ABSTRACT

Though the promotion of spiritual ‘development’ is statutory in state-maintained schools in England and Wales, it is neither clear what spirituality is nor how schools might educate in this area. In the literature, one finds an array of divergent conceptions of spirituality and spiritual education. There is, indeed, lack of agreement regarding whether spiritual education has any place in schools other than those of a religious character. Some argue that spirituality is beyond definition. I reject the notion that spirituality, and hence spiritual education, is beyond definition. I defend and develop Michael Hand’s ‘education in a spiritual activity’. I argue that spirituality concerns connectivity, or relationship, with the transcendent. This relational understanding of spirituality resembles existing accounts of spirituality as relational and underpins an account of spiritual education as relational education – again resembling existing accounts. However, I distinguish between relational education which concerns a wide range of relationships and spiritual education as a subspecies of relational education which specifically concerns relationship with the transcendent. I argue that reserving the term ‘spiritual’ for relationship with the transcendent would enable teachers and pupils to make the kinds of distinctions which are important in both spiritual education and the wider relational education.

摘要

虽然在英格兰和威尔士的公立学校中促进精神“发展”是法定的，但不清楚什么是精神，也不清楚学校如何在这方面进行教育。在文献中，人们发现了一系列不同的灵性和灵性教育概念。事实上，对于宗教性质的学校以外的学校是否有任何精神教育的地方，人们并没有达成一致意见。有些人认为灵性超出了定义。我反对灵性以及灵性教育超出定义的概念。我捍卫和发展迈克尔·汉德的“精神活动教育”。我认为灵性涉及与超越者的联系或关系。这种对灵性的关系理解类​​似于现有的有关灵性的解释，并支持将灵性教育作为关系教育的解释——再次类似于现有的解释。然而，我将涉及广泛关系的关系教育和作为关系教育的一个亚种的灵性教育区分开来，后者特别关注与超验的关系。我认为，为与超验者的关系保留“精神”一词将使教师和学生能够做出对精神教育和更广泛的关系教育都很重要的区分。我将涉及广泛关系的关系教育和作为关系教育的一个亚种的灵性教育区分开来，后者专门涉及与超验的关系。我认为，为与超验者的关系保留“精神”一词将使教师和学生能够做出对精神教育和更广泛的关系教育都很重要的区分。我将涉及广泛关系的关系教育和作为关系教育的一个亚种的灵性教育区分开来，后者专门涉及与超验的关系。我认为，为与超验者的关系保留“精神”一词将使教师和学生能够做出对精神教育和更广泛的关系教育都很重要的区分。