Promoting Inter-Religious Understanding through Education

I have been interested in the world's religions since I was ten years old. It all started at primary school, when I read a book about religion in India. The colour, the beauty, the wisdom spoke to me in a way that the rigid fundamentalism in which I was raised did not. It was whilst reading theology at Exeter University that I became aware that many people shared my fascination, yet, ironically knew surprisingly little about it. 'Hinduism? Isn't that the religion where they wear swords and turbans?' people would say.

Yet, public interest, and contact between members of different faiths has grown. In response to this, I decided to draw on my academic training to create a course in which people can learn about the beliefs of their neighbours. Starting with Judaism, Christianity and Islam, then moving on to Hinduism, Sikhism, and Humanism, we shall look at the principal beliefs, history and customs followed by people in modern Britain.

All are welcome, regardless of race, belief, gender or sexual orientation or level of education. It would be lovely to see people from a range of backgrounds studying together and learning about each other's beliefs. And by breaking down barriers in this way, I hope that we can enrich our understanding and respect for each other's traditions.

'Understanding Faith and Belief.' Venue: Exeter Community Centre, St David's Hill. Every Tuesday at 7.00 pm from 7th January 2014 until 22nd July 2014 (excluding school holidays.) Cost £5.00 per session, with a proportion of the profits donated to charity.

See item in the 'Events' section for further details.