MasterClass in Religious Education provides a comprehensive exploration of the major themes in religious education research and pedagogy, drawing on international research. The author draws together historical, theological/religious and comparative and international perspectives to explore religious education's role in confronting controversial issues, and the implications this has for teaching, learning and research. This book incorporates discussions of current, post-9/11 debates on religion in the modern world, focusing particularly on the relationship of religion to secular, political contexts. Liam Gearon pays close attention to debates around religion in liberal democratic societies, looking at topics such as citizenship, human rights, and identity.

This third book in the best-selling Big Ideas series introduces readers to the classics, as well as modern children’s fiction—a charming addition to Big Ideas for Curious Minds and Big Ideas from History.

Great stories are often universal: our very souls shine with new ideas when we read them. Books can be so powerful, helping us through tricky times, offering us wisdom we haven’t learnt yet, showing us that there are people like us, or showing us the opposite, that other people live very different lives. Books can be a friend when you need one the most and you can use them to help and inspire others, too.

Big Ideas from Literature helps the child discover key ideas that lots of different books are trying to teach through the stories they tell – and helps the growing child develop empathy and resilience.

This book teaches children (and adults!) about the history of literature, from the first ever story that was written down to the invention of books just for children. The best children’s books become our dearest friends and companions.

Children discover characters from a diverse range of books – including J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Young Dark Emu: A Truer History by Bruce Pascoe – and learn how these stories can help them better understand the world around them.

Find out exactly what goes on inside a medieval castle in this impeccably stylish picture book from the National Trust.

How many people does it take to build a castle? And what exactly does each person do? Discover masons to merchants and bakers to blacksmiths in this unique take on the classic rhyme ‘This is the House that Jack Built’. Explore what happens inside the castle the king built with striking retro artwork from illustrator Tom Froese and a carefully researched rollicking rhyme from author Rebecca Colby.

Kids know how important it is to read and know the Bible: after all, it contains God’s message of love for the world. But where do young readers start when they want to really find out what goes on between the pages of this Book?

The Kids Bible is a full-text King James Version Bible specially designed for readers ages 8-12, to encourage them to begin the adventure of lifelong Bible reading. The 40 full-color pages interspersed throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible offer study helps to expand young readers’ Bible knowledge and guide them to connect to the biblical people, places, and events they are reading about.

Best of all, kids will discover how much God cares and loves children! Ideal for reading at home, church, or school, this Bible will grow with your kids as they grow in Christ.

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We've worked with teachers to develop versions of our core textbooks that feature reduced content and language level, providing greater support and enabling students of all abilities to progress. Now available for the seven most popular options, these foundation versions help make the GCSE content more accessible and are designed to be easy-to-use alongside the core textbooks. How have we made them more accessible? We've reduced the level of the language to remove difficult words or phrases when possible. All the titles have been reviewed for reading age by a language expert. Easy-to-use alongside the core GCSE textbooks with content covered on each page spread matched so you can use both versions together in a mixed ability classroom. More of the difficult words that students need to know are explained in key terms boxes, with definitions repeated through the books to reinforce learning. We've made our explanations more accessible for students targeting a grade 5 or below. Where possible, we've replaced paragraphs of text with easy-to-understand flow diagrams, mind maps or charts so there is significantly less text on the pages for students to tackle. The level of demand in the activities has been reduced and some of the harder ones removed. Exam tips have been re-focused to offer advice so that students of all abilities can secure as many marks as possible. The 'Preparing for your exam' chapters have been thoroughly rewritten with answers and commentary for students working towards a grade 5. New artworks have been added to make explanations more visual.

SELECTIONS: A Journey Toward Spiritual Formation The opening words of the Prologue are as good a beginning toward a description of the book as any: What began as a contemplative practice soon became a time of self-examination, and then an ongoing reading of the New Testament, followed by an aroused intellectual curiosity that led to research into scriptural exegesis, and finally, after years of repetition and reflection, to a satisfying experience of internalization. Somewhere along the way I realized I was working on my own personal spiritual formation. This is how my alternative New Testament Lectionary came into being. My "uncommon lectionary" is an invitation to a spiritual pilgrimage through salient selections of New Testament passages. For those involved in or interested in the Christian Movement there is no better place to dig deeper. The New Testament text is provided so one does not have to fumble around to find one's own copy. After describing the evolution of the process, the book is divided into the seasons of the Christian Year. Each week correlates a Gospel Reading and an Epistle Reading. There is background material for each section, setting the stage for the specific season. The reader is guided through the reading in a lectio divina style, with variations to keep it from becoming too repetitious. Unique to the book are some "gentle challenges" in each week's reading to help the reader press beneath the surface. These vary with each season, ranging from an invitation to record several "I Believe" statements about a particular passage to creating three handwritten, free-flowing "Lenten Pages." During Holy Week one may be asked to practice one hour of "Sacred Silence." Pentecost challenges the reader to compose a Haiku based on the passages for the week. Missiontide presses for an essay of no less than three, no more than five sentences on each passage relative to the question, "What now is expected of me." These "gentle challenges" are designed to lead one to deeper reflection and clearer focus on the lectionary passages for a given week. They help us to activate our soul's contemplative nature. They also encourage us to allow the key words in a passage to be formed into a personal prayer. I believe that serious reflection, focus, contemplation, and prayer can draw us along a path toward spiritual formation. The Seasons of the Christian Year have a mystical correlation to the seasons of our own lives. To my mind, this book has an appeal to that general audience that wants to discover the deeper, more progressive aspects of the Christian Faith. For many in the general audience, SELECTIONS: A Journey Toward Spiritual Formation will be simply a book of daily devotions. I believe, too, that churches will find it helpful and effective in retreats, small groups, and class sessions. Many of my colleagues in ministry have expressed an interest in an alternative lectionary. They, too, would find this book very useful. I have tested it in all these ways with very positive responses.

In 1831, at only 22 years old, Darwin was offered the position of Naturalist on HMS Beagle's world voyage. He was set to become a clergyman but returns after five years at sea an inspired genius. This book follows the journey of HMS Beagle, showing life on-board the ship for Darwin, the captain, crew and the expedition's artist. The reader sees Darwin discovering and observing insect life in Brazil, fossils in Argentina , earthquakes in Chile and turtles in the Galapagos Islands. The reader is therefore able to follow the steps which led to Darwin's inspired theory of evolution, while also showing the adventures and escapades he had during the voyage. A fascinating and colourful story of Darwin's life, this book also introduces young readers to one of the world's most important scientists and his discoveries. It concludes with a simple explanation of the theory of evolution. Written by an outstanding team in the field of children's non-fiction, this is a book to enlighten and inspire young readers.To watch a video describing Darwin's theory of evolution click

2022 American Book Fest Best Book Award Finalist for Children's Religious "By far the most beautifully illustrated and theologically simple-but-sublime catechism for children" --Michael F. Bird What God's children believe. Join FatCat, the friendly feline, as he learns the traditional text of the Apostles' Creed--the earliest summary of the apostles' teaching. Through the Creed, children can encounter the God of the Bible who creates, redeems, and sanctifies. Enjoy vibrantly illustrated scenes of Jesus's life and search for FatCat on every page! Young readers and families will read a line from the creed along with a simple reflection to tuck into their hearts. With a list of Scriptures for further learning and a family prayer, this FatCat book is perfect to read again and again. In a fun and accessible way, believers can visualize, memorize, understand, and confess the Apostles' Creed, which has united all Christians for centuries.

At the age of fifty-five, former president Theodore Roosevelt took part in an expedition to the far reaches of the Amazon. Mind you, in time and context this was an extraordinary thing; at this point in history, you'd need to make an expedition into space to get as far away from workaday life as Roosevelt's party went. This book is Roosevelt's journal during the expedition into the unknown in the name of science -- an expedition into very real and very mortal peril. . . .