JUDAISM WITH JEWISH MORAL ISSUES. By Ina Taylor. Nelson Thornes pound;9.50. JUDAISM IN TODAY’S WORLD. By Vivienne Cato, Claire Clinton, Sally Lynch, Janet Orchard, Deborah Weston and Angela Wright. John Murray pound;8.99. CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES FOR OCR. By Libby Ahluwalia. Hodder amp; Stoughton pound;8.99. CHRISTIANITY: Behaviour, Attitudes and Lifestyles for AQA. By Joanne Cleave. Heinemann pound;11.50. St MARK’S GOSPEL FOR AQA. By Gordon Geddes and Jane Griffiths. Heinemann pound;11.50. RELIGION AND LIFE (THIRD EDITION) FOR EDEXCEL. By Victor Watton. Hodder amp; Stoughton pound;9.50. ONE WORLD, MANY ISSUES (new edition). By Lyn Clarke, Mandy Kennick and Graham Langtree. Nelson Thornes pound;12.
The recent rapid growth in the GCSE religious studies short course, alongside the continuance of the full course, provides safe opportunities for publishers in high-risk times. Course texts for RS, by experienced classroom teachers who are often also examiners, tailored to specific boards like some among this sample, can offer solid help. Practice exam questions are routinely provided in many of the books. But to be merely useful could be the epitaph of a book. Is it also interesting? Will it help pupils to enjoy RS as well as pass the exam?
Ina Taylor presents Judaism in a basic text with an emphasis on Jewish moral issues. The text is well illustrated, although there will be key stage 3 and even key stage 2 overlap in some sections.
Vivienne Cato, herself a Jew and member of the environmental Noah Project, together with her co-authors presents Judaism in Today’s World in more detail and depth. They use case studies, quotations and detailed explanatory text, which some pupils will require help with. But it is always better for an exam text to have too much than too little, and I like this book. Only the cartoon history of Judaism disappoints, with a rather cute little Hitler mismatching the evils described in the caption.
Libby Ahluwalia’s OCR-linked text on Christian perspectives takes seven key themes and, after an introduction, provides plenty of information with mainly biblical quotations in support. Good use is made of colour photographs and the Christianity presented is global, not just British.
Joanne Cleave’s text steers pupils through the AQA examination requirements in well-presented format with key terms, key points, set passages and activities clearly picked out.
Mark’s Gospel will not be readily seen as cool as a subject for study by many pupils, so the Geddes-Griffiths AQA text is vital. This is visually appealing, well divided, full of information but perhaps inevitably very verbal. I’m not sure how Sunday is in any sense preserved now “to respect Christian attitudes” (p93), or that Free Church worship is best described as “pulpit-centred” (p98), although I know what the writers mean.
Watton’s book, linked to Edexcel, is already in a third edition, another sign of the short course GCSE RS boom. Eight themes are considered against the backcloth of the four religions represented. Plenty of information is provided in a not too daunting format, with key quotations picked out in difficult-to-read white writing on dark blue boxes.
One World, Many Issues is also in a new edition, intended to meet any of the main exam board specifications in the field. The exam questions sections at the end of each unit have been revised and new introductions set topics in their context. This is the most visually appealing of the books in this range, with text well divided and suitably highlighted, and with snappy introductions leading into the necessary depth for GCSE. For those working problem-centred or issue-centred syllabuses, this will combine usefulness and interest.
Terence Copley is professor of religious education at the University of Exeter
