Textbook Gods - Genre, Text and Teaching Religious Studies - Bengt-Ove Andreassen
Researching Materials Used to Teach about World Religions in Schools in England
Textbook Gods - Genre, Text and Teaching Religious Studies - Bengt-Ove Andreassen
Barbara Wintersgill [+]
Independent Scholar and Consultant
Description
This chapter is a report on research into materials used in religious education teaching conducted by the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit (WRERU) throughout the academic year 2008–2009. The research considered a wide variety of resources but this chapter considers only the findings that relate to textbooks. In relation to books specifically, the research identified both value and concern with respect to accuracy in detail; authenticity, coherence and balance in representations of religions; recognition of the internal diversity in religions and of their numinous and transformative power; the complexity of religions and the relationships between them. Several publications caused concern in these areas.