The Emerging Inter-Faith Context In Society and Religious Education

The chapter explores the emerging inter-faith context in England, including the explicit inter-faith initiatives associated with this context, as both of these have interfaced with the development of school-based Religious Education since 1970. It does this through an overview of the changing religion and belief landscape of England as this gave birth to the emergence of early inter-faith initiatives and what might be called a new inter-faith “imaginary". It then traces the impact of a diverse religion and belief England on the development of Religious Education discussing how far via the engagement of schools, universities and communities there has been an interaction or parallelism of development between inter-faith context, inter-faith initiatives and Religious Education. It then outlines and discusses how more inclusive approaches to Religious Education have been resourced, including in relation to national inter-faith initiatives leading into debate about the relationship within Religious Education between religion and belief, the secular and a broadening understanding of “world religions”. Finally, the present and future of Religious Education in England is critically explored in relation to how it is situated within what might be called a "three dimensional” social and religious interface between Christianity, secularity and increasing religious plurality.Affiliation: