DOCSLIB.ORG

Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Development in Education Held by Teachers and Students on Teacher Training Courses

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Development in Education Held by Teachers and Students on Teacher Training Courses Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Development in Education held by Teachers and Students on Teacher Training Courses UWIC PhD D. Martin Rawle CONTENTS ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION: Rationale 1 Research aims and questions 3 CHAPTER 1: Spirituality and schools 5 1.1 The 1944 Education Act 5 1.2 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate – Curriculum 11-16 7 1.3 The 1988 Education Reform Act 9 1.4 Inspection of SMSC 10 1.5 Discussion Papers 12 1.6 Spirituality and Church schools 23 CHAPTER 2: Review of literature 29 2.1 The (in)coherence of the current guidance 32 2.2 Spirituality and morality 33 2.3 Spirituality and religion 43 2.3.1 Confusion within and between religions. Spirituality or implicit religion 48 2.3.2 Spirituality and the rejection of religion 57 2.4 Spirituality – a plethora of definitions 60 2.4.1 Confusion 61 2.4.2 The need for clarity 63 2.4.3 Range of contemporary meanings 65 2.4.4 Dictionary definitions and origins 66 2.4.5 Wholeness and full humanity 68 2.4.6 The distinctive nature of the spiritual 71 2.4.7 Transcendence 72 2.4.8 Relationships 77 2.4.9 Ultimate questions and the search for meaning 81 2.5 The extent, types and causes of spiritual experiences 88 2.5.1 The extent of spiritual experiences 89 2.5.2 Triggers or causes of spiritual experiences 95 2.5.3 Spontaneous or worked for? 100 2.6 The value and benefits of spiritual experience and developing the spiritual 102 2.7 Spirituality and truth 110 2.8 Spirituality and education 116 2.8.1 Spirituality and schools 116 2.8.2 Spirituality and the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child. 118 2.8.3 Spirituality and movements which have shaped education 118 2.8.4 Spiritual literacy 121 2.8.5 Spirituality and teachers 122 2.8.6 Methods used to promote and address the spiritual development of children 125 2.9 A synthesis of spirituality in schools 131 CHAPTER 3: Methodology 138 3.1 Setting a research design 138 3.2 Ontological, epistemological and methodological decisions 140 3.3 The nature of inquiry – research paradigms 141 3.3.1 The positivist and scientific approach 142 3.3.2 Naturalistic approaches – interpretivism, phenomenology, ethnomethodology and symbolic interaction 146 3.3.3 Critical theory 152 3.4 Methodologies adopted by others researching spirituality 155 3.5 Research methods used in this investigation 165 3.5.1 Survey 165 3.5.2 Questionnaires and questionnaire design 167 3.5.3 Interviews 178 3.6. Research sample 182 3.7 Research ethics 187 3.8 Validity and reliability 188 3.9 Collection and interpretation of materials 194 3.9.1 Collecting and analysing words and phrases 195 3.9.2 Organising and presenting the data 198 3.9.3 Content analysis and grounded theory 199 3.10 Presentation of data, languages of description and analysis 201 CHAPTER 4: Presentation and analysis of results 202 4.1 Research aims 203 4.2 Responses to questions asked 204 4.2.1 The meaning of spirituality and the correspondence of the guidance for teachers and schools 204 4.2.1.2 Religion 209 4.2.1.3 The distinction between spirituality and religion 212 4.2.1.4 Personal philosophy 215 4.2.1.5 Moral principles and values 218 4.2.1.6 Social skills and relationships with others 219 4.2.1.7 Increased awareness of life and the world 221 4.3 The extent and meaning of ‘spiritual experiences’ 223 4.3.1 Types of spiritual experience 226 4.3.1.1 Religious experience 226 4.3.1.2 Moments of crisis or sadness or significant happiness and spiritual experience 229 4.3.1.3 Aesthetic appreciation of beauty and experiencing the spiritual in the commonplace 233 4.4 Spiritual experiences in school 238 4.4.1 The curriculum, school life and spiritual development 240 4.5 Spiritual development of pupils 248 4.5.1 Exposing pupils to different views 249 4.5.2 Allowing pupils the freedom to make their own decisions 251 4.5.3 Encouraging pupils to have the capacity to act upon their principles 252 4.5.4 Enabling them to reflect, question and look deeply at the world of which they find themselves a part 254 4.6 The role of the teacher in the spiritual development of pupils 256 4.6.1 Professional responsibility to foster the spiritual development of pupils 256 4.6.2 Planning of opportunities for the spiritual development of pupils 257 4.6.3 Age and gender related to responsibility and attitude 258 4.6.4 Attitudes linked to age phase taught 259 4.6.5 Subject specialism 260 4.7 Strategies used to promote the spiritual development of pupils 265 4.8 Reasons for not providing opportunities for spiritual development 270 4.9 Positive steps in promoting spiritual development 272 4.9.1 Different and shared approaches to spiritual development 273 CHAPTER 5: Conclusions and recommendations 277 5.1 Research aims and questions 277 5.2 Legislation and guidance 278 5.3 The review of literature examined 279 5.4 Main findings of the research 282 5.4.1 Correspondence of responses with guidance 282 5.4.1.1 Religion 284 5.4.1.2 Personal philosophy 285 5.4.1.3 Moral 286 5.4.1.4 Social skills and relationships 286 5.4.1.5 Increased awareness of life and the world 287 5.4.2 Implementation of guidance and statutory requirement 288 5.4.2.1 Professional responsibility to foster spiritual development 288 5.4.2.2 The planning for and delivery of opportunities for spiritual development 288 5.4.3 Gender, length of service, age phase in which they teach or train, and subject specialism 290 5.5 Implications 291 5.6 Recommendations 296 5.6.1 Removing the legislative requirement for spiritual development 297 5.6.2 Keeping the current legislative requirement 298 5.6.3 The preferred option 301 5.7. Implications for my own professional development 302 BIBLIOGRAPHY: 305 APPENDIX: 336 Appendix 1 337 Appendix 2 342 Tables: Table I: Percentages of respondents who defined ‘spirituality’ in terms of principles derived from: 208 Table II: Identified beliefs of respondents in order of priority where given 210 Table III: Curriculum subjects and aspects of school life in order of priority which ‘helped’ spiritual development based on 428 student responses 241 Table IV: Curriculum subjects and aspects of school life in order of priority which ‘hindered’ spiritual development based on 428 student responses 242 Table V: Percentage of teachers and students by subject who considered it part of their role to foster spiritual development 262 Table VI: Percentage of teachers and students by subject who consciously planned opportunities for spiritual development 263 Table VII: Percentage of teachers and students by subject who claimed to have had a spiritual experience 264 Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Development in Education held by Teachers and Students on Teacher Training Courses Abstract Current legislation requires schools in England and Wales to promote the spiritual development of their pupils. The non-statutory guidance provided by various bodies has resulted in broad and inclusive definitions of the ‘spiritual’ and ‘spiritual development’ which combines both the religious and the secular and applies to all areas of the curriculum and school life. The world of academia has responded to this quasi-official guidance with varying degrees of approval to downright hostility, exposing the pretence that all agree with the current definitions and guidance. This thesis examines, by means of a cross-sectional survey, using qualitative and quantitative data gathered by means of questionnaire and interview, the perceptions of a sample of student teachers (428) on teacher training courses and qualified teachers (76) of the meanings of 'spirituality', 'spiritual experience' and 'spiritual development'. Although different viewpoints emerge, some underlying themes can be discerned. 'Spirituality' is conceived as the acquisition of a set of principles to guide everyday living, which may be derived from a religion, from a personal philosophy or from beliefs concerning morality, relationships with others, and an increased awareness of life and the world. The 'spiritual development' of pupils is seen to imply their freedom to search for and decide the principles they will adopt. The views of respondents on the extent to which 'spiritual development' should form part of the teacher's role are also reported, and it is suggested that current terminology associated with ‘spirituality’ be replaced with terms which students and teachers can more readily understand. Acknowledgements It is with a genuine sense of gratitude that I acknowledge the unstinting kindness of a large number of people who have helped in the preparation of this thesis. I count myself lucky to have as my first Director of Studies Dr Arthur Geen followed by Dr Keith Strange and in addition to have been supervised by Professor Brian Davies, Dr Shirley Egley, Dr Sian Rhiannon Williams and Dr Ruth Wright. Their expertise in the field and continual enthusiasm, guidance and advice has warned me of some of my more glaring errors or fatuous assumptions. Those that remain, or course, are my fault. I should also like to thank all those students, teachers and tutors who so willingly gave of their time and made this research possible. Finally I should like to thank my family for their patient support and encouragement. Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Development in Education held by Teachers and Students on Teacher Training Courses Introduction Rationale and context The spiritual aspect of a person is considered to be a key feature of what makes us human.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Spirituality and Healthcare—Common Grounds for the Secular and Religious Worlds and Its Clinical Implications
    religions Article Spirituality and Healthcare—Common Grounds for the Secular and Religious Worlds and Its Clinical Implications Marcelo Saad 1,* and Roberta de Medeiros 2 1 Spiritist-Medical Association of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 04310-060, Brazil 2 Medicine School, Centro Universitário Lusíada, São Paulo, SP 11050-071, Brazil; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The spiritual dimension of patients has progressively gained more relevance in healthcare in the last decades. However, the term “spiritual” is an open, fluid concept and, for health purposes, no definition of spirituality is universally accepted. Health professionals and researchers have the challenge to cover the entire spectrum of the spiritual level in their practice. This is particularly difficult because most healthcare courses do not prepare their graduates in this field. They also need to face acts of prejudice by their peers or their managers. Here, the authors aim to clarify some common grounds between secular and religious worlds in the realm of spirituality and healthcare. This is a conceptual manuscript based on the available scientific literature and on the authors’ experi- ence. The text explores the secular and religious intersection involving spirituality and healthcare, together with the common ground shared by the two fields, and consequent clinical implications. Summarisations presented here can be a didactic beginning for practitioners or scholars involved in health or behavioural sciences. The authors think this construct can favour accepting the patient’s spiritual dimension importance by healthcare professionals, treatment institutes, and government policies. Keywords: religion; spirituality; humanism; healthcare; medicine; secularism; worldviews Citation: Saad, Marcelo, and Roberta de Medeiros.
    [Show full text]
  • Elvis' Gospel Music
    Religions 2015, 6, 182–203; doi:10.3390/rel6010182 OPEN ACCESS religions ISSN 2077-1444 www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Article Elvis’ Gospel Music: Between the Secular and the Spiritual? Mark Duffett Media and Cultural Studies, University of Chester, Warrington WA2 0DB, UK; E-Mail: [email protected] Academic Editor: Edward Foley Received: 5 January 2015 / Accepted: 15 February 2015 / Published: 9 March 2015 Abstract: Do fans sanctify their heroes? In the past, I have argued that Elvis fandom is not a neo-religious practice but that attention to a modified version of Durkheim’s theory of religion can, nevertheless, help to explain it as a form of social interaction. I take that argument further here, first by revealing the ethical and analytical advantages of neo-Durkheimian theory, then by pitting this theory against three aspects of Elvis’ sincere engagement with gospel music. Elvis Presley won three Grammy awards for his gospel albums and was the musician who did most to bring the gospel quartet tradition to the mainstream. His eclectic personal ties to spirituality and religion have become a focus of debate within his fan culture. They offer a set of discursive resources through which to explain the emotional impact and social influence of his music. If star musicians are positioned as centres of attention, what happens when they use their privileged position in the spotlight to offer a “spiritual” message? Keywords: Elvis; gospel music; fandom; Durkheim; spirituality; totemism I can understand that people have spiritual leanings and want to find a way to God. But there is only one way to God.
    [Show full text]
  • Spirituality: History and Contemporary Developments – an Evaluation
    Page 1 of 12 Original Research Spirituality: History and contemporary developments – An evaluation Author: Spirituality is increasingly becoming a popular concept both in the media and in academic 1 Anne C. Jacobs literature. However, there is a vast difference between the original concepts of spirituality, Affiliation: which were largely based on a Biblical view, and many contemporary perceptions thereof. 1School of Philosophy, Spirituality is generally seen as being divorced from any specific religion and specific truth North-West University, claims. Nevertheless, it can be stated that spirituality is now seen as a universal human Potchefstroom, South Africa phenomenon. An evaluation of these trends is attempted by studying the concept in its Correspondence to: original Biblical context, and by understanding the development of the dichotomy between Anne Jacobs religion and spirituality. Email: [email protected] Spiritualiteit: Geskiedenis en hedendaagse ontwikkelinge: ’n Evaluering. Spiritualiteit Postal address: word ’n toenemend populêre konsep, beide in die media en in akademiese literatuur. Dit is Internal Box 208, belangrik om op te merk dat daar ’n groot verskil is tussen die oorspronklike konsep van Potchefstroom Campus, spiritualiteit, wat op ’n Bybelse siening gegrond was, en baie van die hedendaagse persepsies North-West University, Private Bag X6001, daarvan. In die meeste gevalle word spiritualiteit tans beskou as iets wat van enige spesifieke Potchefstroom 2520, godsdiens asook spesifieke aansprake op waarheid geskei is. Daar kan wel gestel word dat South Africa spiritualiteit vandag as ’n universele menslike eienskap beskou kan word. Hierdie tendense word geëvalueer deur die konsep in die oorspronklike Bybelse konteks te bestudeer en deur Dates: Received: 03 Sept.
    [Show full text]
  • Secular Spirituality/Mundane Media: One Newspaper’S In-Depth Coverage of Buddhism Rick Clifton Moore Boise State University
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Boise State University - ScholarWorks Boise State University ScholarWorks Communication Faculty Publications and Department of Communication Presentations 10-1-2008 Secular Spirituality/Mundane Media: One Newspaper’s In-Depth Coverage of Buddhism Rick Clifton Moore Boise State University This is a preprint of an article whose final and definitive form has been published in the Journal of Media and Religion © 2008 Taylor & Francis; Journal of Media and Religion is available online at: http://www.informaworld.com This is a preprint of an article whose final and definitive form has been published in the Journal of Media & Religion © 2008 Taylor & Francis; Journal of Media & Religion is available online at: http://www.informaworld.com Secular Spirituality/Mundane Media: One Newspaper’s In-depth Coverage of Buddhism Rick Clifton Moore, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Communication Boise State University Boise, ID 83725-1920 [email protected] Phone: (208) 426-3562 Fax: (208) 426-1069 Abstract: This paper addresses Mark Silk’s theory of “unsecular media” through a case study of a visit the Dalai Lama made to the United States. Silk contends the themes (what he calls “topoi”) media use to cover religion are derived from Western faiths. Thus, according to Silk, when Western religious principles are used to write about Western religious practices, those practices are generally evaluated positively. In the analysis that follows I examine the extent to which Silk’s topoi were used to report about Buddhism, an obviously “Eastern” religion. The basic findings suggest that Silk’s topoi were readily applied in the stories analyzed here, but more importantly that the tone of coverage this produces was quite positive.
    [Show full text]
  • Spirituality and Secularity
    68 SPIRITUALITY AND SECULARITY By PETER H. VAN NESS HIS ARTICLE WILL BE AN exploration of the relations between spirituality and secularity, and it will pursue this end by considering the phenomenon of secular spirituality. T In adopting this strategy I clearly assume the meaningful- ness of ascribing a spiritual dimension to some secular beliefs and behaviours. Two types of considerations motivate this judgement. The first is simply the sociological observation that there are persons who describe themselves, their beliefs, and their behaviours as spiritual even though they acknowledge no bond of doctrine or community with any historical religion. The second consideration is philosophical and follows from the definition of spirituality assumed here: it allows that being religious is not a necessary condition for being spiritual. A secular spirituality is neither validated nor invali- dated by religious varieties of spirituality. Its status is related to them but separable, and because of this relative independence, its meaning is somewhat problematic. Thus further specification of the crucial notions of spirituality and secularity is required; especially, it needs to be demonstrated that a secular spirituality is at least theoretically distinguishable from both a religious spirituality and a conception of secular life that is not spiritual. Hypotheses about the nature of secular spirituality offered here will not be dogmatically asserted nor will they be proleptically substantiated; they will simply be given sufficient conceptual preci- sion to serve as a provisional framework for the diverse varieties of contemporary secular spirituality.1 Briefly stated, the spiritual aspect of human existence is hypothe- sized to have an outer and an inner complexion.
    [Show full text]
  • True Spirituality Free
    FREE TRUE SPIRITUALITY PDF Francis A Schaeffer | 180 pages | 01 Sep 2001 | Tyndale House Publishers | 9780842373517 | English | Wheaton, IL, United States True Spirituality: Francis A. Schaeffer: - After serving as True Spirituality pastor for over a decade, Francis Schaeffer - founder of L'Abri Fellowship - found himself True Spirituality with deeply perplexing questions like these. He was tired of not seeing results in his own spiritual life and others'. He found himself talking about Christianity, but not living it. So, as a pastor, he decide True Spirituality "start at the beginning" - go back to agnosticism - and reexamine his Christian faith. When the book was published thirty years ago, it shook the Christian world. Young people flocked to L'Abri, his spiritual retreat center in the Swiss Alps. Today, it's a classic book on understanding what real Christianity is all about - what it means to follow Jesus moment by moment. Schaeffer Francis A. SchaefferJ. Moreland Francis A. The book is a treasure trove of wisdom for Christians trying to discover what true spirituality looks like in everyday life. Includes a foreword by Chuck Colson and an introduction by Dr. Jerram Barrs, director of the Schaeffer Institute. What would True Spirituality like to know about True Spirituality product? Please enter your name, your email and your question regarding the product in the fields below, and we'll answer you in the next hours. You can unsubscribe at any time. Enter email address. Welcome to Christianbook. Sign in or create an account. Search by title, catalog stockauthor, isbn, etc. True Spirituality Sale of the Season.
    [Show full text]
  • Music and Spirituality
    Music and Spirituality Edited by Edward Foley Printed Edition of the Special Issue Published in Religions www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Edward Foley (Ed.) Music and Spirituality This book is a reprint of the special issue that appeared in the online open access journal Religions (ISSN 2077-1444) in 2014 (available at: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/music_spirituality). Guest Editor Edward Foley Catholic Theological Union 5416 S. Cornell Ave. Chicago, IL 60615, USA Editorial Office MDPI AG Klybeckstrasse 64 Basel, Switzerland Publisher Shu-Kun Lin Production Editor Jeremiah R. Zhang 1. Edition 2015 MDPI • Basel • Beijing • Wuhan ISBN 978-3-03842-099-6 © 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. All articles in this volume are Open Access distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. However, the dissemination and distribution of copies of this book as a whole is restricted to MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. III Table of Contents List of Contributors ............................................................................................................... V Edward Foley Music and Spirituality—Introduction Reprinted from: Religions 2015, 6(2), 638-641 http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/2/638 ............................................................................IX
    [Show full text]
  • The Spirituality of a Diocesan Priest Noel Sheth SJ Dept of Indian Studies, JDV, Pune 411014
    JPJRS 8/1 ISSN 0972-3331, Jan 2005 145-165 The Spirituality of a Diocesan Priest Noel Sheth SJ Dept of Indian Studies, JDV, Pune 411014 Abstract A diocesan priest has often been considered inferior to a reli­ gious priest. The Second Vatican Council neglected the dioc­ esan priest to a large extent. In this article the author pays atten­ tion first to those means that are more characteristic or more appropriate to the specific spirituality of a diocesan priest, and then takes up some common spiritual means to holiness which have a particular application to diocesan priests. Finally, the au­ thor mentions certain aspects of Indian spirituality that would help diocesan priests in India to be more inculturated. The diocesan priest is truly called to the challenging, even heroic, task of bridging the two poles of the sacred and the secular, of prayer and work, grace and effort. He resolves this polarity by becoming a con­ templative in action, by surrendering himself to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and at the same time spending himself in selfless pastoral service of the people entrusted to him. His is a secular spirituality that does not keep the two poles juxtaposed in a happy balance, but that rather brings about a total compenetration of the two poles, so that prayer and action be­ come but two aspects of the same total dedication and service. He does this by configuring himself to Christ who also united together the two poles of the sacred and the secular, the divine and the human.
    [Show full text]
  • Religion and Spirituality: What Are the Fundamental Differences?
    HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422 Page 1 of 11 Original Research Religion and spirituality: What are the fundamental differences? Author: Some Victorian evolutionary thinkers, such as James Frazer, theorised that humanity’s mental 1 brimadevi van Niekerk stages are characterised by magic, followed by religion, culminating in science. Put another Affiliation: way, the notion of humanity’s encounter with the sacred in society will eventually retreat, 1Department of Christian giving way to secular conditions, and that science and rationality would triumph as a more Spirituality, Church History, persuasive means of satisfying human needs. In this first foray in explorations on spirituality and Missiology, University of and religion, this article asks what the fundamental differences between religion and South Africa, South Africa spirituality are, and will examine the aspects of spirituality that are freely accessible and freely Corresponding author: chosen and that are uneasy with religion, by looking at some of the constructed borders that brimadevi Van Niekerk, result in religion becoming narrow, rigid, prescriptive and less attractive. The article then [email protected] examines how the phenomenon of spirituality is creating new paradigms of consciousness. Dates: It draws on the literature on religion, spirituality, sociology and anthropology, and concludes Received: 14 Feb. 2018 that religion will not go away despite the efforts of secularisation. Accepted: 14 Mar. 2018 Published: 30 May 2018 How to cite this article: Introduction Van Niekerk, b., 2018, Some Victorian evolutionary thinkers, such as James Frazer, theorised that humanity’s mental ‘Religion and spirituality: What are the fundamental stages are characterised by magic, followed by religion, culminating in science.
    [Show full text]
  • Full Diss Draft 4-18-18 FINAL
    Copyright Linda C. Ceriello April 2018 ABSTRACT Metamodern Mysticisms: Narrative Encounters with Contemporary Western Secular Spiritualities by Linda C. Ceriello The phenomenon of secular spirituality has grown increasingly visible in the contemporary Western world in the past two decades. From oral or written narratives of life-altering realizations that unchurched individuals describe using spiritual vernacular, to the plethora of encounters with the supernatural and paranormal depicted in popular culture, broad interest in and even comfort with mystical and non-ordinary experience is found more than ever in contexts not considered traditionally religious. The spiritual but not religious (SBNR) identity as a Western contemporary idiom in some sense curates this secular-spiritual space in the current cultural landscape. This project seeks to ask how, why now, and to what effect. To do so, I examine the SBNR and popular cultural instances of lay spiritual encounters that I am calling secondhand mysticism. Looking at how contemporary individuals encounter the mystical and non-ordinary will help shed light on the phenomenon of decontextualized, secular mystical experiences themselves, and will help consider new frameworks for viewing some of the central debates within mysticism studies. These types of encounters trouble the well-trodden perennialism-constructivism binary, and will consequently be a rich inroad to illuminating the larger epistemic terrain that undergirds the SBNR that I refer to as metamodernism. This project seeks to add to two types of recent efforts that have forged new theoretical bases for interdisciplinary scholarship in the twenty-first century: The first is the scholarly engagement with mysticisms as a “gnostic” enterprise.
    [Show full text]
  • Investigating Climbing As a Spiritual Experience a Thesis Presented To
    Investigating Climbing as a Spiritual Experience A thesis presented to the faculty of The Patton College of Education of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Recreation and Sport Sciences Michael F. Pond May 2013 © 2013 Michael F. Pond. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled Investigating Climbing as a Spiritual Experience by MICHAEL F. POND has been approved for the Department of Recreation and Sport Pedagogy and The Patton College of Education by Bruce C. Martin Assistant Professor of Recreation and Sport Pedagogy Renée A. Middleton Dean, The Patton College of Education 3 Abstract POND, MICHAEL F., M.S.R.S., May 2013, Recreation Studies Investigating Climbing as a Spiritual Experience (126 pp.) Director of Thesis: Bruce C. Martin This research explores the role that climbing plays in the spirituality of climbers. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted following the framework of phenomenology which yielded five major themes. This study identified ways in which climbing was spiritually enriching, climbing’s influence on spiritual development and wellbeing, how climbing led to having spiritual experiences and the outcomes of these experiences, and the ways in which participants created their own spiritual practices and beliefs independently of organized institutions. William James’ criteria for mystical experiences were used as a framework for analyzing spiritual experiences. This study highlights the lack of a theoretical framework that specifically applies spirituality to the context of serious leisure. This research contributes to the bodies of literature regarding spirituality, leisure studies, and literature relating to spirituality within leisure contexts. 4 Dedication This thesis is dedicated to all those who find solace in high places: those whose minds are clearer when the air is a bit thinner and who, when in doubt, go higher.
    [Show full text]
  • Secular Spirituality Versus Secular Dualism: Towards Postsecular Holism As Model for a Natural Theology
    Secular spirituality versus secular dualism: Towards postsecular holism as model for a natural theology Cornel W du Toit Institute for Theology and Missiology University of South Africa Abstract The term “secular spirituality” is meant to convey the contemporary phenomenon of spirituality as experienced in different spheres not associated with structured, institutionalised religion. An outline is given of the relation between secular reality (the natural realm) and religious/spiritual reality (the supernatural realm), as it developed from pre-secular animism (pre-modern unity with nature) to secular dualism (modernism) to post-secular holism (influence of postmodernism). Then follows a brief discussion of secular spirituality in Africa with reference to struggle spirituality. Secular spirituality in its technospiritual mode is becoming increasingly important and is dealt with cursorily before dealing with secular spirituality as a model for a postmodern natural theology. In this context “natural theology” is not concerned with proofs of God’s existence, but seeks to integrate the natural and supernatural dimensions of human life meaningfully. 1. INTRODUCTION The term “spirituality” can mean anything from a profound spiritual experience to an aesthetic experience; or it can simply fulfil a rhetorical function as an adjective or adverb. It may also be used metonymically to signify a sense of ecstasy, self-transcendence/joy/growth/renewal; unity; profound meaning; insight; religious experience, and the like. McGrath (1999:2) defines it thus: “Spirituality concerns the quest for a fulfilled and authentic life, involving the bringing together of the ideas distinctive of … [some] religion and the whole experience of living on the basis of and within the scope of that religion.” We shall use the term in light of this definition.
    [Show full text]