Novels branded anti-Christian propaganda by critics should form part of pupils' religious education, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said.
Philip Pullman's controversial His Dark Materials trilogy was condemned by the Catholic Herald as '"fit for the bonfire", despite the novels bagging Pullman a Whitbread award and being staged by the National Theatre.
Rupert Kaye, chief executive of the Association of Christian Teachers, said Pullman's "blasphemy is shameless".
But Archbishop Rowan Williams has said the tales of Lyra and Will could help address the "inadequacies" of some religious education courses.
"To see large school parties in the audience of the Pullman plays at the National Theatre is vastly encouraging," he said.
"I only hope that teachers are equipped to tease out what in Pullman's world is and is not reflective of Christian teaching as Christians understand it."
But Dr Williams has rejected calls for the teaching of atheism in schools by Blairite think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research.
"To speak as though atheism were a belief system alongside varieties of religious belief is simply a category mistake," he said.
Dr Williams's remarks were made last night in a private Downing Street address to religious leaders and academics hosted by Tony Blair.
[© The Telegraph, 9/3/04]
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