Studying Religion
This volume in our series applying methods from different disciplines in the RE classroom asks ‘what is religion?’ and studies the nature of religion using the approaches of religious studies and anthropology.
Sociological data is analysed to gain a picture of religion in India, finding how that might challenge the tidy boxes into which we often place religions in RE. Students undertake their own research, adding it to data provided here to consider what matters most in the lives of adherents in different religious traditions. Expert research also uncovers the importance of values in the lives of Generation Z, provoking the question: ‘are values the new religion?’
Case studies show examples of how amulets can feature in Islamic practice, astrology in Hindu tradition, and how indigenous and Christian practices can exist alongside eachother in Namibia.
Methods of literary theory encourage students to read the Ramayana from Sita’s perspective, so that they can put forward their own commentary: does it offer a feminist viewpoint?
Extensive resources, available in the book and online, provide engaging information and exercises to share in the classroom.
Select a topic to explore resources
- Diving in: studying religion
- Using religious studies to study religion
- Investigator file: religious studies
- From lived practice to theoretical systems: what is ‘religion'?
- Religion in India: Pew Research data 2021
- Reading Sita’s story: feminist readings of the Ramayana
- ‘Values are the new religion’
- Using anthropology to study religion
- Investigator file: anthropology
- Amulets: protection and power in Muslim living
- Hindus and astrology: integrating self and cosmos
- Case study: combining Christian and indigenous practice in Namibia
eResource
- Internal
Teaching and Learning Approach (1.1)A resource on teaching and learning in RE, offering strategies for engaging students with complex religious and philosophical topics.
External links
References
- ExternalAdam Dinham and Martha Shaw, 2015. RE for REal: the future of teaching and learning about religion and belief. FCSU, London.
- ExternalPaul Hedges’ new book is an excellent and comprehensive resource for exploring this whole area: Understanding Religion: Theories and Methods for Studying Religiously Diverse Societies (2021), University of California Press
Some key items that have been helpful in the development of the resources for Section 2 of the book include:
- ExternalLinda Woodhead’s article offers a clear and rich taxonomy of five major uses of the term ‘religion’. Woodhead, Linda (2011) ‘Five concepts of religion’ in International Review of Sociology vol 21:1, 121-143
- ExternalAndrew McKinnon analyses the value and limitations of definitions of religion. Andrew M McKinnon (2002) ‘Sociological definitions, language games, and the ‘essence’ of religion’, in Method and Theory in the Study of Religion vol 14, 61-83
- ExternalVictoria Harrison explores the challenges of defining religion. Victoria Harrison (2006) ‘The pragmatics of defining religion in a multi-cultural world’, in The International Journal for Philosophy of Religion vol 59, 133-152
- ExternalMartin Southwold suggests a selection of attributes that apply roughly to the cultural system we call ‘religion’, as a way of accommodating Buddhism. Martin Southwold (1978) ‘Buddhism and the definition of religion’, in Man vol. 13:3, 362-379, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.
Member Only Content
This content is available exclusively for members. Not yet registered? Sign up today.
- Internal
Investigator files: Religious Studies (CKRE vol 5 pp. 8-9)Examining prayer as a central religious practice, highlighting its significance across different faiths.
eResources
- Internal
Target BoardA Target Board activity for students exploring identity, diversity, and respect, encourages aging reflection on stereotypes and societal experiences. - InternalClassifying features of religionsTool for classifying features of religions.
- InternalFeatures of religion: personal perspectivesPersonal perspectives tool for exploring religion.
- InternalFeatures of religion: personal response blank spidergraphPersonal response tool for exploring religion.
Member Only Content
This content is available exclusively for members. Not yet registered? Sign up today.
- Internal
Features of religion (CKRE vol 4) (4.1)Analysis of key features in religion for RE students. - Internal
Features of religion: how important are they? (CKRE vol 4) (4.4)Exploration of essential features of religion and their relevance. - Internal
Features of religion: how important are they to these people? (CKRE vol 4) (4.5)Analysis of religious features' importance across faith perspectives.
External links
eResources
- InternalReligion in India: data and diversityInsights into religion and diversity in India.
- InternalReligion in India: blank infographicsBlank infographics for exploring religion in India.
Member Only Content
This content is available exclusively for members. Not yet registered? Sign up today.
- Internal
Religion in India: infographics (CKRE vol 4 pp. 16-17)Infographics on religious diversity in India, presenting key statistics on faith traditions, worship, and demographics.
External links
- ExternalSita in Valmiki Ramayana: a feminist archetype! by G R K Murty (2013) explores textual evidence for a feminist Sita
- ExternalSita's Story: Hindu Values by Jacqueline Suthren Hirst (1997)
- ExternalThe Liberation of Sita, by C. Vijayasree Volga (2016), is a Hindu feminist novelisation of the Ramayan seen from Sita’s point of view.
- ExternalSita's Ramayana by Samhita Arni (2012)
- ExternalSohini Chatterjee on why Sita should be remembered as a woman who stood up for herself.
- ExternalA feminist reading of Sita Sings the Blues
- ExternalAK Ramanujan’s celebrated study of the variety of tellings: 300 Ramayanas
eResources
- InternalTelling the Ramayana: simple version of story of Rama and SitaSimplified Ramayana story of Rama and Sita.
Member Only Content
This content is available exclusively for members. Not yet registered? Sign up today.
- InternalSita – dutiful wife or feminist hero?Discussion of Sita as a dutiful wife or feminist hero.
External links
- ExternalValues statements: examples
Resources
- ExternalRoberta Katz, Sarah Ogilvie, Jane Shaw, Linda Woodhead. Gen Z, Explained: The Art of Living in a Digital Age. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2021.
- ExternalWatch Professor Woodhead talk in more detail about ‘Values are the New Religion’ in her 2021 Cadbury Lectures on YouTube.
Member Only Content
This content is available exclusively for members. Not yet registered? Sign up today.
- InternalValues are the new religionValues Are the New Religion RE resource for schools, exploring the shift from traditional religion to secular values. Ideal for critical discussions on belief systems.
External links
Member Only Content
This content is available exclusively for members. Not yet registered? Sign up today.
External links
- ExternalJoyce Burkhalter Flueckiger, ‘The agency of the material taviz (amulet) in a south Indian healing room’, in Islam through objects, ed. Anna Bigelow (Bloomsbury, 2021)
- ExternalAnnie Thwaite, 'A history of amulets in ten objects', Science Museum Group Journal
- ExternalKathleen O’Connor, 'Popular and Talismanic Uses of the Qurʾān', in: Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān, Ed. Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Georgetown University, Washington DC
- ExternalFrancesca Leoni, Power and Protection - Islamic Art and the Supernatural 2016 Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Book
- ExternalPower and Protection: The Exhibition
- ExternalExplore the findings of the Understanding Unbelief research in Studying Worldviews, 2021, RE Today
Museum collections:
- ExternalAga Khan Museum
- ExternalKhalili Collection
- ExternalV&A Museum
Information on stones in Shia Islam:
- ExternalAlaligems
- ExternalBoutique Ottoman
External links
Sources:
- ExternalNicholas Campion (2012) Astrology and cosmology in the world’s religions (New York University Press, London)
- ExternalNicholas Campion and Ronnie Gale Dreyer (2015) ‘Indian Astrology’ in David Kim (ed.), Religious Transformation in Modern Asia (Brill, Leiden)
- ExternalNicholas Campion (2017) ‘How many people actually believe in astrology?’ in The Conversation
- ExternalRonnie Gale Dreyer (1997) Vedic Astrology: A Guide to the Fundamentals of Jyotish (Weiser Books)
- ExternalJoyce Burkhalter Flueckiger (2015) Everyday Hinduism (Wiley, Chichester)
Links
Online panchangam allow Hindus to select the city near their home to get the most accurate timings for auspicious and inauspicious times:
- ExternalPanchangam for 2021
- ExternalPanchangam for Leicester 2021
- ExternalDetail on navaratna rings: 'Things you should know before wearing a navratna ring', Manorama Online
Details on Navagraha:
- External'Navagraha Puja', Rudra Centre website
- External'Navagraha: The Nine Influential Heavenly Bodies', Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) website
Some articles on astrology from Hinduism Today online magazine:
- External'Innerviews of Astrology', 1 November 1995
- External'Educational Insight: Jyotisha, Hindu Astrology', 1 October 2015
Links
Member Only Content
This content is available exclusively for members. Not yet registered? Sign up today.
- Internal
Hindus and astrology (CKRE vol 4, pp. 30-31)Overview of Hindu beliefs on astrology and its cultural significance.
External links: Additional Research
- ExternalHelen C John (2017) 'Legion in a "Living Landscape": Contextual Bible Study as a Disruptive Tool' (Luke 8:26–39 Interpreted in Owamboland, Namibia), Expository Times 128 (7): 313–324.
- ExternalHelen C John (2019) Biblical Interpretation and African Traditional Religion: cross-cultural and community readings in Owamboland, Namibia (Brill, Leiden)
eResources
- InternalCombining Christian and indigenous practice in Namibia (extension)Explore how Christian and indigenous practices blend in Namibia, enriching the understanding of spirituality and identity in religious education.
- InternalCombining Christian and indigenous practice in Namibia (for teacher)Case Study: Namibia: A resource for exploring key themes in religious education, encourages aging critical thinking and discussion.
Member Only Content
This content is available exclusively for members. Not yet registered? Sign up today.
- InternalCombining Christian and indigenous practice in Namibia (extension)Explore how Christian and indigenous practices blend in Namibia, enriching the understanding of spirituality and identity in religious education.
Select a topic to explore resources
Diving in: studying religionUsing religious studies to study religionInvestigator file: religious studiesFrom lived practice to theoretical systems: what is ‘religion'?Religion in India: Pew Research data 2021Reading Sita’s story: feminist readings of the Ramayana‘Values are the new religion’Using anthropology to study religionInvestigator file: anthropologyAmulets: protection and power in Muslim livingHindus and astrology: integrating self and cosmosCase study: combining Christian and indigenous practice in Namibia
eResource
- Internal Teaching and Learning Approach (1.1)A resource on teaching and learning in RE, offering strategies for engaging students with complex religious and philosophical topics.
External links
References
- ExternalAdam Dinham and Martha Shaw, 2015. RE for REal: the future of teaching and learning about religion and belief. FCSU, London.
- ExternalPaul Hedges’ new book is an excellent and comprehensive resource for exploring this whole area: Understanding Religion: Theories and Methods for Studying Religiously Diverse Societies (2021), University of California Press
Some key items that have been helpful in the development of the resources for Section 2 of the book include:
- ExternalLinda Woodhead’s article offers a clear and rich taxonomy of five major uses of the term ‘religion’. Woodhead, Linda (2011) ‘Five concepts of religion’ in International Review of Sociology vol 21:1, 121-143
- ExternalAndrew McKinnon analyses the value and limitations of definitions of religion. Andrew M McKinnon (2002) ‘Sociological definitions, language games, and the ‘essence’ of religion’, in Method and Theory in the Study of Religion vol 14, 61-83
- ExternalVictoria Harrison explores the challenges of defining religion. Victoria Harrison (2006) ‘The pragmatics of defining religion in a multi-cultural world’, in The International Journal for Philosophy of Religion vol 59, 133-152
- ExternalMartin Southwold suggests a selection of attributes that apply roughly to the cultural system we call ‘religion’, as a way of accommodating Buddhism. Martin Southwold (1978) ‘Buddhism and the definition of religion’, in Man vol. 13:3, 362-379, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.
Member Only Content
- Internal Investigator files: Religious Studies (CKRE vol 5 pp. 8-9)Examining prayer as a central religious practice, highlighting its significance across different faiths.
eResources
- Internal Target BoardA Target Board activity for students exploring identity, diversity, and respect, encourages aging reflection on stereotypes and societal experiences.
- InternalClassifying features of religionsTool for classifying features of religions.
- InternalFeatures of religion: personal perspectivesPersonal perspectives tool for exploring religion.
- InternalFeatures of religion: personal response blank spidergraphPersonal response tool for exploring religion.
Member Only Content
- Internal Features of religion (CKRE vol 4) (4.1)Analysis of key features in religion for RE students.
- Internal Features of religion: how important are they? (CKRE vol 4) (4.4)Exploration of essential features of religion and their relevance.
- Internal Features of religion: how important are they to these people? (CKRE vol 4) (4.5)Analysis of religious features' importance across faith perspectives.
External links
eResources
- InternalReligion in India: data and diversityInsights into religion and diversity in India.
- InternalReligion in India: blank infographicsBlank infographics for exploring religion in India.
Member Only Content
- Internal Religion in India: infographics (CKRE vol 4 pp. 16-17)Infographics on religious diversity in India, presenting key statistics on faith traditions, worship, and demographics.
External links
- ExternalSita in Valmiki Ramayana: a feminist archetype! by G R K Murty (2013) explores textual evidence for a feminist Sita
- ExternalSita's Story: Hindu Values by Jacqueline Suthren Hirst (1997)
- ExternalThe Liberation of Sita, by C. Vijayasree Volga (2016), is a Hindu feminist novelisation of the Ramayan seen from Sita’s point of view.
- ExternalSita's Ramayana by Samhita Arni (2012)
- ExternalSohini Chatterjee on why Sita should be remembered as a woman who stood up for herself.
- ExternalA feminist reading of Sita Sings the Blues
- ExternalAK Ramanujan’s celebrated study of the variety of tellings: 300 Ramayanas
eResources
- InternalTelling the Ramayana: simple version of story of Rama and SitaSimplified Ramayana story of Rama and Sita.
Member Only Content
- InternalSita – dutiful wife or feminist hero?Discussion of Sita as a dutiful wife or feminist hero.
External links
- ExternalValues statements: examples
Resources
- ExternalRoberta Katz, Sarah Ogilvie, Jane Shaw, Linda Woodhead. Gen Z, Explained: The Art of Living in a Digital Age. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2021.
- ExternalWatch Professor Woodhead talk in more detail about ‘Values are the New Religion’ in her 2021 Cadbury Lectures on YouTube.
Member Only Content
- InternalValues are the new religionValues Are the New Religion RE resource for schools, exploring the shift from traditional religion to secular values. Ideal for critical discussions on belief systems.
External links
Member Only Content
External links
- ExternalJoyce Burkhalter Flueckiger, ‘The agency of the material taviz (amulet) in a south Indian healing room’, in Islam through objects, ed. Anna Bigelow (Bloomsbury, 2021)
- ExternalAnnie Thwaite, 'A history of amulets in ten objects', Science Museum Group Journal
- ExternalKathleen O’Connor, 'Popular and Talismanic Uses of the Qurʾān', in: Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān, Ed. Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Georgetown University, Washington DC
- ExternalFrancesca Leoni, Power and Protection - Islamic Art and the Supernatural 2016 Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Book
- ExternalPower and Protection: The Exhibition
- ExternalExplore the findings of the Understanding Unbelief research in Studying Worldviews, 2021, RE Today
Museum collections:
- ExternalAga Khan Museum
- ExternalKhalili Collection
- ExternalV&A Museum
Information on stones in Shia Islam:
- ExternalAlaligems
- ExternalBoutique Ottoman
External links
Sources:
- ExternalNicholas Campion (2012) Astrology and cosmology in the world’s religions (New York University Press, London)
- ExternalNicholas Campion and Ronnie Gale Dreyer (2015) ‘Indian Astrology’ in David Kim (ed.), Religious Transformation in Modern Asia (Brill, Leiden)
- ExternalNicholas Campion (2017) ‘How many people actually believe in astrology?’ in The Conversation
- ExternalRonnie Gale Dreyer (1997) Vedic Astrology: A Guide to the Fundamentals of Jyotish (Weiser Books)
- ExternalJoyce Burkhalter Flueckiger (2015) Everyday Hinduism (Wiley, Chichester)
Links
Online panchangam allow Hindus to select the city near their home to get the most accurate timings for auspicious and inauspicious times:
- ExternalPanchangam for 2021
- ExternalPanchangam for Leicester 2021
- ExternalDetail on navaratna rings: 'Things you should know before wearing a navratna ring', Manorama Online
Details on Navagraha:
- External'Navagraha Puja', Rudra Centre website
- External'Navagraha: The Nine Influential Heavenly Bodies', Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) website
Some articles on astrology from Hinduism Today online magazine:
- External'Innerviews of Astrology', 1 November 1995
- External'Educational Insight: Jyotisha, Hindu Astrology', 1 October 2015
Links
Member Only Content
- Internal Hindus and astrology (CKRE vol 4, pp. 30-31)Overview of Hindu beliefs on astrology and its cultural significance.
External links: Additional Research
- ExternalHelen C John (2017) 'Legion in a "Living Landscape": Contextual Bible Study as a Disruptive Tool' (Luke 8:26–39 Interpreted in Owamboland, Namibia), Expository Times 128 (7): 313–324.
- ExternalHelen C John (2019) Biblical Interpretation and African Traditional Religion: cross-cultural and community readings in Owamboland, Namibia (Brill, Leiden)
eResources
- InternalCombining Christian and indigenous practice in Namibia (extension)Explore how Christian and indigenous practices blend in Namibia, enriching the understanding of spirituality and identity in religious education.
- InternalCombining Christian and indigenous practice in Namibia (for teacher)Case Study: Namibia: A resource for exploring key themes in religious education, encourages aging critical thinking and discussion.
Member Only Content
- InternalCombining Christian and indigenous practice in Namibia (extension)Explore how Christian and indigenous practices blend in Namibia, enriching the understanding of spirituality and identity in religious education.
