Blog Reflection 2. Faith.

The Religion, Belief and Faith Identities in Learning and Teaching at UALwebsite is a clear and open resource I have not used before. I plan to direct students to this at the beginning of year meeting and as and when they may need throughout their studentship. 

The research and resources list is particularly helpful, I can also include a number of references on our course reading list. Lois Rowe,  PhD thesis, The address of spirituality in contemporary art.would be particularly helpful as part of a workshop.Working with the notion of self-design in contemporary art practice the thesis argues that art today that addresses religion does so primarily for its rhetorical function, unpacking this alongside artists such as Catherine Yass, Mark Wallinger and Donald Judd could open up a dialogue around space and material informed by belief systems.

Religion and dissent in universities By Professor Craig Calhoun 
I was interested to learn about the alumni outcry over the building of the faith centre at LSE. The article outlined how quickly LSE received emails from alumni worried that a gender segregated washing  facility would mean gender segregated lectures would be scheduled. I wonder if this is to do with unfamiliarity of Muslim faith to many from a white Christian background (who make up the majority in the UK). It demonstrated how quickly fear and suspicion of a minority can set in.

“Often gender bias in religion is less a matter of core theological commitments than of customs appropriated from specific cultural contexts. “

Some faiths publicly enforce their support for a traditional family which may exclude or rally against people with minority sexualities or even gender roles that step out of their norm. Sometimes these subjects can be key to demonstrating commitment to faith in a secular society. Universities must continue to condemn homophobia, gender discrimination affirming such views cannot be tolerated as well as respecting the faiths which may believe other wise. 

How can free speech continue to be protected on campus without banning extremist views or provocative speakers? Does this itself demonstrate a betrayal of commitment to free speech?

Multiculturalism By Professor Tariq Modood 
I was interested to read this article and think about it in terms of positive discrimination in the institution (reflecting on the institution as its own culture).  I want to work towards creating a new institutional identity that all students and staff from a range of backgrounds and positionalities can identify with. We have to do more than…

“just the reversal of marginalisation but also a remaking of national citizenship so that all can have a sense of belonging to it; for example, creating a sense of being French that Jews and Muslims, as well as Catholics and secularists, can envisage for themselves5. “

I thought with was an interesting point, intersectionality must be incorporated into the identity of an institution. How can we put this into practice in a more consistent way?

Minority identities By Professor Tariq Modood
I was brought up in a Roman Catholic and Protestant house, my parents weren’t particularly religious but would go to church at Christmas and Easter. Both my primary and secondary schools were Roman Catholic  so I remember going to mass every month as part of my education. The priest was also a regular visitor to my nans house, you could always  tell if Father Briedy has been round because my nan had baked a coffee and walnut cake which was a real treat.

Reading  this article about made me reflect on the changing face of Christianity to be less about dress and diet and more focused on demonstrating charity and kindness. The healthy growth of minority religious or ethno-religious or religion-based identities has generally caused strong reaction to a mainly non practicing Christian majority who see themselves culturally Christian rather than in belief expressed through actively practicing faith. I had not thought about this much before but now find it makes me reconsider the suspicion or threat that the culturally Christian majority may feel about minority practising religions. It is the act of piety that sets them apart. With Christian belifes being gradually eroded away and minority religions visibility increasing there are implications in the public sphere, and the university.