Religion and Belief in Professional Education and Workplaces

Abstract

This chapter explores religion and belief in professional education and workplaces. These are spaces in which adults learn and relearn religion and belief, often for the first time since school. Here, the messages have their own flavour, once again distinctive from what may have come before. One dominant framing in workplaces is equality and diversity. This constructs religion and belief as potentially discriminatory and discriminated against. In doing so, religion and belief are once again thought of primarily in terms of risk. Another growing preoccupation is with spirituality and well-being in workplaces, often associated with the benefits of bringing the 'whole person' to work and engaging with the full scope of identities among service users. Within this, one suggestion is that survey after management survey affirms that a majority wants to find meaning in their work. This is especially prominent in health and social care, where religion and belief are manifest both in professional trainings and in regulatory standards for the professions. The chapter considers both framings and looks at how they connect and confuse.