Kwame Anthony Appiah raises interesting points but it’s hard to see his point beyond a question of grammar (TED (2014). I guess that religion not being a ‘thing’ means its a multitude of ‘things’ so wholistic criticism doesn’t work. He presents arguments for and against saying: ‘…These debates are …preposterous, as there is no such thing as religion.’ In giving the dictionary definition as ‘belief in God or spiritual beings’ he expands on how he sees it. Apparently, the Dalai Lama is an atheist, which works in his favour to discredit the definition. He then explains how in parts of the world religion does the job of science and “is occupying a different role” in answering everyday questions.
Secondly Simran Jeet Singh highlights how faith and race intersect in shaping perception (University, T. (2016). He explains the U.S. was built on “equality and justice for all,” but “practices of discrimination and racism” still exist today. He shares personal experiences, noticing “fear and funny looks,” and responding by “striking up conversations…” to humanize himself to break erroneous stereotypes of his appearance. This shows how faith interacts with race and appearance in public spaces. Most importantly he says, students must see “everyone has their own experiences” to encourage critical thinking about how identity shapes perception.
Haifa Jawad talks on ‘motivations and challenges for Muslim women in sport.’ She points out how in schools ‘tensions can …arise at the interface of religious requirements and physicality’ (Jawad, H. 2022). In examining the challenge of moving forward she suggests ‘A two-way learning process is vital’ between Muslims and others. She states that ‘entitlement to a ‘physical’ education’ is essential and more should be done to ‘incorporate faith-based needs that will enhance participation.’ I can see how the ‘needs for segregation’ could be at odds with some ‘western’ views however female only sport is growing exponentially so it actually makes sense.
The final article explores how religious identity shapes the experience of epistemic injustice, showing how harm occurs through social identity and worldview (Rekis, J. 2023). The social-identity view reveals how markers like race, gender, or religious dress lead to diminished credibility, especially for Muslim women or Black Christians. The worldview perspective shows religion forms a total way of seeing, as Cottingham says, a “comprehensive ‘synoptic’ vision.” This means even believers of dominant religions can face injustice when their religious views are marginalized within mainstream beliefs.
The main theme of these sources is how religious experience can vary broadly for members of the same faith. In my teaching I can see the importance of recognizing student’s intersectional identities in relation to their experience of subject matter. For example, making sure all practitioners’ referenced identities are fully described would help foster inclusion by opening up a broader range of characteristics for students to identify with. According to the UAL Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Data Report 2024, (UAL, 2024) 34% of staff and 29% of students have declared a religious belief. So in my own practice being sensitive to the nuance of that means talking about faith with specificity in order to avoid potentially alienating over-generalisation.
References
TED (2014). Kwame Anthony Appiah: Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question). YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2et2KO8gcY.
University, T. (2016). Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in Classroom. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk.
Jawad, H. (2022). Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women. [online] Religion and Global Society. Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/09/islam-women-and-sport-the-case-of-visible-muslim-women/.
Rekis, J. (2023). Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Account. Hypatia, 38(4), pp.779–800. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/hyp.2023.86.
UAL (2024)
https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/480901/EDI-annual-report-2024.pdf
Hi Daniel
This is such an insightful post. Singh’s example really stood out, especially how perception can be shaped by appearance and faith—it’s such a simple idea but with huge implications. Your reflection on teaching felt super relatable. That reminder about describing identities in more detail is something I’ll carry forward in my own practice too. It’s so easy to overgeneralize without meaning to.
Hi Dan, Your piece on faith is refreshing and you use research to underpin your thinking exceptionally well. I was interested in your thinking on Haifa Jawad’s comments “A two-way learning process is vital’ between Muslims and others”, I agree with your comment that some ‘western’ views however female only sport is growing exponentially so it actually makes sense – although it feels exclusive rather than inclusive – my daughter is going to secondary school in september, where they offer – what feels progressive for a Tower Hamlets school – ‘Muslim girls and non-binary fencing club’. I wonder how Jawad would view that club? Inclusive or inconceivable?
I enjoy your writing style – I think this is a really well written, thought provoking piece. Thank you
Thank you Daniel for an insightful post and the comments it has generated! I agree that this haas provoked a new ambition in me to be much more mindful of the way faith intersects with other identitiesour students hold. I remember you comment in class about some of the symbolism ( I think it was in your tattoos and jewellery that inspired this thought!) that has become mainstream within media still has a much deeper relevance for those with faith. Like you, I will try and be more mindful of these nuances!