A reflective examination of belief and contemporary culture took place at an Oxford educational establishment.
The dialogue occurred at Cheney School in east Oxford on April 16, focusing on The Role of Religion in Public Life.
The gathering formed part of the Agora programme, which delivers regular presentations covering literature, science, politics, democracy, and other subjects, arranged by Dr Lorna Robinson, who leads The Iris Project, a charitable body that brings classical languages and civilisations to state schools and local communities across Britain.
Dr Robinson noted that they were fortunate to have an engaging conversation at a time when many questions are being posed about religion and public life in Britain, and they were extremely grateful to each of their panellists for giving their time to explore these issues and demonstrate respectful dialogue as a way of reaching deeper comprehension.
The panel included journalist Shaista Aziz, Steven Croft (the Bishop of Oxford), writer and broadcaster Maajid Nawaz, YouTuber Alex O’Connor, and philosophy academic Dr Joshua Sijuwade.
David Gimson, who leads higher attainment initiatives at Cheney School, chaired the proceedings.
Each panellist presented their own perspectives on faith and the public sphere before taking questions from an audience of 170 sixth-form students.
Topics discussed covered women’s clothing and propriety, gender responsibilities within Christianity and Islam, the reliability of scripture, connections between science and religion, and variations between French, American, and British approaches to religion in society.
While the panel agreed on the value of respectful dialogue, there were civil differences on matters such as women’s ordination and the interpretation of religious texts.
After the discussion, students continued conversations with the speakers in an informal setting.
The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students.
One student mentioned valuing the discussion format, with several people holding different viewpoints and areas of expertise able to share opinions and present their arguments respectfully. This student noted that this method works well and would be interesting to see applied to other subjects.
Another student expressed enjoyment of the event, noting that the topic was excellent as it connects so directly to everyone’s everyday life. This student mentioned that many people found the conversation really fascinating, and it was great being able to speak with the speakers afterward. The student thanked the organizers for arranging such wonderful panellists.
Cheney School functions as a large secondary comprehensive situated in a highly multicultural area of east Oxford.
The Iris Project promotes comprehension of the ancient world through nationwide initiatives, projects, and events.
It also operates the Rumble Museum at Cheney School, which became the first school museum to achieve full Museum Accreditation from the Arts Council Museum Accreditation Scheme.