Language, Dualism and Experiential Religious Education: A critical appraisal of the debate between Adrian Thatcher and the authors of New Methods in R.E. Teaching

The first part of the paper examines Adrian Thatcher's claim that the authors of New Methods in R.E. Teaching are guilty of bringing a latent and outdated philosophical dualism to religious education. Thatcher's claims are rejected because, firstly, they fail to give due recognition to the context of the book and, secondly, they are based on a dualistic refusal to give recognition to the inner pole of personal experience. His arguments rely on an unjustifiably hostile over‐interpretation of the book and a misunderstanding of the Wittgensteinian philosophical tradition. The second part of the paper identifies a number of theological and philosophical presuppositions of the Experientialist methodology. It is argued that the former cast doubt upon its claim to be a non‐confessional and liberal approach; the latter require a critical engagement with the post‐Wittgensteinian philosophical tradition.