Religious Education teachers at primary and secondary levels are increasingly concerned with helping their pupils to understand the spiritual dimension to religion. This handbook aims to provide practical support and contains class activities with detailed guidance for teachers to help them plan and direct these activities - all of which have been class-tested. The background papers and articles on putting experiental methods into practice are intended to provide support for the uninitiated user. The book should also be of use to teachers in training and RE "educators". the book aims to go beyond an examination of the public face of religion and to show a way to begin to approach the inner life of the great spiritual traditions we share in our society. The book intends to allow pupils the opportunity to reflect and learn through their own experience.
Part 1 Introducing the new method: religion and spirituality; seeing
through another's eyes; widening horizons; the learning model; the approach
to learning; classroom management. Part 2 Classroom activities: getting
started; raising awareness; embodying awareness; framing awareness; extending
awareness; endings. Part 3 Applications and implications: sequencing in the
secondary school; integrating with an agreed syllabus; thematic RE in the
primary school; relevance of experiential awareness in a Catholic primary
school; slow learners; multi-faith RE and experiental learning; music,
movement and massage. Part 4: background papers; list of helpful books;
biography of contributors.
