York St John University hosts this year's ISREV

Leading figures in religious education research from around the world are meeting at York St John University this week to discuss public and political issues including gender, race and disability.

This year’s International Seminar on Religious Education and Values (ISREV) will be held at the University until Friday 1 August.

The theme of this year’s seminar is ‘At Multiple Intersections: Religious Education and Gender, Class, Race, Ethnicity and Disability.’

The first ISREV seminar was held in Birmingham in 1978 and, following York St John’s bid to host this year’s event, returns to England this year for the first time since 1978. At the York seminar papers by 116 scholars from more than 30 countries, are expected to be presented.

Professor Julian Stern, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Theology at York St John, is the General Secretary of the ISREV committee.

He said: “ISREV’s research is of public and political significance and we are delighted to host this year’s seminar.

“York St John treats research in education and religion with great seriousness and this year’s seminar theme complements the University’s values and mission.
“By helping bring together scholars from across the world to York St John University, to work on all the varied countries and education systems, and approaches to religion and education, a vibrant global dialogue can take place.”

ISREV is an association of researching and publishing religious education scholars who meet every two years for a week of discussion, paper presentations and plenary meetings. The organisation promotes high quality research into religious education.

It also aims to encourage further research as well as influence the development of religious education within schools and religious communities. ISREV members can belong to a religious tradition or to none; the organisation is not faith-based.

Publications have followed all ISREV meetings and in recent years a series on Religion, Education and Values has been launched, this will continue with this year’s event. Single-authored texts by ISREV researchers are also a feature and this year Prof Stern’s latest book on ‘Loneliness and Solitude in Education’ will be launched at the event.

The five keynote plenary presentations will be by Dr Kerstin von Brömssen, from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, Prof John Hull, from The Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education, Birmingham, Dr Marian de Souza, from the Australian Catholic University, Prof Denise Cush from Bath Spa University, and Dr Mario D’Souza CSB, from the University of St Michael’s College, University of Toronto, Canada.