Teachers, policymakers, parliamentarians and leaders of religious and belief organisations were among those who gathered at the House of Lords on Tuesday 18 November 2025 to launch new Religious Education (RE) resources that will help secondary school pupils learn about freedom of religion and belief in the UK.

Based on the research project Lived Experiences of Religious Freedoms: Organisational Challenges in the UK, designed and led by Dr Matyas Bodi, the RE resources were developed by teachers working with Professor James Holt of the University of Chester. The lesson plans use case-studies drawn from the research as stimulus to prompt discussion and learning about:

• Dialogue and listening
• Legislation
• Religion in the local area
• Practice, worship and expression

Teachers in a range of secondary schools helped develop and have already started using the resources, which are available online now.

These resources will help young people to understand legal rights and freedoms, including lesson plans that will help teachers to develop skills from which students can learn, such as ‘listening well and speaking freely.’

Dr Bodi said, “In my research, representatives of religious and non-religious belief organisations often described a disparity between current legal and social conditions and the circumstances they would regard as ideal. Understandings of what an ‘ideal’ situation entails vary, and so organisations respond differently, with some seeking to change particular aspects of the status quo, others aiming to preserve elements of the existing framework they consider essential, and some prioritising that current legal protections are properly implemented in practice.”

Meanwhile, Professor Sir Malcolm Evans, our Principal, reflected, “As a College, we have always held the belief that we will never be able to live well together in the UK and around the world without respecting and engaging with people of all faiths and none. We were founded as a college for Baptists at a time when they were excluded from other training institutions, and we have grown into a diverse community of people from many different backgrounds. Dr Bodi’s research is one of the many ways we continue to champion freedom of religion and belief, and we are delighted to have partnered with Freedom Declared.”

Dr Bodi’s book, based on the project, Lived Experiences of Religious Freedoms: Organisational Challenges in the UK, is due to be published in February. You can pre-order a copy now.