Abstract
Julian Stern has written numerous books and articles dealing with religious education (RE) over the past 20 years, and has been an important voice in this complex and contested field. He now offers an updated edition of his Teaching Religious Education (2006) that includes six new chapters and updated research from the past 8 years of work and dialogue. Much of both the original and updated material comes from Stern’s interactions with the Westhill Trust Seminars on RE and the growth of RE research since his first edition.
RE is a complex and diverse phenomenon globally; therefore, it is important to understand that the RE Stern discusses here comes primarily out of the English and Welsh context, where it is seen as “non-confessional … multi-religious … and respectful of non-religious ways of life” (p. 4). One should not misunderstand RE as another way of talking about Biblical Studies classes, or denominationally-specific religious education. Throughout the text, he develops this understanding and presents RE as allowing dialogue to take place within schools that leads to respect, tolerance, and social cohesion, while at the same time allowing students to think through meaning and purpose in their own lives.
Stern lays out two major goals for the text. First, he wants to inform his readers’ understanding of RE with research. Second, he wants to help professional researchers “see pupils, their families, and schools as co-researchers rather than as subjects of research” (p. 7). Stern gives a significant portion of this text to the first goal of informing RE with research. In this context, he provides an in-depth examination of RE globally, connects RE to issues in pedagogy, and provides an analysis of the connections between ethics, philosophy, and RE. These sections help readers gain a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of what RE actually is, or can be. In presenting research on RE, Stern does not get lost in an academic model of research; in fact, he sees research as deeply practical. He presents an expansive view of research that is not confined to academic scholars and researchers, and it is this which leads to his second goal of no longer viewing research subjects as subjects, but as co-researchers.
Stern wants to see research as a normal process within RE classrooms so that students and teachers become co-researchers constructing knowledge and meaning together. In this context, research comes to simply mean “a systematic process of investigation … [and] ‘sharing’ those insights” (p. 2). So, while Stern provides plenty of well-researched findings about issues within RE, he is aiming to provide practical information for classrooms and schools. In order to aid in this, Stern has provided 33 activities, mostly aimed at students in the classroom, with a few focused on teachers themselves. These are intended to support RE classrooms as places of reflection and research where the students themselves are actively involved in the process.
With the goals of reporting on research and encouraging classrooms to become research spaces, Stern has produced an unusual and practical book. After the first two chapters, the text can easily be approached as a collection of essays, and the reader can jump to topics of interest without losing the flow of an argument. Furthermore, having a practical text can benefit classroom teachers and school leaders. However, focusing on the practical is not without its own drawbacks. By choosing to write a practical text, Stern often only briefly touches on theory, even when reporting on RE research. This is evident in his chapter on sacred texts, where he offers little discussion about hermeneutical or interpretive issues. Notwithstanding this approach to RE, the book as a whole serves as a good practical guide to understanding RE.
Based on the practical nature of this text, and the way it serves as a broad overview of RE, it should be useful in several different contexts. Teachers who find themselves in RE classrooms will benefit from this book because it helps them think through their own practice and classroom space. For those unfamiliar with RE, as most educators in the United States might be, this text serves as a good introduction to RE, not just in England, but globally. Finally, this text could also productively be used in teacher preparation programs, particularly those aimed at preparing students to teach RE. As religion is not going away, and is becoming a significant factor in everyday life, conflicts, and politics, it is imperative that educators and students understand this topic. Stern’s text helps provide ways to enter into this space.