That nice, modest Mr Blair is at it again, this time in the name of religion.

As founder of the appropriately named Tony Blair Faith Foundation, he has spoken from on high.

You’ve heard calls for ‘financial literacy’ and ‘emotional literacy’ in our schools, which I applaud.  You’ve read my thoughts on the subject in such blogs as Teach Skills, Not Subjects and Never Mind the Three Rs – What About the Three Cs?

Now, Blair calls for ‘religious literacy’ to be taught in schools.  He says that it is a ‘vital skill’ in our globalised and multicultural society.

And, guess what, this time, Tony is right.  But for the wrong reasons.

Yes, it is a skill.  And, yes, it should be taught.  But not, as Tony thinks, for reasons of international peace-making.  This is too grandiose, too messianic…too Blairite.  I’d like to suggest two points on this.

(1) I’ve studied philosophy and theology at post-graduate level, and I can tell you, the overlap in content, method and terminology is massive.  Humanists don’t need to worry about indoctrination.  There’s more chance of that happening by watching the latest episode of Coronation Street, I kid you not.  If you like, don’t call it ‘religious studies’; call it ‘worldview studies’ or equivalent.  That way we can include modern ‘religions’ like Marxism.  It’s all about meaning, stupid!

(2) As far as international business is concerned, knowing something about the thought-patterns of those from other cultures is a vital skill.  Up until now, the subject of business etiquette, when dealing with international issues, was content to limit itself to greetings, dress, gestures, dining, gift-giving and the like.  Sometimes it delved into the deeper waters of customs and ethics.  But really, to get at the psychological roots of any people, religion is required reading.

I’m designing a some workshops in business etiquette at the moment.  Its a fascinating subject, drawing together many different strands and subjects, from negotiation strategies to sexual awareness to business writing to body language.  I’ll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, don’t think religion, think reality tunnel!

Image credit: kevindooley.

More Jedi news - eight police officers serving with Scotland’s largest force listed their official religion as Jedi in voluntary diversity forms.  All this after some guy taught the UK’s first Jedi course at Queen’s University, Belfast.

Why do these people do it?  Is there any reason to take Star Wars so seriously?

First, there’s the Jedi census phenomenon of 2001 in which 0.7% of the  population of England and Wales classified themselves as Jedi.  This made it the fourth largest religion in the country.

Second, there was role of Star Wars as a ground-breaking film.  Much of the stuff we take for granted today – special effects, surround sound, the franchise picture, trilogies, genre mixing, comic-book style movies with happy endings – began with Star Wars.  And the music was cool too!

Third, there is the cultural impact of Star Wars.  Many of the phrases and references are embedded into the public psyche.  Ronald Reagan named a missile defence system after it.  There was (is?) even a ‘Project Jedi‘ in the US military to create super-soldiers.

Beyond this, much could be said about philosophy and religion in Star Wars, and the meaning of the Force.  It is a certainly a story with timeless, archetypal motifs and characters: an orphan, a magic sword, a princess to rescue, an evil wizard, a wise mentor, various strange monsters .  George Lucas drew heavily from the “hero’s journey” structure of Joseph Campbell.  Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter (or indeed Frodo Baggins or King Arthur) … what’s the difference?

I think there are also interesting ethical and political issues raised by the Star Wars story.  Rebels or freedom-fighters; separatists or rebels?  Weapons of mass destruction.  Instinct versus technology.  Genetics and cybernetics.  Single mothers and fatherless families.  Destiny and choice.  Egoism versus altruism.  Dark energy and a single, unified Force.  The ‘father wound’ and the ‘shadow side’ of human nature.  It’s all in there.  And it’s not hard to see.

So why would someone classify themselves as a Jedi?  Because abundance is not enough.  We need meaning in our lives.  Stories are one of the main ways of giving this meaning, perhaps the oldest way.    We need to feel part of something bigger than ourselves.  We need to identify with the stories.  We need to feel the force of being alive.

This isn’t just for the nostalgic or the nerdy.  It’s part of being human.  Probably the greatest part.

Whether you call it Jedi or something else is up to you.

The course was on the meaning of life, and how to find it for yourself.  It’s interesting to me that this sort of topic is becoming more in demand not only for personal development but also in organizational growth.  A framework of meaning connecting individual and corporate purpose provides the ultimate in occupational motivation!

I’ve already mentioned the direction of the course in the enigmatically-named blog called 42.  Instead, what I want to do here is share a few insights that I’ve gleaned during the course of my research and the delivery of my course.

• Don’t look for a single sentence answer.  To use some metaphors – don’t think in terms of a shooting a silver-bullet so much as a weaving a web.
• Better to ask,  ‘What is the meaning of my life?’ than ‘What is the meaning of life-in-general?’.  There is no ‘life-in-general’ so  make your answer concrete and specific.  Focus your mind towards people or activities or experiences.
• Try to balance the comic with the tragic.  Too much either way will led to depression.  In fact, I would suggest that a third element is necessary to round off your life-narrative – the fantasy or ‘fairy-tale’.  This leaves space for the magic of creativity and change.
• Everyone has a meaning to life, a personal philosophy.  It may be implicit or explicit, coherent or contradictory.  Best if you become aware of it and then make it what you want.  Otherwise, you are under the power of the imposed meaning of others.
• No-one is a total relativist.  Everyone believes in some standard or follows a way. The issue is how you hold to it.
• Some of the ‘big issues’ of philosophy can have real, everyday implications for how you live and think and feel about yourself.  Freedom versus fate.  The individual versus the collective.  The body versus the mind.  There are some of the issues that drive your engine.  Better pick the ones that help you run the most efficiently.
• Reality is not objective.  All seeing is ‘seeing-as’.  Your perspective on the world becomes your world.  As you construct your worldview, you construct your world.  Your world is the place that you inhabit.  Take responsibility for it!
• Worldviews are detected by the language people use to describe their lives and the stories they tell each other about themselves.  But it works the other way around too.  Language and stories are not just indicators or expressions; they are also the tools you can use to alter your world.  They work from the outside in as well as the inside out.
• Try this image.  Don’t think of yourself looking out at the universe, asking it the question, ‘What is the meaning of my life?’  Think of you, standing at the center, with the universe asking the question to you, ‘What is the meaning of your life?’  What will you say?  The universe waits to see.  (Or for advances students, what if you universe whispered to you, ‘You are the meaning of the universe, you are the answer to the question.’)

In writing these points I’ve used a mixture of metaphors and questions.  They are some of the most powerful tools in the making of meaning.  But, first of all, know yourself! Self-awareness is not only the beginning of Emotional Intelligence; it is the beginning of all personal meaning.  Use whatever means you can to achieve this goal: self-assessment instruments (Briggs-Myers Type Indicator, Enneagram of Personality, Character Strengths and Virtues, learning styles), journaling, meditation and mindfulness training, whatever.

Then, take responsibility! Be pro-active!  This ain’t just for philosophers.  Or rather, since we’re all philosophers, seekers after wisdom, it’s up to all of us.  For the making of meaning is a task that makes us human.

Thankfully, only humans attended my course.