Reflection from Aleah Oyagbohun, Administrator, Department for Education
“The World Faiths module is a unique experience within the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS), as delegates have the opportunity to hear from guest speakers alongside one of our excellent tutors, Andrew Young. These guest speakers are local, experienced, and offer powerful insights to learn from.
It was wonderful to sit in on this year’s World Faiths sessions and gain a sense of what CCRS students experience and enjoy, not only academically, but spiritually as well. As this was my first time sitting in on a session, I thought my reflections on the module might be of interest.
This year our guest speakers were Wendy Gray, Aliya Abbasi, and Jaswinder Singh. It was unfortunate that this year the Jewish guest speaker was not available, however this did not take away from the enlightening sessions. Wendy is an astrophysicist and a Buddhist. Aliya “redefines my understanding of what it means to be a Muslim,” as Andrew perfectly summarised in his introduction to the module. Jaswinder is a member of the Newcastle Sikh community and works as both a hospital and university chaplain for the Sikh faith.
Students who have taken this module often comment that hearing from guest speakers has a significant impact on them and helps to broaden their understanding of other faiths. The World Faiths module explores Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, and Sikhism; not only the religions themselves, but also how they contrast with and share similarities to Christianity.
On Friday 15th May we were blessed with a talk from Wendy Gray, a Buddhist and a Doctor in Cosmology and Physics at the University of Durham. Wendy explored her beliefs about the origins of Buddhism, the nature of the universe, her meditation and Buddhist practices, and her beliefs about life after death and how her beliefs impact how we should live our lives and care for creation. Course participants were moved by her honest and personal experiences as a Buddhist, how becoming a Buddhist had transformed her life and how faith infuses everything she does (Andrew Young). Students later shared their favourite aspects of what they had learned about Buddhism, noting that everything Wendy spoke about was both important and inspiring. They found the meditation enjoyable and unexpected, with many being surprised by the chanting, as it was not what they had anticipated from Wendy.
On Friday 22nd May, we heard from Aliya, a doctor by profession who now works with a charity, who explored what it means to be a Muslim. She discussed Allah (SWT) and highlighted key similarities between faiths, including direct communication with God, while also outlining the core beliefs and practices of Islam, particularly the importance of prayer. She reflected on the purpose of life, her personal faith, and both the similarities and differences in Muslim beliefs about Jesus.
Students asked thoughtful questions, seeking to develop a deeper understanding of the faith and the reasons behind certain practices and rituals, such as saying “peace be upon him” when referring to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Feedback from students highlighted their appreciation of the similarities they discovered, and many particularly valued the idea that “wealth does not come from abundance, but from a contented heart”.
In the afternoon, we were immersed in the Sikh faith with a passionate talk from Jaswinder Singh who lives out his faith through selfless service to all those in his community and across the faith spectrum. Jaswinder shared with us his own faith story, how faith inspires him into action and how the Sikh faith emerged. Jaswinder showed us incredible artefacts from his religion and explained their role in Sikhism. Course participants had the opportunity to ask thought-provoking questions and were in awe at his love, passion and selfless service to the whole community (Andrew Young).
This is a fascinating and informative module that broadened my own knowledge, as well as that of those who attended the sessions this year. It was insightful, engaging, and thought-provoking throughout. I would highly recommend this module, even as a single module option if the full qualification is not suitable for you at this time, as it would provide excellent personal, spiritual and professional development.”
