I chose two articles from the SoN publication on Faith. The first was something that I really related too, Bridget Crutchfield’s photographs about women and faith. I wanted to read more from her to find out about her work, and if being a black woman talking about faith has any additional bearing on her views. This photo above, is very powerful. I think it’s because at first glance it could be something else, a mother and child, and also she is holding his arm – holding in place or pushing away, it’s not clear.
The second article, the interview with Saffron Mustafa about growing up as a white muslim, was interesting to me as her experience is so far from my own, growing up as an atheist. She talks about the assumptions that people made about her family because they didn’t fit their idea of what a muslim should be, and also about her own spirituality. I feel it’s hard to relate faith to my area of work except to acknowledge my own positionality – an often sceptical atheist about organised religion, but also, I hope, an open and compassionate person about a person’s individual beliefs. This case study was a useful reminder that everyone is an individual and not to make assumptions.
With the Reith lecture, the main thing that stood out for me was the focus on the practice of religion. He describes 3 dimensions, 1. Practice, 2. Community and 3. Belief. I found this a helpful way to think about the cultural and spiritual aspects of religion. He also says, ‘Once you think of creedable identities in terms of mutable practices and community… religion becomes more verb than a noun…’ and I find this idea of a movable, flexible set of practices and beliefs a helpful and might enable me to acknowledge and avoid some of the negativity I sometimes feel about organised religion.
In reading and writing this blog, I haven’t been sure how I could bring any of this material into my work, except in the context of inclusivity. However, in the Religion in Britain texts, I realised my error, as Calhoun writes about religion:
‘It is an issue because it shapes the relations of students
Modood, T. and Calhoun, C. (2015)
to each other. It is an issue because many students make religion important to
their personal lives and wellbeing on campuses. It is an issue because it either is
or isn’t well-represented in what we teach.
I don’t know how I didn’t see this at the start, but of course, religion is important to people and must also be a subject for students’ creative work. I see the need for more attention to be paid to it, rather than assuming it is something external to learning and to create space for discussion and exploration without focussing solely on the common, divisive elements.
I also thought the observation about ‘The vaguely Christian UK’ (p.14) is interesting. The idea that somehow ‘we’ in Britain are Christian, when in fact this both hides many other mainstream religions but also ‘others’ people who subscribe to those religions.
My question would be, can we hear from some women please? Ideally about their experience of how their religion has impacted, or otherwise, their experience of Higher Education.
References:
Appiah K. A. (2016) The Reith Lectures Episode 1 Creed – BBC Radio 4, 18 October. Available at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b07z43ds (Accessed: 29 May 2023)
Modood T. and Calhoun C. (2015) Religion in Britain: Challenges for Higher Education – Stimulus paper. Leadership Foundation for Higher Education
Shades of Noir Journal Higher Power: Religion, Faith, Spirituality and Belief. Available at: https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/journals/higher-power-religion-faith-spirituality-belief/ (Accessed: 29 May 2023), n.d.
I found Saffron Mustafa’s interview really interesting and insightful, especially about her and her mother’s relationship with religion and creativity (probably with Western Art). Saffron’s mother struggled to combine Islam and Art as a student when she converted. There is a more conservative view in Islam that people should not emulate God’s creation, such as figures, and portraits, this can be seen as challenging God. Historically Muslim cultures have embraced art and craft creation, from geometric patterns in architecture to calligraphy and paintings in the Indian Moghul period of portraits and figures. Intriguing Saffron’s creativity is increased because of her interest in belief systems and religious iconography. I just found the subject of faith and creativity interesting and learned about the inner struggles of art and creativity.
Yes, that’s interesting isn’t it. I wonder how this plays out at CSM/UAL for our muslim students. It would be interesting to find out more about their experiences.
I’m also reminded though of the the ArtsSU report on crits. A lot of the comments in there were from LGBTQI+ students who found that other students only ever wanted to talk about the aspects of their work with dealt with their gender identity/sexuality. They felt they missed out on discussion of their technique, materials, etc. as they had to keep explaining this and that was frustrating. I wonder if this might feel the same for a muslim student bringing aspects of their faith into their work.
Some of the people in the Arts SU report had been to ‘Queer crits’ which they said were run in a more positive way and were more useful. I wonder if there needs to be some spaces for students to talk about their faith without feeling judged.
I found the Religion in Britain stimulus paper thought-provoking too. I think I had a similar moment. I also think it’s interesting to see how the different resources connect. For me, the words practice and community seem so central to our existence as humans. Both are vital for wellbeing and personal growth. How can we create an environment that allows multiple perspectives to flourish rather than be smothered by the mono-culture? Did you read the Mark Dean interview in the SoN terms of reference? I think you might find it interesting to read how faith and art are intersecting at CSM specifically.
It was good to read about Bridge Crutchfield and Saffron Mustafa’s article. I haven’t had a chance to read them yet, but I will now.
Thanks for your comment Sarah and the referral to the Mark Dean interview. I’ll have a look at that. I think your use of the word ‘mono-culture’ is interesting. It’s true, it’s actually pervasive isn’t it, that if you’re white and either Christian or just celebrate the Christian festivals, you don’t feel any responsibility to know that much about other faiths and practices. Children learn about it at school, but I would say adults rarely do. I’m conscious of my own failings in this regard. I do ask my friends who are Hindu or muslim occasionally, but I’m self-conscious about it and probably more often ignore religious practices because I’m afraid to show my ignorance or be perceived as ‘othering’ by asking. I ignore Christian practices too, but that’s different isn’t it because my ignorance of those practices, is less profound and I don’t think it exposes the same arrogance or assumption that this is the ‘norm’ in this country. I’ll address it now I’ve thought about it more.
As I mentioned in my own blog post, the topic of religion in higher ed makes me feel thrice removed from the “vaguely Christian” UK – as non-practicing, Jewish New Yorker! On a personal note, I think religion and religious belief in all its diversity is something that is extremely normalized in a place like NYC, perhaps uniquely so even within the United States. As someone who regularly teaches theatre history, it would be impossible to teach my area without an understanding of the relationship of religion and culture, since so many global theatre practices derived from religious expression. My studies in graduate school were very much centered on expanding my knowledge beyond Western Judeo-Christian theatre history, but that kind of education remains very rare to this day. I second your desire to hear more about religion and gender which is sort of brushed over in the report and Appiah in a way that made me uncomfortable. I also think on balance we could have used a reading to think more about the perspective of non-Christian students in UK arts schools feeling alienated, something that has come up on my course a couple of times this year.
Thanks for your comment Andrew. I didn’t reply immediately because I’m still ruminating over it. Not knowing New York well, I don’t feel I’m in a position to comment with any justification, but from what I see on TV (!), it looks like faith plays a big part in identity in a way that it just doesn’t in London. Or at least you’re not really meant to say it does here, which is clearly ridiculous and oddly feels like it adds to division, but I guess it could work the other way too. Well, here’s proof that I shouldn’t have responded. Just to say I’m still mulling it over.