Kwame Anthony Appiah’s lecture resonates with me in the way he assigns religion into areas of practice, community and belief (Appiah, 2016). He also talks about the idea of change, in the way we interpret faith to create ‘new traditions’, and says that practice can change over time, and so can belief. The unique way Appiah explores religion makes me think about storytelling and narrative again; how we interpret faith, and how we express ourselves through it. When I look at a group of people, such as students, they may indeed have similar backgrounds in terms of their faith, but it is through their unique experiences and expression that shapes their faith identity in individual, yet equally valid ways. I want to make sure I address this in the way I teach.
This links to the way the ‘Religion in Britain, Challenges for Higher Education’ stimulus paper addresses the idea of multiculturalism. Tariq Modood points towards ‘equality as the accommodation of difference in the public space, which therefore comes to be shared rather than dominated by the majority’ (Modood and Calhoun, 2015, p.6). For me, this is about both the acknowledgment of different stories, but also for providing an explicit platform to express these. Modood stresses that religion is a public good (as opposed to a private one), and giving importance to faith backgrounds and discussion in the classroom aligns with this idea that faith is owned and expressed by its communities, including academic communities.
Related to this, I thought the article by Melodie Holliday on giving up Buddhism based on some of the inherent conflicts within many faith-based systems is very interesting (Holliday, 2017, pp. 46–49). Inequality, sexism, corruption, abuse of power… many of these social challenges do not disappear when we enter religious organisations, yet they might lead us to discuss or consider our religious affiliations from different angles. Again, someone’s experience in this space will be deeply shaped by their own background and is worth listening to in an academic and creative setting, including in my own pedagogic activities with students. There are opportunities here to enable students to integrate their own faith backgrounds through practical applications, such as through their artistic practices, or through classroom discussions with their peers, which I would like to explore further. Some of the resources highlighted here may also provide interesting background information and inspiration to students trying to understand how faith and its expression may impact their practices, in a very reflective way.
See my comments on other posts on this topic
- Sarah Leontovitsch’s blog
- Sarah Masters’ blog
- Simon Bank’s blog
- Tonicha Child’s blog
- Tonia Vassell’s blog
Bibliography
Appiah, K.A. (2016) ‘Creed’, Kwame Anthony Appiah – Mistaken Identities. The Reith Lectures, 30 May. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07z43ds (Accessed: 30 May 2023).
Modood, T. and Calhoun, C. (2015) Religion in Britian: Challenges for Higher Education. London: Leadership Foundation for Higher Education.
Holliday, M. (2017) ‘I was a buddhist for seven years’, Higher Power: Religion, Faith, Spirituality & Belief, pp. 46–49. Available at: https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/journals/higher-power-religion-faith-spirituality-belief/ (Accessed: 30 May 2023).
I think it is very interesting how you relate religion to storytelling. I hadn’t really thought of it directly in that way. But I think you are right. Story telling is a mechanism for expressing religion but also personal identities and experience. You just got me thinking about other mediums that people choose to express their religious identity. As an example, my aunt is an iconographer. I just read this interview with her. Interestingly it talks about how icons are written (not painted). In case you are interested, here is the link: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2004/04/09/april-9-2004-writing-icons/15802/
I agree about the opportunities that allow students to express their religious identity in the classroom. I think we came to a similar conclusion in our different ways. Listening to stories would be a very good place to start. One of the things that keeps surfacing in my mind is that it’s about not centring ourselves as educators, but allowing others space to express themselves.
I hadn’t read the article by Melodie Holliday on giving up Buddhism. It sounds very interesting. I will take the time to read this further.
Thank you for this and for the link to the interview, it’s so interesting to listen to your aunt’s process of writing icons. I particularly liked when she talks about painting being meditative.
The multifaceted exploration of religion as practice, community, and belief in Appiah’s lecture highlights the importance of individual interpretation and expression. Indeed, recognising students’ unique experiences and faith identities can greatly enrich teaching practices. The link to the ‘Religion in Britain’ stimulus paper further reinforces the need for inclusive multiculturalism in academia. As you rightly pointed out, faith should be acknowledged and expressed within academic communities. Melodie Holliday’s reflections on Buddhism’s inherent conflicts and social challenges provide a potent reminder of the complexity within religious organisations. The suggestion of integrating students’ faith backgrounds into practical applications offers a promising avenue for deeper understanding and expression.