Drawing on the Spirit of Generation Y project and extensions of that project undertaken in 25 Australian schools by the Christian Research Association, it is argued that the approach to religious knowledge by Australian students can be contrasted with their approach to other forms of knowledge by four features. These are diversity of opinion in…

In this paper, the author states that, as a religious educator, she has come to believe that insufficient attention has been given to the formative influence of religious studies as an academic discipline on the faith lives of undergraduates. She describes the activity of faith as that which brings together the interrelated dimensions of human…

This article examines the notion of spiritual development as it was conceptualised for state schools in Britain through the Conservative Government's education reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, reforms which also introduced the National Curriculum. The article puts forward the argument that spiritual development was conceptualised in such a way as…

This article aims to enlarge the conversation about religion and public education by inviting readers to think about the benefits to be gained in society by providing a comprehensive religious studies curriculum in our public schools. In such a program, students will develop knowledge and understanding about various religious traditions, forge…

This article focuses on the influence of Wilfred Cantwell Smith's presentation of the nature of faith on James W. Fowler's faith-development paradigm. Smith contended that, in the pre-modern era, terms translated by the English words "faith" and "believe" denoted a personal allegiance that did not require assent to any objective assertions. Two…

Over the last fifty years, in three distinct waves of research, psychologists have investigated the religious thinking of children and adolescents. However, they have differed substantially in their conceptual frameworks, methods, and conclusions, making it difficult for educators to determine the overall implications of their findings for…

Empirical research exploring the spiritual lives of young children in Australia is a field in which scholarship is beginning to emerge. This article reports on one particular finding that emerged from an Australian study seeking to identify some characteristics of children's spirituality in Catholic primary schools. The characteristic has been…

Children's religious education is traditionally oriented to initiate children into a religious tradition. The idea--that the child must first receive input and then, when growing up, can start thinking critically--is based on images of children as "not-yet-adults" who should be socialised and protected. Here I will develop an ethical reflection on…

This article addresses teachers' understanding of spiritual development in public and religious schools in Boston and Chicago. It examines how teachers define spiritual development in different educational contexts and looks at the way they relate spirituality to a number of factors including community, identity, and character. The data from the…

Presents a history, since its founding, of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a training association devoted to spiritual preparation of adults so they can meet the spiritual needs of children in the Christian tradition. Focuses on the efficacy of the parable of the Good Shepherd and the future of the Catechesis in parishes and as an…

Thirty years ago this summer "Religious Education" published its first article on faith development theory, entitled "Agenda Toward a Developmental Perspective on Faith," published in "Religious Education" in volume LXIX, March-April 1974, pp. 209-219. At the request of the editors of this journal, it is a privilege to offer an account of some of…

The thesis of this article is that teaching through oral history cultivates a spirit for justice and peace, as well as knowledge and skills that contribute to that spirit. The authors examine periodical literature focused on justice and peace education and analyze a course taught through oral history. Both the literature and case study yield…

Describes imagination as the cognitive faculty that mediates a person's relationship with God. Discusses imagination's integrative function and its realm of pure possibility which facilitates openness to God. States that only through imagination grounded in God's spirit can humankind hope to perceive, with increasing degrees of clarity, God's…

Spiritual living demands growth, and spiritual development has many parallels with human development. Ministers who are knowledgeable of the various stages are best prepared to assist and optimize spiritual growth. The primary benefit of nurturing believers through developmental stages is assured spiritual health and maturity in the context of a…

This article evaluates the portrait of faith development theory and research in James Fowler's article,"Faith Development at 30." Questions are raised: Does Fowler's emphasis on the practical-theological and pastoral focus of faith development contradict its aspiration and disposition for empirical scrutiny? Does Fowler's principal concern with…