Notes for teachers

(1) General information
This investigation uses material held in the Cremation Society of Great Britain archive which is deposited with Archives and Special Collections, Durham University Library, Palace Green, Durham.

References:
Rev, Fr, Donald W H Dorsett, 'The Roman Catholic Attitude to Cremation', Pharos, Vol 28/3, 1962 (CRE/A/UK19)
Professor Dr G Van der Leeuw, 'The Religious Aspect of Cremation', Pharos, Vol. 14/4, 1948(CRE/A/UK19)
Sheba Hargreaves, 'Cremation and Religion', Pharos, Vol. 11/3, 1945 (CRE/A/UK19)
Rt Rev. Bishop Heywood, 'Why I support Cremation', 1949 (CRE/C/UK1/1949/1)
Cremation and the Resurrection, 1874. (CRE/C/UK1/1874/4)

(2) Contents and use of resources
This resource uses a number of articles and pamphlets found in the archive of the Cremation Society of Great Britain. This Society was established in 1874 to promote the use of cremation rather than burial. The investigation asks why it took so long for cremation to become a widely-accepted practice, focusing on the issue of resurrection. This issue lay at the heart of the debate on the use of cremation and is still pertinent today.

The investigation makes exclusive use of historical sources. This can be a challenge. As with most historical source, they were written by adults for adults and, consequently, the language may be considered to be advanced. To help overcome this problem, a simplified transcript has been provided for every source. Background and other contextual information, mainly relating to the history of the Cremation Society, can be accessed via the 'More info' button which appears on very source page. A Links button, which directs students to other sources of useful information, also appears on every page.

(3) Curriculum Links
This resource has been written to support QCA Scheme of Work Unit 9a Where are we going? Rites of passage for RE, specifically with regard to the section entitled What is a Christian funeral for?

It also supports various aspects of the Non-Statutory Framework. Its focus is on cremation and resurrection thus allowing it to be used in a consideration of Christianity and the question of life after death. It could also be used as part of a broader programme considering the impact of religious beliefs and how religious beliefs and teachings inform answers to ultimate questions.

The resource also supports the development of key skills such as organisation, communication and the use of ICT.

(4) Ideas and Activities
(a) Cremation is not accepted by orthodox Jews, members of the Orthodox Greeks or Russians and Muslims. Ask the students to research why this is the case so that they can compare and contrast different belief systems.

(b) Ask students to reflect on any funeral ceremonies they have attended. Which aspects did they find most moving? Why? How did the service fit in with Christian ideas about life and death? How did it fit with other religion's views about life and death?