ABSTRACT
In recent decades, and around the world, much attention has been given to the role of spirituality in the education of children and young people. While educationalists share many common goals and values in nurturing the spiritual lives of children and young people, national and regional cultures, religions and politics have impacted on the approaches scholars and practitioners have adopted in their investigations and practices. The different contexts across nations and regions mean that educators face quite distinct conditions in which to frame their approaches to spiritual education and research, and the nature and impact of these differences is not yet understood.
This book brings together thinkers from around the globe and sets them the task of explaining how their research on children’s spirituality and education has been shaped by the historical, cultural, religious and political contexts of the geographic region in which they work. The book presents contributions in three sections – Europe and Israel, Australasia, and The Americas– and concludes with a chapter highlighting what is common and what is contextually unique about global approaches to spirituality and education.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|96 pages
Spirituality and Education in Europe and Israel
chapter 2|12 pages
Spiritual Development in Schools with No Faith Affiliation
chapter 4|13 pages
The Complex Flavour of Children's Spirituality in Flanders
chapter 6|12 pages
Spirituality and Education in Finland
chapter 7|14 pages
Spirituality in Israeli State Jewish Education
part II|119 pages
Spirituality and Education in the Australasian Region
chapter 9|12 pages
Spirituality and Early Childhood Education in New Zealand and Australia
chapter 11|13 pages
A Perspective on Spiritual Education in Australian Schools
chapter 16|12 pages
Buddha's Beacon and the Long Shadow of Thai Culture
part III|97 pages
Spirituality and Education in the Americas