Dr Anastasia Badder, an anthropologist of religion at the University of Cambridge, converses with Dr Kathryn Wright, the Chief Executive of Culham St Gabriel's, about the evolving role and significance of Religious Education (RE).

They discuss how RE can respond to contemporary challenges by fostering understanding, empathy, and critical thinking among students. Dr Wright highlights the importance of policymakers recognizing the subject's value, backed by public opinion supporting its role in promoting a respectful society. In addressing a question on shared values, Dr Wright introduces the concept of a “pedagogy of embrace.” Quoting Miroslav Volf, she emphasizes the idea of an embrace as an enriching encounter that respects individual integrity while fostering communal harmony and understanding, indicating its potential as a metaphor for interfaith relations as well as R.E. pedagogy.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Anastasia Badder and Dr. Kathryn Wright

01:45 The Role of Religious Education in Contemporary Society

03:13 Building Empathy and Understanding Through RE

05:37 Future Challenges and the Role of RE

11:01 Policymakers and the Importance of RE

17:44 Values for a Holistic Society and RE Futures

24:46 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources mentioned

• Savanta Comres survey statistics on Culham St Gabriel’s website (2021)
• Nobody Stands Nowhere: an animation created in partnership between Culham St Gabriel’s and the Theos thinktank. www.theosthinktank.co.uk
• Miroslav Volf (1996) Exclusion & Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation
• Kathryn Wright (2017) A pedagogy of embrace: a theology of hospitality as a pedagogical framework for religious education in Church of England schools [PhD Thesis]