1st Edition

Spirituality and Education

By Andrew Wright Copyright 2000
    168 Pages
    by Routledge

    168 Pages
    by Routledge

    Spirituality and Education introduces the basic contours of current debate in a form accessible to both classroom teachers across the curriculum range, and to school managers. It covers all key areas, including:
    * problems of defining spirituality
    * government legislation and supporting documentation
    * relevant empirical research
    * the social dimension of spirituality
    * secular and religious manifestations of spirituality in contemporary society
    * theories of childhood spiritual development
    * contemporary approaches to spiritual education, including collective worship and cross-curricular teaching.
    A variety of different perspectives and approaches will be offered, and readers are encouraged to be reflective through a number of tasks which relate all issues raised directly back to their own specific circumstances. The author includes questions, quotes and lists of further reading.

    Introduction; Part 1 The Landscape of Spirituality; Chapter 1 What is Spirituality?; Chapter 2 Philosophical Perspectives; Chapter 3 Spirituality and Religion; Chapter 4 The Psychology of Spiritual Experience; Chapter 5 The Social Dimension of Spirituality; Part 2 Contemporary Spiritual Education; Chapter 6 Historical Development; Chapter 7 Inclusive and Exclusive Approaches; Chapter 8 Beyond the Inclusive/Exclusive Impasse?; Part 3 Towards a Critical Spiritual Education; Chapter 9 Principles of Critical Spiritual Education; Chapter 10 An Agenda for Critical Spiritual Education; Chapter 11 Spiritual Education as Nurture; Chapter 12 Spiritual Education as Critique; Chapter 13 Conclusion;

    Biography

    Andrew Wright is a Lecturer at King's College London. His previous publications include Learning to Teach Religious Education in the Secondary School, published by RoutledgeFalmer.

    'This is a significant book which will certainly become a standard text for spiritual education in British schools. Wright has thought more carefully than most about the theoretical issues at stake in these debates.' - Jeff Astley, International Journal of Education and Religion

    'Andrew Wright ... offers a masterly introduction to a topic that is in danger of becoming obscured by ambiguity, confusion, diversity and incompatible yet hidden assumptions. His book is a model of clarity and balance, aided by soud organization and a very helpful layout ... It makes a major contribution to the field and can be recommended without hesitation to all those interested in spirituality and education.' - John Sullivan, Heythrop Journal, July 2002