Blog entries in the "ideas" category group:

Past and Present Musical Encounters across the Strait of Gibraltar (New ERC Project)

What role does music play in debates about colonial history and immigration? How might music overcome or reinforce cultural difference at a time of rising nationalism across… Continue reading

Rethinking Rabbinic Authority

Lea Taragin-Zeller reflects on religious authority in contemporary Judaism and explores the connections between ethical freedom, religious consultation and intimate decision… Continue reading

What's Trust Got To Do With It?

Dr Jan-Jonathan Bock reflects on his workshop 'Talk on Trust and Europe's Crisis of Representation'. Why has there been so much talk on trust in recent years? Whether we… Continue reading

Kingship in the Land

Looking from afar, you might not think to associate the city of Jerusalem with royalty. Yet kingship is vital to Jerusalem's past. In 2015 an Israeli archaeologist tracked down… Continue reading

Why Sometimes You Just Need to Keep Going

The Myth of Sisyphus teaches us a lesson about religious leaders involved in interreligious engagement and activism. In the myth, King Sisyphus of Ephyra spent each day pushing a… Continue reading

The Woolf, Westminster and the Genizah: Interreligious Research, Evolution and Sensitivity

Interreligious research of any kind is fundamentally dialogical: its object is in and analysed through communication between two or more religious traditions, groups or persons.… Continue reading

My PhD Journey: Year 3

For most people at the Woolf Institute, the past year has been one of ends and new beginnings. Throughout the academic year, a sense of excitement and expectation has been slowly… Continue reading

Challenging Hatred Together

"But you must keep quiet about challenging homophobia or anti-Semitism." That was just one comment that was made to me when I founded Tell MAMA. The person was not inherently bad,… Continue reading

Can Interfaith Dialogue Happen Online?

Julian Bond, formerly Director of Christian Muslim Forum (2006 to 2015), has a formidable social media presence. Unlike many, however, his twitter exchanges are most notable for… Continue reading

Confronting Jihadism with Interfaith Education

Woolf Institute Alumnus Rev Martin Olando has recently co-authored a book on the power of education to combat extremism. Burying the Sword: Confronting Jihadism with Interfaith… Continue reading

Uighur Sufi Shrines: A Visit Raises Questions

What is religion? What is culture? Where do they intersect? Can they be disentangled? Just a few of the questions turned up by an unusual visit I made to an isolated destination… Continue reading

Grassroots Interfaith Brings Together Christians & Muslims in Mombasa, Kenya

There have been relatively good relations between Christian and Muslims in Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city, until the onset of terror attacks on churches from the start of… Continue reading

Water Matters

The need for water is universal. It is as necessary as air to sustain life in all its forms. Many of us take access to fresh water for granted when we turn on the tap in a way… Continue reading

Journey into the Spiritual Dimensions of End of Life Care

My personal journey of discovery into the field began a few months ago, with a visit to a children's hospice in Cambridge. I anticipated some personal difficulties with the visit:… Continue reading

On Resilience

Resilience is everywhere. As the winter months surrender to the warmth and light of spring, sharp bursts of blossom, crescendos of birdsong, and the gradual rejuvenation of… Continue reading

Modern Challenges & Religious Education

It is rare that one has a decent opportunity to step back from one's work and really reflect properly on what one does as a teacher. As each new term approaches I have too often… Continue reading

Religion, Truthfulness and the ‘Post-Truth’ Politics

Politics has always been a hospitable environment to spin, half-truth, insinuation, and sometimes outright lying. For this reason, the recent talk of ‘post-truth politics’ as… Continue reading

Children's Spirituality and the 99 Names of God

What if teachers of RE had resources that viewed religions holistically and used holistic methods to explore them? Resources, for example, that nurture reason alongside an… Continue reading

Moses as a Model for Effective Leadership

Just as leadership is essential for effective management, successful management depends on effective leadership. While each role is important to the proper functioning of any… Continue reading

Denial: An Interview with Sir Richard Evans

Imagine having to explain to someone that the Holocaust happened. For Richard Evans this conversation lasted for over 28 days when he was cross-examined by holocaust denier David… Continue reading

Birds of Longing: Exile and Memory

Artist Laurie Wohl reflects on the inspiration/aspiration for her project "Birds of Longing: Exile and Memory" I am an unweaver. My Unweavings® fiber art pieces – using… Continue reading

From Heartbreak to Hope: Renewing a Legacy of Muslim-Jewish Solidarity

Remona Aly reflects on the Missing Pages of shared humanity: I can never forget the first moment I felt my heart breaking. I was at school, reading through a textbook when I… Continue reading

Interfaith Week & The Value Of Religious Dialogue

Founding Director Dr Edward Kessler reflects on Interfaith Week and the value of religious dialogue in an increasingly secular age. There is a contradiction at the heart of… Continue reading

Cartoons Against Fear

Finn Schulze-Feldmann explains the work of Bildkorrektur: a design collective combatting fear and prejudice in contemporary Germany. 'Fear not' – the first words spoken by the… Continue reading

A Summer of Learning

Dr Esther-Miriam Wagner discusses conference culture and the importance of regular gatherings among scholars. Going to conferences in the summer can be a bit like a travelling… Continue reading

Language and Identity

Language provides us with identity. The way we speak gives clues to our age, our social standing, and our educational background. Most of us are able to talk in a variety of… Continue reading


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