‘Taking God seriously’: Hindu and Muslim stakeholders’ reception of a school’s Christian ethos

Abstract

Ethnographic data from Muslim and Hindu parents and students presented in this study offer insights into their perception of a new Church of England (CoE) school. The school’s institutional Christian life was largely received very positively by the Muslim and Hindu cohort (29% and 16%, respectively, of initial student intake). The approach taken to enabling students to understand each other’s religious outlooks and practices and to participation in worship seems to have been significant in eliciting this response. The reception of the ethos model warrants further research into its effectiveness for a mixed-faith population in an established school.

Keywords

Christian ethos Church school Hindu multi-faith Muslim school ethos

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