A volume in International Advances in Education: Global Initiatives for
Equity and Social Justice Series Editors: Elinor L. Brown, University of
Kentucky, Rhonda Craven, University of Western Sydney, and George
McLean, Catholic Universities of America. Religion and spirituality make
critical contributions to an inclusive vision for the welfare of
minorities, the marginalized and other disadvantaged groups in societies
and cultures around the globe. Religious movements and spiritual
traditions work to improve social outcomes for disenfranchised groups by
enriching educational, political, and social agendas, and by providing a
wide variety of justice-driven programs and services. Values
underpinning these services include the dignity of the human person, the
sanctity of human life, the foundational role of families and
communities, the transformative power of learning, and the advancement
of shared personal and social rights and responsibilities. These values
act as a counter-balance to other attitudes and values that may impede
pro-social cohesion and development. Drawing on diverse religious and
spiritual perspectives and traditions, this new volume provides exciting
and enriching examples of theory, research and practice that directly
contribute to our understanding of how religion and spirituality promote
and facilitate social justice and equity in diverse social and cultural
contexts - with a particular focus on educational settings, contexts,
processes and outcomes. Religious communities invest heavily in schools,
colleges and universities in the belief that these educational
institutions enable them to inculcate into their membership the kinds of
moral values and qualities that lie at the heart of their spiritual
teachings. Looking beyond the sacred-secular impasse, religious
organisations attempt to provide a "education for life" which draws from
both the scientia of science and the sapientia of religion and
spirituality. These depth-dimensions provide the pool of values which
enable citizens to enact equity, mercy and justice in society in the
name of God and for the sake of humanity. The chapters which comprise
this volume demonstrate the possibility of a healthy integration between
religion and education from a truly global, transdisciplinary and
ecumenical perspective. From contexts within Asia, Africa, the USA and
Australia, and from disciplines ranging from ethics to social work, from
health to educational curriculum, from personal identity to
community-consciousness; this volume makes a unique contribution to the
theory and practice of the educational and religious inter-face. It is a
contribution which holds a great deal of promise for being
pro-humanitas.
