Practice, performance and perfection: learning sacred texts in four faith communities in London

Abstract

In this article we examine the role played by one key sacred text in chil- dren’s learning in four faith communities in London (Bangladeshi British Mus- lim, Tamil Hindu, Ghanaian Pentecostal and Polish Catholic). After situating the study within a sociocultural framework, we show how collaborative ethnography offers insights into how children begin to make collective memories their own in a new country. We focus particularly on the importance of practice and perfor- mance leading to the perfection required by the faith. Through multimodal ap- proaches including song, dance, gesture and chant, as well as repetition, recita- tion, echoing and memorization, the children imbibe the texts and learn them “by heart”. Finally, we show how living in a new country results in a syncretism of language, literacy and learning practices which contributes to the dynamic na- ture of each faith in London.