Radical reform in RE – a response to Mark Chater

ABSTRACT This article is a response to Mark Chater’s argument that sectional interests are hampering reform in Religious Education in England and that radical structural reform is needed to correct this. The valid insights of Chater’s article are identified, but a significant correction is made by arguing that the reform of mindset, not structures, is what is actually required. The mindset issues identified are, first, a sense of entitlement to control that the structures have nurtured in religious communities and, secondly, a sense of hostility to religious communities that has in turn resulted amongst RE professionals. The article concludes with a reflection on the characteristics of an alternative mindset.