:

  

Getting around in 2020

The first couple of months of 2020 sees James speaking at a variety of places. He is delivering lectures at the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, Bishop Grosseteste University, the University of Cumbria, and University College London. In addition to these he is speaking at the British Islam 2020 Conference, along with the conferences of Global Mormon Studies, and Mormon Scholars in the Humanities. Please get in touch if any of these sound of interest.

 

A busy November of free public and keynote lectures

During November James is speaking in Manchester, Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, and  Shrewsbury.

1. 7th November 2019 “Expanding the Boundaries in the Teaching of Religion and Worldviews Beyond the Big Six Religions.” at Edgehill University, Religion Now! series of lectures
2. 19th November 2019 “Religion and Education” Keynote address at Sex and Relationship Education– Addressing Faith Communities Concerns Conference at Faith Network for Manchester
3. 27th November 2019 “Beyond the Chocolate Box: Religion and WorldViews in a Post-Truth World” Public Lecture at University Centre Shrewsbury
    

Click on the images below to book a place.

 

Beyond the Big Six Religions: Expanding the Boundaries in the Teaching of Religion and Worldviews

James’ new book is available to order from the University of Chester Press.

Beyond the Big Six Religions: Expanding the Boundaries in the Teaching of Religion and Worldviews is a timely addition to the literature surrounding Religious Education teaching in schools. The book explores the desirability and possibility of expanding the breadth of religious and non-religious worldviews within the classroom. Written by an expert in Religious Education and minority religions, this book articulates the importance of the inclusion of minority voices within the classroom, and in wider society.

The case for expanding the boundaries of what we mean by the ‘big six’ is developed using the examples of Christianity and Islam and moving beyond the views and teachings that predominate in today’s world. The place of religions and worldviews outside the ‘big six’ is then explored with introductions to the central concepts, beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Shi’a Islam, Ahmadiyya Islam, Bahá’í, Humanism, Jainism, Paganism and Rastafari, together with practical advice on how they can be taught in the classroom. This book provides the balance between developing the understanding of the reader, and its immediate applicability to the classroom.

 

Understanding Subject Knowledge for Primary Teaching

In October a new volume is due to be published “Understanding Subject Knowledge for Primary Teaching” edited by Deborah Pope.

It’s blurb outlines the approach it takes:

How can trainee teachers begin their careers with a clear understanding of all the curriculum subjects? This book addresses the nature of subject knowledge in all foundation curriculum subjects. It deconstructs the elements of each subject through an exploration of the nature of the subject, a coverage of the ‘skills’ a study of this subject develops and through detailed analysis of case studies from practice. At a time when concerns about the lack of breadth in the primary curriculum are being voiced, this book supports busy trainee teachers to truly understand and be ready to teach all curriculum areas.

James has a chapter that focuses around Religious Education that is well worth a read. It is published by Sage and will soon be available from booksellers.

 

Associate Professor of Religious Education

Effective 1st August 2019 James has been appointed Associate Professor of Religious Education at the University of Chester. This is a great honour and is the result of so many people supporting and helping James along the way. Family, friends, colleagues and students have all supported and inspired him so much. This appointment is a celebration of the importance of relationships- without them it wouldn’t have been possible.

Coincidentally the Knowledge and Research Transfer Office at the University have published James’ ‘Meet the Researcher’ poster.

 

Minority Voices available to watch online

LAUNCH – Minority Voices within Religion from UoC Learning and Information on Vimeo.

Minority Voices in Religion

On 16th April James delivered the inaugural lecture of the “Lunchtime Lecture Series” at Storyhouse in Chester as part of the University of Chester’s Research Festival. His lecture focussed on his research surrounding the representation and importance of the minority religions in society and education. The research is to be published this autumn by the University of Chester Press. Responses from those in attendance included:

Thank you for such a brilliant lecture, very inspiring. Teachers need to be inspired and you did it!! 😊

Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology

On Saturday 16th March 2019 James is presenting a paper at the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology’s conference: “More Nations Than One: Theology, Culture, and Pluralism”. It will be at the University of Utah. His topic will focus on constructing a Latter-day Saint theology of religions. He will present virtually at 11am MST http://www.smpt.org/conferences_2019.html

 

Email a Believer

RE:Online has a section of its website dedicated to Email a Believer- here people are able to send questions about faith to followers of different faiths. They have just added The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to this endeavour, and James has been asked to be the ‘believer’. In this he will answer questions that are sent in, and will also write a blog once a month about aspects of his faith. Please give it a visit by clicking here.

Religious Education: Time for a rethink?

On 26th September James joined a panel on TRT’s Rountable programme about the place of RE in the curriculum and responses to the Commission on RE’s report

Research and RE

Culham St Gabriels Trust have established a hub of research in RE. This is a place where teachers and researchers can explore various aspects of current research in RE. This is a free resource and may be of interest.

The research around James’ current book project “Beyond the Big Six” (University of Chester Press, 2019) can be found on the site. http://researchforre.reonline.org.uk/research_report/do-new-religious-movements-have-a-place-in-the-secondary-r-e-classroom/?show_me=&about=&taxes=

You may have to register for free to view the various projects

 

What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group universities published

James was part of the NICER project, What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group universities, which sought to understand better how teacher education staff, partnership schools and student teachers perceived their teacher education institutions and programmes including specific reference to the Institution’s Christian foundation.

The data was collected between November 2016 and January 2018.

The aims:

1. To investigate why ITE trainees choose Christian foundation university teacher training programmes
2. To investigate why schools choose Christian foundation universities as training programme partners
3. To investigate what Christian foundation universities claim is particular to their Christian foundation, what is  particularly or deeply Christian about their ITE provision
4. To investigate what Christian foundation universities, ITE trainees and partnership schools claim about ITE trainees at the point of qualification, that is particular to the institutions’ Christian foundation.

The National Institute of Christian Education Research at Canterbury Christ Church University led the research project. The project took place over two years with a pilot and qualitative phase and a quantitative phase.

The research reports can be found here.  Volume 2 includes the Case Study about the University of Chester written by James.

Beyond the Big Six: Expanding the boundaries of the RE Classroom

James is very excited to have been contracted by the University of Chester Press to write ‘Beyond the Big Six: Expanding the boundaries of the RE classroom’. This will outline the arguments to include religions and worldviews outside of the main six, but also to extend what we may include within the big six. Some chapters will also be introductions to religions and worldviews including Baha’i, Humanism, Ravidassia, Wicca, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Ahmadiyya, Sufism.

New book chapter to be published

This August Iron Man vs Captain America and Philosophy will be published by Open Court. The blurb highlights a chapter by James: “James Holt looks into the nature of God within Captain America’s world and how much this draws on the “previous life” of Captain Steve Rogers. Holt’s inquiry focuses on the God of Moses in the burning bush, as contrasted with David Hume’s understanding of religion.”

‘Big Ideas in Religious Education’ led by Barbara Wintersgill from the University of Exeter was published in November 2017. The aim of the project is to address issues concerning curriculum content selection, curriculum coherence and subject relevance in Religious Education (RE) in the 21st century by applying the theory of ‘Big Ideas’. The project, to which James was part of, identified of Principles and Big Ideas for RE, which can then be used as criteria for selecting and sequencing subject content.

Book Chapter Published

Learning to Teach Religious Education in the Secondary School: A Companion to School Experience (Learning to Teach Subjects in the Secondary School Series) 3rd Edition (Routledge, 2017) edited by L. Philip Barnes was published on 4 Sep 2017. This volume includes a brand new chapter not in the two previous editions about ‘Inclusion’ written by James. This explores issues of SEND in the RE classroom as well as representations of minority faiths.

Book Review

The International Journal of Christianity and Education recently published a review of Religious Education in the Secondary School and a couple of excerpts can be found below:

Christianity, Education and Contemporary Culture:

International Conference – Canterbury Christ Church University, Friday 7 July – Sunday 9 July 2017

James will be delivering a paper on the Friday evening entitled: “Teaching ‘as one having authority’: Implications for a Christian Educator”

AML Award Winner

Julie Smith editor of Iron Sharpens Iron was awarded the 2016 AML award for Religious non-fiction. The AML congratulates Julie M Smith,  Kofford Books, and all of the contributors [including James] for bringing new light, insight, and ideas to Mormon studies.  

Religion and Nationhood

James has contributed to a new volume, edited by Brian Gates. This has recently been published – Religion and Nationhood: Insider and Outsider Perspectives on Religious Education in England. “This has the potential to make a valuable contribution to ongoing debates in RE.”

AML Awards

We are excited to be part the 2016 Association for Mormon Letters awards finalists in the Creative Non-fiction and Religious Non-fiction categories. The book is by Julie M. Smith, editor.  As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture. Greg Kofford Books. Contributors: Julie M Smith, Michael Austin, Mark T. Decker, Nicholas J. Frederick, Heather Hardy, Ronan James Head, James D. Holt, Jason A. Kerr, Jared Ludlow, Steven L. Peck, Joseph M. Spencer, Walter E. A. van Beek, Miranda Wilcox, Walker Wright, Benjamin Peters, and John Durham Peters.

In this unique volume, fictionalised dialogues between the various voices of scripture illustrate how these differences and disagreements are not flaws of the texts but are rather essential features of the canon. These creative dialogues include Abraham and Job debating the utility of suffering and our submission to God, Alma and Abinidi disagreeing on the place of justice in the Atonement, and the authors Mark and Luke discussing the role of women in Jesus’s ministry. It is by examining and embracing the different perspectives within the canon that readers are able to discover just how rich and invigorating the scriptures can be. The dialogues within this volume show how just as “iron sharpeneth iron,” so can we sharpen our own thoughts and beliefs as we engage not just the various voices in the scriptures but also the various voices within our community (Proverbs 27:17).

Church Universities’ Certificate in Anglican Church Schools Studies

From September the University of Chester will be running the Church Universities’ Certificate in Anglican Church Schools Studies. There is a level 7 postgraduate option for serving teachers and those who already have a degree. The level 7 Certificate will give someone 60 Master’s Credits that can be transferred into the Master’s Degree at the end.

The webpage is live now:
https://www1.chester.ac.uk/postgrad…/anglican-school-studies

Awards Evening at the Macclesfield Academy

  

 On 20th July 2015 James was asked to present the prizes and speak at the Macclesfield Academy awards evening. James presented the inaugural James Holt Award for Spirituality. One of the high schools James attended was Henbury High School- a forerunner of the Macclesfield Academy. James spoke fondly of his time there and especially of his inspirational RE teacher; Ted Banks.

Meet the Mormons

On Tuesday 28th April James is a special invited guest panellist following a special screening of  a 78 minute cinema movie called ‘Meet The Mormons’ followed by a short Q&A panel session. This event is for education and faith leaders in the York area. The cinematic film ‘Meet the Mormons’ reached the top 10 in the USA box office and examines the very diverse lives of six people – the humanitarian, coach, fighter, bishop, mum and candy bomber. The trailer can be viewed at www.meetthemormons.com It takes viewers on a journey into the day-to-day realities of individuals living in the U.S., Costa Rica, Nepal and beyond. From their individual passions to their daily struggles, each story paints a picture as rich and unique as the next while challenging the stereotypes.

The news is coming thick and fast this week!

James has been invited to speak at the forthcoming Education Week in July at the University of Oxford.

Education Weekend 2015: Oxford invites any who wish to experience the rich learning atmosphere of Oxford, England to immerse themselves in three days of information, discovery, and conversation. It invites any who wish to think about the world as it is, how it has been, and how it might be. It welcomes big ideas. It welcomes varieties of faith. It welcomes the Tradition of Enquiry.

Please join us for this interdisciplinary and interfaith conference that aims to exchange ideas on the theme “The Tradition of Enquiry: A Forum in Pursuit of Scholarly and Spiritual Learning.” A wide array of talks, seminar discussions, and small tutorials after the Oxford style of learning will be given by Oxford faculty and affiliate scholars of various disciplines and faiths.

Please visit traditionofenquiry.com for more details.

A book launch event hosted by the Faculty of Education at the University of Chester

Announcing the publication of Religious Education in the Secondary School. Now available at all good bookshops including Amazon. Don’t forget to leave a review