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Original poster

Year 7 RE homework

110 replies

mrsglowglow · 30/09/2017 13:38

I'm trying to help my yr 7 child who is quickly turning off RE and says he Hates it and the teacher. Part of his h/w is This question - Is Gods full nature revealed in the Bible or is only part of God shown? Give biblical examples to support your points. He's expected to spend an hour doing this! Is it me or is this expecting too much of an 11 year old who in primary would have been given more structure to start from? I asked him if they had been discussing the question in lesson and he says no (possible he was away with the fairies at the time). Any ideas gratefully received.

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FindingNemoandDory · 30/09/2017 18:44

I'm sure the idea is just for short answers to get the kids thinking rather than a dissertation.

There's lots of science questions school kids are expected to give a very short answer to, while I'm sure that you could complete a thesis on the same topic.

This will also have been discussed in lessons

PotteringAlong · 30/09/2017 18:46

As a

PotteringAlong · 30/09/2017 18:47

as a rough frame go for 4 paragraphs-

People agree with the statement because...
People disagree with the statement because...
A Christian might think...
I think...

EdMalarkey · 30/09/2017 19:30

I think the above suggestion is a reasonable response to a question which,if meant to elicit short answers,is poorly framed.

And I think the separation of a generic Christian opinion and the student's own is very important,lest the pre-supposition of 'faith' inherent in a faith-based schooling environment is presumed of the child,too.

AnonBCofHate · 30/09/2017 19:37

So this is kind of a cop out but unless its prefaced with "according to Christian belief" or "Do Christians believe" or something along those lines then he's allowed to simply put. God is not real, God does not exist.

Tw1nsetAndPearls · 30/09/2017 20:53

I am also a head of RE and wouldn't set that as a year 7 homework especially in the first few weeks

Tw1nsetAndPearls · 30/09/2017 20:54

I have had students copy down the wrong homework. I have also once given out a year 10 homework to a year 7 student by accident - the sheets looked similar and one managed to sneak into the year 7 file

Original poster
mrsglowglow · 30/09/2017 21:59

His homework gets put on show my homework so I know it's not a copying error. I wish it was though!

Year 7 RE homework
OP posts:
meditrina · 30/09/2017 22:03

I'd go to the book of Job, which essentially says that God cannot be known by man (there is no suit between us etc) and so as the Bibke says the full nature cannot be revealed than we can't possible know from that source.

Or the Bible is wrong, in which case it doesn't matter whether it purports to show the full nature or not because it cannot be relied on.

meditrina · 30/09/2017 22:06

Or the 'through a glass darkly, now face to face' as some more Biblical teaching about the impossibility of comprehending God from the limits of human comprehension (from Corinthians, so than both OT and NT are covered - people have usually heard this quotation because it's in funeral services)

EdMalarkey · 30/09/2017 22:07

I would definitely refer back your concerns to the teacher and seek clarification.

As an aside: it's interesting that the OT is being referenced there: it's a trickier one to approach because it's not,well,easy to reconcile it with the generally positive,benign impression many people have of Christianity (although an objective reading of the NT raises plenty of awkward questions,too...). It is the book of the jealous,angry god who feels threatened by the pantheist nature of its contemporaneous society.

Original poster
mrsglowglow · 30/09/2017 22:10

I like that answer Meditrina. I just don't get how an eleven year old who has only just started using a proper bible would be expected to have the skills to answer a question like this.

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G1raffe · 30/09/2017 22:14

God's full nature is not fully revealed in the Bible as He needed to send Jesus / The Word (All that and the word was God stuff) . So God is revealed through His Son with the help of the Holy Spirit....

(Not what I believe but an alternative answer!)

Original poster
mrsglowglow · 30/09/2017 22:16

Thanks Ed, my knowledge is limited and I'm not able to express in writing my own interpretation very well but you put it down well.

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G1raffe · 30/09/2017 22:18

And no I'd be doing this type of discussion with A level students (what do we mean by "know"? Can we know God? Different approaches to knowing God (Charismatic experience, evangelical Jesus/Bible, tradition...through community, through loving actions), OT/NT descriptions and differences of God's character and...)

But no not in year 7!!!

Original poster
mrsglowglow · 30/09/2017 22:21

I like that one G1raffe! Thank you all.

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Heathen4Hire · 30/09/2017 22:21

That's an immense question! One hour? Has he read tbe entire Bible? Heavens!

I have a wgaf attitude to religion but your son could switch it around and put instances when God didn't reveal himself, or instances where, by modern morals, he was frankly, no bloody good at all. G1raffe had the right idea, he sent his messenger/prophet most of the time. The argument is, he was being mysterious in order for humsnkind to figure out what is right and good for themselves?

I dunno. I wish your son luck. I need certainties!

EdMalarkey · 30/09/2017 22:23

I agree: theologians have been squabbling over it since before they first started compiling the books!

But remember,it would be unrealistic for any response to be anything more than that appropriate to the age of the respondent. In short: they've asked a child,so expect a child's answer!
(That's not to belittle him or her,of course! On the contrary children are often able to see through seemingly-complex ideas and artifice more readily than well-conditioned adults.
After all,in the story it's a child who points out that the Emperor is wearing no clothes.)

Ultimately,since a reading of the Bible is entirely an exercise in interpretation there is no strict right or wrong answer.

G1raffe · 30/09/2017 22:28

Oooh heathen that would be a fantastic final paragraph after going through the motions of the "expected answer" - if he did "reveal" himself was it good enough? And the Problem of Evil style, "Where was he when...?" Type question.

Gosh I miss teaching sometimes.

EdMalarkey · 30/09/2017 22:28

Mrsglowglow,no thanks are necessary but I appreciate them must the same - thank YOU. 😊 Ha,I'm glad that my thoughts are at least comprehensible: I've a great interest in religions,in education and where the two meet...

Blossomdeary · 30/09/2017 22:31

He really should not be doing this at all; especially at this age. There is a huge assumption behind it which says that he should know the bible and Christianity. Supposing he was asked a similar question about a Buddhist text or an Islamic one, would anyone expect him to be able to answer if he had not been brought up in that faith? Supposing he is himself a Bhuddist/Hindu maybe?

Children should learn about all religions and, prior to being asked to do such a piece of homework, they should have had some guided study in class.

There is a huge erroneous and inappropriate assumption lurking behind this question.

elektrawoman · 30/09/2017 22:34

Gosh I have a Y7 and I'd be horrified if my child got that RE homework! Good luck ....

G1raffe · 30/09/2017 22:47

My A level students could attempt it as a "synoptic " question having studied with me for years....certtianly not main school.

My year 8s looked at Plato's Cave and what do we mean by "happiness".

steppemum · 30/09/2017 22:51

I think the worst thing about this question is that it assumes a massive knowledge of the Bible.

It isn't just asking - can God reveal himself through a book?
To which you could say well no, as no one can really be understood just through words on a page, and we are just humans, so how can we understand the nature of God anyway.

But it asks for evidence and proof using examples. At this stage, if they have been through a pretty traditional church primary (big asumption in itsself) they will probably have a basic knowledge of things like creation story, Noah's ark, Jonah, Jesus birth, Easter story etc.

I dount very much if they have much more knowledge than that. So this is a pretty unreasonable question.

Hayesking · 30/09/2017 22:55

Dd started in year 7 a few weeks ago. She's had one piece of RE homework - to design a poster all about herself.