This book provides a comprehensive study of the intersection of mindfulness and ethos in Irish Catholic primary schools. Charting the Buddhist origins of mindfulness to the contemporary evolutions, reinterpretations and iterations of the practice the study asks if, and when, mindfulness is (and isn’t) compatible with the educational vision underpinning Catholic primary schools in an increasingly secularised, detraditionalised Irish society. The book contextualises the explosive popularity of mindfulness across many sectors of society, including Irish educational policy and curricular reform, particularly around wellbeing. The book presents a rich analysis of Church teaching and theological research and literature on Catholic education both nationally and internationally, enabling an authentic dialogue with mindfulness practice in Catholic schools to see if common ground can be identified. This is a compelling account of a new chapter in Catholic education's encounter with contemporary culture.
This book evaluates the compatibility of mindfulness and ethos in Irish Catholic primary schools. It explores the origins and developments in mindfulness practices before bringing mindfulness into dialogue with the theological foundations of Catholic education.
Introduction The Conditions of Religious Belief and Experience in the
Contemporary European Context The Contemporary Phenomenon of Mindfulness
The Place of Mindfulness in Irish Education Criteria for a Vision of
Catholic Education Evaluating the Compatibility of Mindfulness with a
Catholic Vision of Education Conclusions, Findings and Recommendations.
Thomas Carroll is Teaching Fellow in Religious Education at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick (MIC). He is currently on secondment from his primary school teaching post. He holds a PhD in Theology and Religious Studies from MIC and has published in the areas of theology, mindfulness and Catholic education.
