• Target Keystage(s): Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4,
• Curriculum Subject(s): Religious Education,
• Who Do We Think We Are Theme(s): Relationships, belonging and faith,

Above: British Library 'Sacred Texts' Resources

'Understanding sacred texts' is an online resource from the British Library. It presents the Hebrew Bible, the Christian Bible and the Qur'an. For each text the resource asks students to choose one of five themes (then & now; whose text; authority & belief; meaning and interpretation; connections) and listen to five responses to that theme (atheist philosopher; academic; young person; educator; faith leader).

This resource provides an accessible way for students to engage with aspects of the texts, and to hear a variety of responses and perspectives about them.

For further information, please click on the following link to the British Library website:
http://www.bl.uk/learning/cult/sacred/understanding/.

In addition, a free workshop about sacred texts is also available at the British Library on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the year.

The workshop helps visitors find their own connections with the magnificent sacred texts on display in the British Library's Treasures gallery and also enables participants to address the following questions:

* Can sacred texts help us to understand our lives today?
* Are there different ways of exploring texts from different religions?

During the  workshops creative educators work with students to look closely and learn from an array of texts. Participants are able to view texts from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism. The workshop helps students develop the skills needed for investigating texts, especially how to look closely at source material.

To make a booking, or for further information, please contact the Learning team at the British Library on +44 (0)20 7412 7797 or email learning@bl.uk.