Spirituality and Higher Education
The Need for Spiritual Learning in Higher Education
B. Williams
University of Blah Blah
Abstract
Spiritual learning has been something that was once considered a principle in higher education, yet has since become a social taboo. The secularization of colleges and universities gave rise to the principle of neutrality in terms of religion. Rather than simply maintaining this neutrality, higher education has instead become almost completely silent in terms of spirituality—an important component to human development. Embracing spiritual learning in a way that maintains the principle of religious neutrality, while at the same time encouraging spiritual development, will have long ...
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of higher education,” (Sharma, 2001). Over time, however, the secularization of schools and changes to the mainstream paradigm of life has largely silenced and even shunned spiritual learning in the American educational system. Daryl Gilley (2005) indicated, “with the exception of adult religious education, spirituality has been given little attention in mainstream academic adult education.” It is obvious that colleges and universities have tried to take the stance of neutrality when it comes to religion, but the unfortunate reality is that over time, higher education has become spiritually silent. Does this spiritual silence come as a detriment to today’s students, faculty, and to the world at large? Is spiritual education even important today?
I conclude that spiritual growth is as important as intellectual, rational, and logical development, that it is a critical component in tackling key issues affecting the world, and that there is also a deep need and desire for ...
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founded to perpetuate Puritan thinking, became secularized,” (Raper, 2001, p. 13). Colleges and universities began to be viewed as institutions of critical and intellectual thinking. Consequently, there were many great benefits to this secularization of education, “but the greatest benefit of secularization was the recognition of religious perspectives other than Protestantism,” (Raper, 2001, p.15). This recognition of other religious beliefs should have led to the sharing and expression of various religious thoughts and ideas. Unfortunately, in today’s higher education culture, this is not the case.
Defining Spirituality
In examining this issue, it is important to clarify ...
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"Spirituality and Higher Education." Essayworld.com. May 13, 2011. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Spirituality-and-Higher-Education/99126.
"Spirituality and Higher Education." Essayworld.com. May 13, 2011. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Spirituality-and-Higher-Education/99126.
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