Spirituality in counsellor education: a new course

This article describes a graduate course in spirituality in counselling with the hopes of encouraging and supporting other counsellor educators in preparing and offering their own courses in this area. Learning objectives, activities and assignments are outlined. Students' personal experiences of the course are shared through excerpts from their final reflective papers.     

Spirituality, morality, and criticism in education: a response to Kevin Gary

In this short essay I respond to Kevin Gary’s generous review of my book Reclaiming Goodness by considering his two main concerns, that I tend to conflate spirituality and morality and that I am not sufficiently sensitive to tensions between spirituality and critical thinking. I respond by noting that Gary has not taken adequate account of the distinction between deontological morality and aretaic ethics in the first instance and between the Aristotelian notions of Sophia and Phronesis, or pure reason and practical wisdom, in the second.Hanan A. Alexander chairs the Department of Education at the University of Haifa and is a research fellow of the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute.     

Spirituality and child protection in early childhood education: a strengths approach

In recent international and Australian early childhood curriculum guidelines and child-protection policies, the need for teachers of young children to foster spirituality has been highlighted. However, what this might mean in practice has not been widely explored. This article addresses the more controversial issue of spiritual abuse and the right of children to protection in terms of spiritual development. We present a critique of current definitions taken from research and policy documents. Qualitative data provide the research background. Vignettes are presented to give examples of what spiritual harm might look like in practice. Finally, a strengths-based approach is introduced and strategies are suggested in order to explore the potential of the Strengths Approach (a social justice approach originating from social service practice) to aid early years’ teachers to create spiritually protective learning environments. This approach recognises and values children’s holistic development and wellbeing and supports them to appreciate, engage with and question the world around them with a resilient spirit.     

Spirituality and education; inner and outer realities

There is a persisting tendency in attempts to define spirituality, to adopt a dualistic point of view which sees the spirit as somehow impenetrably inner, innate and introspectively perceived, interacting with the outer world through the body. As well as a strong intuitive sense of the correctness of this philosophical point of view, it also is supported by psychotherapeutic perspectives that speak of the private inner being. In this paper I will argue that this view is logically, epistemologically, morally, and psychologically problematic. It will be argued that the concept of an inwardness to our mental life can be distinguished from the view of that life as interior. The perspective that we have of our inward selves is learned and conditional upon a sense of an outer self, functioning and communicating in the public world. Rather than an ego centric conceptualization of spirituality based on the idea of the spirit as inner and logically inaccessible, I we might adopt a sociocentric perspective in which the supremacy of the ego is dissolved in favour of an understanding in which we see ourselves as part of the social and natural outer world in which we exist.     

Spirituality in British state education: an alternative perspective

The purpose of this article is to challenge the assumption that a wholly secular spirituality offers an appropriate basis for encouraging spirituality in state schools. It does this by, firstly, drawing attention to the reality of secularist indoctrination in our society and in our schools. This makes the anxiety about religious indoctrination, so strongly expressed at least since the 1960s, heavily one‐sided. The article then outlines an understanding of spirituality which transcends the secular versus religious debate in offering genuinely common ground, open to all and intuitively perceivable by all. Examples are given of a spiritual plane of experience put alongside two radically different planes: the habitual and the demonic. The purpose of explicit education concerning spirituality thus becomes to develop further awareness of this common ground and its presence or absence in practice. The article concludes by advocating that schools enable serious and respectful debate between different interpretations, secular and religious, of this plane of experience, while seeking to exemplify it in the whole ethos of the school.     

Drama,Spirituality and the Curriculum

The field of drama and moral education has been given some theoretical attention in recent years but little if any theorising has been applied to the area of drama and spiritual education. In UK schools, however, the spiritual education of children is seen as one of a school's core functions and a spiritual dimension has often been important in the global history of drama and acting. Various and conflicting definitions of spirituality and approaches to spiritual education exist. In this article, I begin with an attempt to make connections between these approaches and recent epistemologies of drama education. I then outline a possible theoretical framework for defining spirituality, influenced largely by anthropological and cultural studies, and exemplify it by drawing upon examples from existing practices in the fields of theatre and educational drama. I then conclude by speculating as to how these ideas might find practical expression within a drama curriculum.     

Spirituality, the New Opiate

This article contrasts traditional spiritualities with those offered by the contemporary New Age movement. An appeal is made for the recovery of the spiritual core in various faith traditions as well as for the necessity of moral growth and social commitment in New Age culture.     

Ritualistic,Theistic, and Existential Spirituality: Initial Psychometric Qualities of the RiTE Measure of Spirituality

An expanded model to conceptualize sacred human experiences is discussed wherein the term Spirituality is broadened to include: (1) Ritualistic Spirituality, (2) Theistic Spirituality, and (3) Existential Spirituality. However, a measure incorporating this expanded model does not yet exist. A 67-item self-report questionnaire was developed and data were collected from 1,301 undergraduate students. A series of factor analytic procedures yielded a three-factor structure consistent with the guiding theoretical model and refinement produced three 10-item subscales. Evidence for construct validity and sound psychometric properties was indicative of a reliable, valid, and unique tool to assess the multidimensional nature of spirituality.     

Spirituality and humour: making connections for early childhood education

In looking at the relations between children’s spirituality and children’s expressions of humour, this paper explores the connections between the findings and theoretical implications and contributions of two separate empirical studies carried out with children between the ages of 5 and 6, in Cyprus and the US. Findings from the phenomenological study in the US point to joy (joyfulness and delight), concern for others (kindness, compassion and caring), relationships (importance and value of friends and family) and imagination (use and exploration in play), as observed expressions of children’s spirituality. Initial links between these findings and findings from the study completed in Cyprus, using the theoretical framework of The Theory of the Absurd and the Empowerment Theory, point at the importance of children’s story productions and the use of their imagination, as an expression of both their spiritual and humourous selves. Educational implications point to teachers allowing for kindergarteners to participate in story telling including incongruity, humourous symbols, violation of rules and violence, to convey humour, mixing these elements with expressions of imagination, joy and concern, through nurturing relationships with others, to express aspects of their spirituality. Other connections between the findings in these studies point at the potential importance of engaging children in story telling to create spiritual meaning and understanding, and overall nurture children’s spirituality.     

Psychology,Religion, and Spirituality

This study focused on the relation between the manner in which pray-ers perceive God (God concept) and their tendencies to choose various prayer types. A sample of 114 Jewish Israeli religious men responded to multidimensional measures of God concept (Benevolent, Evaluation, Omniness, Guiding, and Deisticness) and of prayer type (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication, Reception). Canonical correlation analysis uncovered a significant canonical model. Two canonical functions, explaining a total of 36.5% of the variance, were selected for interpretation. Function 1 indicated a perception of God as a benevolent and guiding God together with supplicative prayer. Function 2 indicated a perception of God as a meaningful and close God with active thanksgiving prayer. These results provide support for the notion that the manner in which an individual perceives God and the manner in which that individual chooses to pray to God are indeed related.     

Globalization,Spirituality and the Management of Education

This paper provides some brief working positions on spirituality and educational management before moving on to its principal focus on globalization. My objective is to arrive at a sufficiently clear understanding of the meanings and effects of globalization; such an understanding could then be used to facilitate a useful exploration of the implications of globalization for spiritual development, and for the role that educational management currently plays in it. Globalization is described as having a variety of faces, some benign, some malign, with most of these having major effects upon both educational management and spirituality. In particular, I argue that there is increasing evidence that different aspects of globalization are leading to a paradoxical increase in both control and fragmentation effects on schools, and that there must therefore be an increased scrutiny of the effects of globalization on education generally.     

Recovery,Spirituality and Psychotherapy

This article concerns the relationship between addiction recovery, spirituality and psychotherapy. Since its founding, members of AA have been encouraged to pursue a spiritual life. They have also sought psychotherapy. A paradox obtains, because 51 % of therapists are atheists. Others have little awareness of the dynamics of the spiritual life. The developmental process of the spiritual life is discussed, and suggestions are made regarding how a therapist might be helpful in this process.     

Spirituality,Morality and Poetry

This paper illustrates how poetry can play a major role in facilitating adolescents' spiritual and moral development. Examples are given of adolescents' responses to poems, when the pedagogy they experienced was influenced by reader response theory, to illustrate the seminal value of this genre and teaching methodology in fostering spiritual and moral reflection and growth. The link between poetry, spirituality and morality is examined with reference to writers in the field of literature. Finally, selected findings from a 3-year longitudinal case study of readers' responses to poems are reported to illustrate conclusions drawn concerning the value of poetry in the education of the whole person.     

Spirituality and transformation in a community-based group in the Bahamas

Understanding the specific contexts where spirituality may or may not be helpful has been identified as a priority in spirituality and health research. The study aims were to clarify the helpfulness of spirituality and the interrelationships among transformation, spirituality, and forgiveness in this community-based group offered in a societal context of violence. Sixteen group participants from the Bahamas were selected and interviewed. Nine participants were female (56%); 75% identified as Black and 25% identified as White/Caucasian. NVivo 11 software was used. Transformation and spirituality themes were prevalent: themes related to prayer, group connection, and compassion were prominent. Selected spirituality themes were proximal to transformation themes, particularly forgiving others. The group process themes were closely linked to transformation themes. Participants noted that modelling by the group provided support for them to forgive and change. These findings may inform future efforts to intervene in communities experiencing violence and societal fragmentation.     

Spirituality, Gender, and Expressive Selfhood

This article discusses contemporary spiritualities, focusing in particular on the recent growth of practices attending to "mind, body, and sprit" and centered on the goal of "holistic well-being." We argue that the growing popularity of such "holistic spirituality" since the 1980s can be greatly illuminated by reference to Charles Taylor's account of the expressive mode of modern selfhood. Taylor's account is limited, however, by its inability to explain why women are disproportionately active within the sphere of holistic spirituality. By paying closer attention to gender, we seek to refine Taylor's approach and to advance our understanding of contemporary spirituality. Drawing on findings from two qualitative studies of holistic spirituality and health carried out in the United Kingdom, this article offers an analysis of what the "subjective turn" may mean for women. We argue that holistic spiritualities align with traditional spheres and representations of femininity, while simultaneously supporting and encouraging a move away from selfless to expressive selfhood. By endorsing and sanctioning "living life for others" and "living life for oneself," holistic spiritualities offer a way of negotiating dilemmas of selfhood that face many women — and some men—in late modern contexts .     

Disconnection, Depression, and Spirituality: A Study of the Role of Spirituality and Meaning in the Lives of Individuals with Severe Depression

This qualitative study explores the role of spirituality and meaning among 15 participants suffering from severe depression. During the time of this study, all the participants were in treatment at Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center. The emerging themes are: (1) depression creates a sense of spiritual disconnection. Participants indicated feeling disconnected from God, the community, and oneself; (2) spirituality plays an important role in coping with the pain of depression; (3) there exists a deep yearning for a sense of meaning and a struggle to make sense of one’s pain; and (4) coming to terms with one’s circumstances and one’s depression at some level assists in the healing process.