Faith, Religion and Belief
The Equality Act 2010 includes religion or belief as a protected characteristic, and further defines this as any religion or philosophical belief, including no religion or belief.
Religions can include well-known and lesser-known religions, as well as denominations within religions. It is estimated that there are over 4,000 recognised religions in the world.
This employment guide further explains the criteria by which a belief would be protected under the Act, including that it is a belief, rather than a viewpoint; has a certain level of seriousness; and is not in conflict with the rights of others. Vegetarianism, pacifism and humanism are all examples of protected beliefs.
FOCUS on Equality of Belief
Reading List
Take a look at our EDI Reading List for Faith, Religion and Belief.
Please get in touch if you have any recommendations to add to this list - whether already available in the Library or not!
Archives and Special Collections
This section highlights physical and digitised archives at Newcastle University and elsewhere, which cover subjects relating to faith, religion and belief.
- 17th Century CollectionIncludes material relating to religious dissenters, as well as sermons and religious speeches.
- Clarke (Edwin) Miscellaneous CollectionIncludes material relating to the occult, ritual and folklore.
- Cowen (Joseph) TractsContains books relating to the church, and religion more broadly.
- Forbidden booksBlog post discussing the early printing press and its effect on religion.
- Letting in the Light: the Leonard Evetts ArchiveBlog post which includes discussion of stained glass windows in churches.
- Local IllustrationsEighteenth and nineteenth century depictions of local scenes and structures, including churches.
- Loebl (Herbert) ArchivePart of this archive is about Loebl’s experiences as a Jewish refugee, and contains records relating to the local Jewish community.
- Mary, Queen of ScotsBlog post which discusses the tension between the Protestant and Catholic churches in the 16th century.
- Mediaeval ManuscriptsIncludes an illuminated Vitae Sanctorum (Saints' Lives); an early fifteenth-century breviary (service book containing hymns, offices and prayers sung by the Roman Catholic clergy at prescribed times) and a fifteenth-century book of hours.
- Mass Observation Online 1937-1967 This link opens in a new windowThis a major resource for British social history from 1937-1967. It contains material generated by the Mass Observation social research organisation, including all the day surveys, diaries and subject directives from 1937-1967, a wide range of themed topic collections, together with other material such as images and essays. We also have access to the Mass Observation 1980s and 1990s database. Read our blog post for more information about this archive.
- Mass Observation Project 1981-2009. This link opens in a new windowThis contains responses to the Mass Observation project in the 1980s,1990s and (NEW!) 2000s, covering political and social themes of the period, plus insights into everyday life. A fascinating insight into late twentieth century Britain. We also have access to the earlier Mass Observation Online database covering 1937-1967. Read our blog post for more information about this resource.
- Methodism and Charles WesleyOverview of archival collections relating to Methodism.
- National Archives: religious historyGuides from the National Archives on how to research archival records relating to religious history.
- Oral histories of Jewish experience and Holocaust testomoniesOverview of oral histories relating to these topics available from the British Library.
- Oral histories of religion and beliefOverview of oral histories relating to religion and belief, available from the British Library.
- Pacifism archivesOverview of archival collections relating to pacifism and peace movements.
- Pew Research CenterThis organisation regularly publishes research, surveys and data relating to religious belief and attitudes worldwide.
- Religious Archives DirectoryDirectory of UK archives relating to religious traditions and denominations.
- Secularism and HumanismDirectory of UK archives relating to secularism and humanism.
- StatistaStatista is a collection of over 1.5 million datasets on a huge range of contemporary topics. If you're looking for data to help you research inequality, it's a great place to start.
Podcasts
Faith, Religion and Belief - ACTION
Below are some links to societies and support across campus: