Editorial

The theme of this year’s journal, ‘Living Community’, may prompt readers to pause! We hope it will do just this! Its ambiguities are intentional and ‘Living Community’ may signal a diversity of meanings as you reflect on it. Our contributors were similarly challenged, as we invited their responses to and interpretations of our theme.

Some interpretations highlight the dynamism of community; others its ebb and flow. ‘Living community’ may transcend both time and place; it may point to change and transformation or to security and certainty, pattern and order in an uncertain world; it may be local or trans-global; creative and conciliatory. Robin Richardson’s article recognises too that ‘living community’ may mean a multiple belonging for individuals and in speaking of a ‘community of communities’ he offers both a vision and a challenge to schools and the wider society.

These perspectives and many more emerge from the articles which follow, challenging readers to reassess their understandings of community and especially those which are presented in RE texts and syllabuses — those locally agreed and examination syllabuses. And perhaps we in the U.K. need to continue to learn that the models of study in RE that are in common usage simply ‘do not fit’ the structure, organisation and beliefs of some religious communities. Model syllabuses may present and suggest the study of religions in an ‘ideal’ form, but religion ‘as it is’ is what pupils see on the streets and in the media and that too must be a part of any study of religious community.

If this appears to be a call for the re-organising and re-designing of Religious Education in England and Wales, so be it!

Like communities, the SHAP Working Party has evolved and changed over the years with a surprising fluidity of membership as well as some constants! This year two longstanding members, W Owen Cole and John Rankin, felt the time had come to resign and turn their attention to other things although they remain associate members. Their enormous contribution to the work of SHAP will be recognised by many readers and long remembered by colleagues.

The death of Ninian Smart, the President of SHAP, in January 2001, came as a shock for Ninian had an aura of eternity about him. Some members of the Working Party knew him well, others had never met him; but to all those with whom he worked and met he was an inspiration and a source of encouragement. Ninian was a founder and creator of SHAP and a constant support — full of imagination, humour and vision. An obituary and other tributes to him are included elsewhere in the Journal.

As editors we would like to thank all contributors for giving their time so readily and for sharing their thoughts with us. We believe this to be another thought provoking Journal. Thanks to Lesley Prior and her team for an excellent Primary Mailing and special thanks to Nick Mead (who steps down after several years as Reviews Editor) for his work. Heather Collins has been responsible for advertising for a number of years and she too has decided to take a break. Many thanks, Heather, for what can be a thankless task. The Calendar team under Peter Woodward continues to maintain the usual high standards and Mike Berry at the National Society’s R.E. Centre has organised the mailing distribution with his customary efficiency.

As ever, we have to say that the opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors
themselves and do not necessarily represent the views of the SHAP Working Party.

Mary Hayward and Alan Brown