Keynote address from the Launch of the new Directory.
It is said that if you want to know what a person believes, rather than ask them directly, when you are likely to get a well-rehearsed dissertation, you should ask them what they do, what they spend their best energy at… and you will see for yourself what they really believe.
If this be true then the first thing you notice about the Religious Education Directory, that I am both humbled and delighted to say a few words about, is that it includes – indeed gives very significant space to – a exemplar model of how what you should be doing, might actually be done.
So, using the model of ‘backwards by design’ I want to highlight three of the structural elements of the programme of study, and how they give life to – give witness to, the beliefs on which this Directory rests.
The first element I want to highlight is the structural framework itself; that is, the use of six ‘half term’ branches on which the curriculum hangs, five of these in harmony with the Liturgical year. While the RED does not mandate the use of this framework, it is clear that its theological, philosophical and educational underpinnings are enlivened and enabled by it. I commend all those involved with the project for demonstrating a radically new, yet abundantly sensible, curriculum design, one which is, of itself, potentially ground-breaking.
Let me explain.
The new Directory does what those of us who work in Catholic education would expect it to do. It begins by recalling the missionary imperative of the Church, that Catholic education is not a philanthropic activity, but that it ‘represents an essential part of her identity and mission.’ The document then moves to the context in which we work: the diversity of and in Catholic schools, and the need to aim for meaning rather than memory. It asks us to embrace the nature of Catholic schools as both fully Catholic and really schools and that in them, faith and reason are not in conflict.
However, the decision to respond to the realities of the Catholic school with a curriculum design that I have not seen before in a document of this status, is both visionary and courageous. In modelling an approach to Religious Education that explicitly promotes the teaching of a coherent story of salvation history, in harmony with the Church, this directory stands apart. The significance of this decision is evident in the opportunities that flow immediately from it.
First, it unashamedly claims the Catholic school for the Catholic Church. It declares that the school is a vital, one could say an increasingly important, partner in its proclamation of the life of Christ – the story of all stories.
In his Introduction to the 2005 document Cardinal Vincent Nichols wrote
‘It is the great gift of Christian faith to know that God speaks to us, in a definitive way, in the person of Jesus Christ. That is why the title of this document is “Christ at the Centre”, for Christ is the one who not only shows us the truth about God but also the truth about ourselves. Christ, then, is indeed at the centre of our educational endeavour.’[1]
The Religious Education Directory takes a significant step towards making the Cardinal’s words (and of course Monsignor Stock’s entire document) a reality. In preferencing an approach to religious education which, in union with the Church, tells of how the child born Jesus of Nazareth is revealed as Jesus the Christ, Catholic Schools now bear active witness to the centrality of Christ, visibly, tangibly and consciously.
Focused on the proclamation of a single storyline, teaching colleagues across the school can now work together much more fruitfully. The importance of this opportunity is clear. In 43% of Catholic schools, Catholic teaching staff are in the minority: the RED now invites us to take full advantage of the collective wisdom that is within our schools.
For those of our families for whom the school has become the ecclesial community, what we have heard, seen, looked upon and touched can now be proclaimed as a logical, coherent, vision of ‘life as it should be.’. The unity of Parish and School as each, in its own way, explores belief and its expression could be a powerful tool in the evangelisation of old and new.
Diocese, individually and collectively, can now be freed to work much more strategically. In choosing not to advocate pedagogical approaches or methodologies, the RED whispers what we all know: programmes, schemes, even resources, do not teach children – teachers do, and they cannot teach what they do not know. With a single curriculum thread Diocese are now invited to lift their eyes above the level of scheme and focus their increasingly limited resources on the professional development of their teachers. In this they will become proactive rather than reactive; lead rather than follow. It is hard not to over emphasise this point.
The RED provides us with three indications of the kind of knowledge teachers will need, if its aims are to be met: the core theological content for each knowledge lens; the structural framework with its seasonal beliefs, practices and expressions and the provision of end of phase outcomes, set for all pupils in Catholic schools in England and Wales. And be of no doubt, achievement of the end of phase outcomes will demand high levels of religious literacy in our teaching staff. This is our work, the work of the Church. I would encourage Diocese to work together on this project, perhaps under the guidance of the CES. If what we do reflects what we believe, then our collective priority has to be offering professional learning which specifically addresses the knowledge that teachers will need – indeed all those involved in Catholic education would benefit from.
And finally, our Bishops, in whose hands the teaching authority of each Diocese ultimately lies, can – and hopefully will, be able to speak to their Diocese about local expressions of faith, local initiatives and local needs and issues …and know that among those listening are the pupils in their schools. Even the Bishop of Rome will be one in our conversation; thinking about, talking about and praying about what we, in our schools are.
If the theological and ecclesial benefits of a synoptic framework are clear, then so too are the educational benefits.
The new directory offers a vision of Religious Education which I find refreshingly open. It highlights the multi-disciplinary nature of RE, within which I am pleased to see Theology noted as the Queen of the Sciences. What is delightful though, are the insightful, yet provocative phrases that tease the imagination of the educator.
It is not surprising then to find that the document devotes significant attention to dialogue and encounter with other religions and worldviews. The rationale is very clear: it is the only way to live as people of faith in a society which is increasingly pluralist.
The RED reminds us that interreligious dialogue is an essential feature of the evangelising mission of the Church one already witnessed by the Catholic schools’ welcome of pupils from different cultural backgrounds and religious affiliations. Genuine dialogue begins from a place of confidence in one’s own position, it is an expression of Catholic identity not a dilution of it. In seeking dialogue with others, schools preference the Catholic story but do so in a spirit of openness to the other, to the story of those to whom we listen.
The third element I want to highlight will be, for those of you who know my professional work, no surprise at all. I have publicly criticised RE when its presentation reduces Scripture to a secondary, functional role in which its purpose is to validate or prove curriculum priorities. Not only does this practice corrupt and distort pupil’s understanding of Scripture it plays into the development of fundamentalist views, devoid of both reverence and reason. Moreover, it denies pupils the right to hear Scripture speak for itself– in ways befitting the Word of God.
My delight then, at seeing Scripture taking a primary role in the new RED is heartfelt. So is seeing the presence of some of my favourite quotes about Scripture: of the single divine wellspring from which sacred tradition and sacred scripture flow, of the need to work with both literal and spiritual senses of passages, of the importance of recognising literary form, and most of all, of Pope Francis’ challenge to young people to develop ‘the hermeneutic skill that makes them credible interpreters of our cultural tradition.’
I am also more than delighted to see that this vision finds ground in the inclusion of Scripture outcomes across all phases which expect the development of knowledge about the Bible, as well as the development of skills in exegesis and interpretation.
Reading the Bible is not easy, teaching it can be hard. But I am confident that this directory, which places Scripture first, has the power to be a significant step forward on the journey.
Conclude:
I began by suggesting that asking what people do, reveals what they believe.
The RED believes that we, church and school, are a single faith community. When we stand united, when we speak with one voice, we are more credible, more authentic, more Church.
The RED believes that religious education should be both formational and academically rigorous, ‘never simply one subject among many, but the foundation of the entire educational process.’
Finally, the RED believes that the words of Sacred Scripture reveal the unfolding history of God’s covenant with humanity: that from Genesis to Revelation, from advent to ordinary time, God speaks to us in ways which remain relevant, challenging and transformative.
As you read the document you cannot help but feel that the writers know Catholic schools. I have no doubt then, that they also know that the completion of a document such as this means the beginning of the real work. How this document is received, how it is implemented, will be its making or its demise.
I commend all those involved in this project. It has not been easy. However, to produce something for 22 Diocese across two countries is more than noteworthy, it is a gift. In fact, it is a gift that the Australian Bishops still only dream of! My warm and sincere congratulations. I am confident of this, that the one who began [this] good work in you will continue to complete[c] it…(Phil 1:6).
M Carswell. RED Launch
[1] Nichols, V. in Stock, M. Christ at the Centre. London: Catholic Truth Society, 2005, p5 .
If this be true then the first thing you notice about the Religious Education Directory, that I am both humbled and delighted to say a few words about, is that it includes – indeed gives very significant space to – a exemplar model of how what you should be doing, might actually be done.
So, using the model of ‘backwards by design’ I want to highlight three of the structural elements of the programme of study, and how they give life to – give witness to, the beliefs on which this Directory rests.
The first element I want to highlight is the structural framework itself; that is, the use of six ‘half term’ branches on which the curriculum hangs, five of these in harmony with the Liturgical year. While the RED does not mandate the use of this framework, it is clear that its theological, philosophical and educational underpinnings are enlivened and enabled by it. I commend all those involved with the project for demonstrating a radically new, yet abundantly sensible, curriculum design, one which is, of itself, potentially ground-breaking.
Let me explain.
The new Directory does what those of us who work in Catholic education would expect it to do. It begins by recalling the missionary imperative of the Church, that Catholic education is not a philanthropic activity, but that it ‘represents an essential part of her identity and mission.’ The document then moves to the context in which we work: the diversity of and in Catholic schools, and the need to aim for meaning rather than memory. It asks us to embrace the nature of Catholic schools as both fully Catholic and really schools and that in them, faith and reason are not in conflict.
However, the decision to respond to the realities of the Catholic school with a curriculum design that I have not seen before in a document of this status, is both visionary and courageous. In modelling an approach to Religious Education that explicitly promotes the teaching of a coherent story of salvation history, in harmony with the Church, this directory stands apart. The significance of this decision is evident in the opportunities that flow immediately from it.
First, it unashamedly claims the Catholic school for the Catholic Church. It declares that the school is a vital, one could say an increasingly important, partner in its proclamation of the life of Christ – the story of all stories.
In his Introduction to the 2005 document Cardinal Vincent Nichols wrote
‘It is the great gift of Christian faith to know that God speaks to us, in a definitive way, in the person of Jesus Christ. That is why the title of this document is “Christ at the Centre”, for Christ is the one who not only shows us the truth about God but also the truth about ourselves. Christ, then, is indeed at the centre of our educational endeavour.’[1]
The Religious Education Directory takes a significant step towards making the Cardinal’s words (and of course Monsignor Stock’s entire document) a reality. In preferencing an approach to religious education which, in union with the Church, tells of how the child born Jesus of Nazareth is revealed as Jesus the Christ, Catholic Schools now bear active witness to the centrality of Christ, visibly, tangibly and consciously.
Focused on the proclamation of a single storyline, teaching colleagues across the school can now work together much more fruitfully. The importance of this opportunity is clear. In 43% of Catholic schools, Catholic teaching staff are in the minority: the RED now invites us to take full advantage of the collective wisdom that is within our schools.
For those of our families for whom the school has become the ecclesial community, what we have heard, seen, looked upon and touched can now be proclaimed as a logical, coherent, vision of ‘life as it should be.’. The unity of Parish and School as each, in its own way, explores belief and its expression could be a powerful tool in the evangelisation of old and new.
Diocese, individually and collectively, can now be freed to work much more strategically. In choosing not to advocate pedagogical approaches or methodologies, the RED whispers what we all know: programmes, schemes, even resources, do not teach children – teachers do, and they cannot teach what they do not know. With a single curriculum thread Diocese are now invited to lift their eyes above the level of scheme and focus their increasingly limited resources on the professional development of their teachers. In this they will become proactive rather than reactive; lead rather than follow. It is hard not to over emphasise this point.
The RED provides us with three indications of the kind of knowledge teachers will need, if its aims are to be met: the core theological content for each knowledge lens; the structural framework with its seasonal beliefs, practices and expressions and the provision of end of phase outcomes, set for all pupils in Catholic schools in England and Wales. And be of no doubt, achievement of the end of phase outcomes will demand high levels of religious literacy in our teaching staff. This is our work, the work of the Church. I would encourage Diocese to work together on this project, perhaps under the guidance of the CES. If what we do reflects what we believe, then our collective priority has to be offering professional learning which specifically addresses the knowledge that teachers will need – indeed all those involved in Catholic education would benefit from.
And finally, our Bishops, in whose hands the teaching authority of each Diocese ultimately lies, can – and hopefully will, be able to speak to their Diocese about local expressions of faith, local initiatives and local needs and issues …and know that among those listening are the pupils in their schools. Even the Bishop of Rome will be one in our conversation; thinking about, talking about and praying about what we, in our schools are.
If the theological and ecclesial benefits of a synoptic framework are clear, then so too are the educational benefits.
The new directory offers a vision of Religious Education which I find refreshingly open. It highlights the multi-disciplinary nature of RE, within which I am pleased to see Theology noted as the Queen of the Sciences. What is delightful though, are the insightful, yet provocative phrases that tease the imagination of the educator.
- The Catholic School must be a genuine place of dialogue, so that in response to contemporary culture, pupils become discerning rather than docile, its critics not its creatures.’
- RE should provide a space for critical enquiry in which familiarity gives way to a sometimes stormy and doubt-filled critique. But, in the midst of a grammar of assent and dissent, RE is to be rationally defensible; it must avoid the head or heart heresy, and never collapse into a mere exchange of baseless opinions.
It is not surprising then to find that the document devotes significant attention to dialogue and encounter with other religions and worldviews. The rationale is very clear: it is the only way to live as people of faith in a society which is increasingly pluralist.
The RED reminds us that interreligious dialogue is an essential feature of the evangelising mission of the Church one already witnessed by the Catholic schools’ welcome of pupils from different cultural backgrounds and religious affiliations. Genuine dialogue begins from a place of confidence in one’s own position, it is an expression of Catholic identity not a dilution of it. In seeking dialogue with others, schools preference the Catholic story but do so in a spirit of openness to the other, to the story of those to whom we listen.
The third element I want to highlight will be, for those of you who know my professional work, no surprise at all. I have publicly criticised RE when its presentation reduces Scripture to a secondary, functional role in which its purpose is to validate or prove curriculum priorities. Not only does this practice corrupt and distort pupil’s understanding of Scripture it plays into the development of fundamentalist views, devoid of both reverence and reason. Moreover, it denies pupils the right to hear Scripture speak for itself– in ways befitting the Word of God.
My delight then, at seeing Scripture taking a primary role in the new RED is heartfelt. So is seeing the presence of some of my favourite quotes about Scripture: of the single divine wellspring from which sacred tradition and sacred scripture flow, of the need to work with both literal and spiritual senses of passages, of the importance of recognising literary form, and most of all, of Pope Francis’ challenge to young people to develop ‘the hermeneutic skill that makes them credible interpreters of our cultural tradition.’
I am also more than delighted to see that this vision finds ground in the inclusion of Scripture outcomes across all phases which expect the development of knowledge about the Bible, as well as the development of skills in exegesis and interpretation.
Reading the Bible is not easy, teaching it can be hard. But I am confident that this directory, which places Scripture first, has the power to be a significant step forward on the journey.
Conclude:
I began by suggesting that asking what people do, reveals what they believe.
The RED believes that we, church and school, are a single faith community. When we stand united, when we speak with one voice, we are more credible, more authentic, more Church.
The RED believes that religious education should be both formational and academically rigorous, ‘never simply one subject among many, but the foundation of the entire educational process.’
Finally, the RED believes that the words of Sacred Scripture reveal the unfolding history of God’s covenant with humanity: that from Genesis to Revelation, from advent to ordinary time, God speaks to us in ways which remain relevant, challenging and transformative.
As you read the document you cannot help but feel that the writers know Catholic schools. I have no doubt then, that they also know that the completion of a document such as this means the beginning of the real work. How this document is received, how it is implemented, will be its making or its demise.
I commend all those involved in this project. It has not been easy. However, to produce something for 22 Diocese across two countries is more than noteworthy, it is a gift. In fact, it is a gift that the Australian Bishops still only dream of! My warm and sincere congratulations. I am confident of this, that the one who began [this] good work in you will continue to complete[c] it…(Phil 1:6).
M Carswell. RED Launch
[1] Nichols, V. in Stock, M. Christ at the Centre. London: Catholic Truth Society, 2005, p5 .