ABSTRACT
In Chapter 6, curriculum and pedagogy for Religion and Worldviews are engaged, in relation to RE thinking emphasising the acquisition of knowledge or the role of academic disciplines. The influence of E. D. Hirsch on post-2010 UK education policy is clear. Another influence, Michael Young, argues differently, and care is taken not to conflate Hirsch’s and Young’s positions. Though Young’s idea of powerful knowledge is seen as easier to align to Religion and Worldviews, questions arise over his presentation of relations between knowledge, understanding, and experience. ‘Knowledge-rich’ approaches to RE or Religion and Worldviews are considered. Here, Religion and Worldviews content should be approached through the ‘lenses’ of academic disciplines, prominently theology, philosophy, history, and social or human sciences. It is asked whether this gives full regard to lived worldview content or values development. Finally, innovative contributions are reviewed which also embrace forms of disciplinarity. In one sense, their authors extend the range of disciplines: however, the disciplines in this extended range function as elements of theology and religious studies. A reflexive bricolage pedagogy is advanced, within a sophisticated account of learning theory. This is welcomed, as is the insistence in the interest of Religion and Worldviews content and the importance of academic rigour; but there are doubts that the purpose of Religion and Worldviews is to initiate pupils into communities of academic enquiry.
