On Thursday 26 November a group of Religious Studies pupils, accompanied by Mr Tristan Elby, headed to Oxford to enjoy a conference on ‘Being and Nothingness’. The conference is specifically designed for those working towards AS and A level Philosophy and Theology, and students from schools across the local area visited the Oxford Town Hall for the university style lectures. The conference covered two classic arguments for the existence of God (design and cosmological) before considering their implications for the nature of God, beliefs about miracles, religious experiences and religious language. The thought-provoking talks also questioned whether or not God could do anything. The event, run by Candle Conferences, was designed to offer a rich learning experience, introducing pupils to sessions that are fast-paced and full of relevant examples in today’s world, aiming to enthuse and extend, building a broader subject knowledge and deeper understanding.
Pupils found the lectures highly stimulating; difficult criticisms of the design and cosmological arguments were considered, and the atheist world-view – and its broader implications – were charted. With an aim to stay away from merely revising topics studied in class, the talks had a far greater impact on the attending pupils, allowing them to stretch their learning. Lectures were given by Dr Peter Vardy, who had worked as the Vice Principal of Heythrop College - the specialist college for Philosophy and Theology of the University of London. Dr Vardy is a renowned author, with best-selling books such as The Puzzle of God and God Matters. Both books are staples for students of Philosophy or Religion, with his videos, DVDs and teaching notes featuring prominently in A Level courses. Dr Stephen Law, a senior lecturer at Heythrop College, University of London and editor of the Royal Institute of Philosophy's magazine Think, also presented at the conference. Dr Law is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Commerce, and in 2008 became the Provost of the Centre for Inquiry UK. He has published a variety of academic papers – most famously The Evil-God Challenge, and the hugely popular The Philosophy Gym.
The day ended with a lively debate: ‘this house believes that God is the most probable explanation of the universe as we find it.’ Dr Vardy and Dr Law presented arguments for and against the motion, before inviting students to take the floor, drawing on ideas covered during the day to inform their contributions and, finally, vote on the issue. The sessions proved highly innovative, and pupils found it useful to discuss such prevalent issues with their peers. Mr Elby commented that ‘the Shiplake pupils were incredibly keen to get involved. It is refreshing for them to be outside a classroom setting, and hearing talks from the prestigious names that were present made the day very worthwhile.’
