Editorial: 10 years of the Subject Centre
In the End It Needed a Cunning Plan Bernard Moss
Social work education in the UK has been wary about spirituality fearing that it might in some ways jeopardise the profession's hard-earned academic pedigree. In the USA by contrast spirituality has been recognised as being an important dimension for social workers to take into account in their holistic practice. International recognition of its importance has led some UK social work academics and others to begin to explore this concept and relate it to the UK context. This article describes how one social work programme has tackled the challenge and offers a critique of its success. pp. 13-28
Teaching and Assessing Spirituality
Dominic Corrywright and Nick Swarbrick
This paper is an examination of the ways in which Spirituality is taught in two programmes Early Childhood Studies and Religion Culture and Ethics at Oxford Brookes University. It is also a study which provides indicative evidence of the varied contemporary approaches to the study of spirituality in UK Higher Education institutions. The focus of the paper is the teaching and assessment of students within these two different programmes. Both undergraduate programmes have modules that examine different ideas of spirituality how it is practiced and understood within the academy and by practitioners in the field. Equally both have discourse specific conceptions of the spiritual. Both employ innovative teaching to meet learning outcomes. pp. 29-48
Placing Children’s Spirituality on the Map in Education Studies
Kate Adams
Teaching about spirituality in higher education departments outside of religion and philosophy can carry its own particular challenges but those challenges are not necessarily ones that might be anticipated. This paper offers an overview of the creation of a module on children's spirituality in a department of education studies describing its context an outline of its content and students' responses to the course together with a consideration of the issues arising from the module. pp. 49-58
Spiritual Journey Board Game
Aru Narayanasamy and Melanie Jay Narayanasamy
This educational game was developed in response to the concern in health care education that despite evidence about the importance of patients' spiritual needs spiritual care education is impoverished (McSherry 2007; Narayanasamy 2006b). Although conventional teaching strategies including lectures and group sessions have been tried with varying degrees of success in teaching and learning spirituality the sensitive nature of this subject appears to hinder academics and students' engagement with this topic due to fear of vulnerability and disclosure of personal beliefs and values. This educational board game is proposed as an alternative strategy for the teaching and learning of this complex but important subject. pp. 59-80
Spirituality in Healthcare Social Work and Education
Paul Dearey
My recent experience in teaching about spirituality comes from directing an MA programme delivered at the University of Hull. The MA arose after a number of years of activity among academics drawn from different faculties and departments in the University specifically nursing education social work and the humanities. Members of the interdisciplinary group worked on a range of projects before eventually forming the Centre for Spirituality Studies. The Centre engages in research independently and with other similar research centres throughout the UK. One of the Centre's aims from its inception has been to provide postgraduate teaching about spirituality. The task of designing and delivering the MA in Spirituality Studies fell to me. pp. 81-98
Spooky Spirituality: Exploring the Paranormal in HE
Mark Plater
In this article I explore the place of paranormal phenomena in the life and experience of contemporary British society and ask why it is that our undergraduate religious studies courses so predictably avoid the topic. A draft module specification is offered as a possible approach to teaching the subject. pp. 99-112
Developing Creativity in the TRS Curriculum
Richard Noake and Sue Yore
This paper reports on a two year project funded through the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies (PRS) and the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning: Collaboration for Creativity (CETL: C4C) based at York St John University. The project aims were: to develop and enhance modules in Theology and Religious Studies which links subject study (teaching and learning) with the disciplines of creative writing literature and the visual arts; and to also devise assessment modes which provide opportunities for students to submit 'creative assessments' in the form of creative writing and visual artefacts as potentially the sole means of assessment. Although separately conceived the two projects were focussing on the same kinds of challenge and always intended to complement each other; this report deals with them as a connected whole. While the project has highlighted issues and challenges that emerge when giving students the opportunity to do something creative we are increasingly convinced that the potential for making deeper and more insightful links between religious and theological ideas and personal and cultural domains makes it a worthwhile risk. pp. 113-148
Hermits Closed Orders and Congregations
Pekka Pitkanen
This paper examines how the Open Theological College a distance learning course in theology has enabled students from a diverse background to study theology part-time alongside their other commitments in life. Important factors for their success include flexibility and accessibility of the course. It is suggested that for the future besides any improvements related to learning technology the OTC can work yet further to improve the accessibility of the course by working towards building a learning community that involves a yet wider range of individuals and approaches and perspectives to theology within its boundaries. This includes such issues as how communal relationships should be construed and how power between the education provider and learners should be brokered. pp. 149-164
Guiding the Crisis of Faith
Cassandra Farrin
The Quality Assurance Assessment states parenthetically that 'a degree of 'culture shock' may be involved in study of the past as well as the encounter with the beliefs doctrines and practices of contemporary others.' In this brief article I would like to utilize my intercultural training and theoretical interests in religious studies to think creatively about this notion of 'culture shock' and offer up some preliminary questions about the opportunities and pitfalls of one popular model for intercultural sensitivity Milton Bennett's Developmental Model for Intercultural Sensitivity for us as educators in the field of religious studies. It is hoped that further pursuit of these questions might not only aid us pedagogically speaking but also contribute to ongoing conversations about the way(s) we conceptualize religion. pp. 165-182
Ministy and Praxis
John A. Williams
This paper originally written for the conference 'Beyond the Ordinary' which took place at York St John University in June 2009 discusses a Level 2 module of the York St John Foundation Degree in Theology and Ministry. This is the validated programme utilised across several dioceses and other church institutions within the Yorkshire region and beyond for the training of candidates for lay (and some ordained) ministries within the churches. Foundation Degrees were launched by the Government as part of the agenda for widening participation in higher education specifically by providing for innovative strategies of workplace based learning in which 'academic knowledge and understanding integrate with and support the development of vocational skills and competencies' (QAA 2004). Since church ministries could be seen as the 'classic' instance of vocational activity a Foundation Degree would appear to be the ideal form of training for such ministries. The module Ministry and Praxis models a threefold pattern of learning for ministry embracing academic knowledge contextual awareness (requiring reflective practice) and personal formation (both practical skills and faith development). The module design its placement requirement taught content and strategies for assessment and student learning support aim to maximise the integration of these dimensions of learning. pp. 183-192
Are There Any Unacceptable Points of View in the Seminar Room?
Hugh McCormack
This was the winning essay in the PRS Student Essay Competition 2009. pp. 193-200
Inter-faith Pedagogy for Muslims and Christians
Tom Greggs
This article arises from aspects of research in the University of Chester's unique faith-sensitive provision for Yorth Work Training drawing on the data acquired from the pilot and questionnaires. It seeks to set out some of the complexities and issues found in this pedagogical setting arising from theoretical and empirical study; to outline one mode of engagement that has the potential to facilitate inter-faith pedagogy (that of scriptural reasoning); to discuss the application of this method to the higher education classroom; and to outline some of the findings of the pilot scheme with regards to this method of study. pp. 201-226
Curriculum Matters:Assessing a Method of Ministry for Chaplaincy
Ivor Moody
In November 2008 a book was launched called Living and Learning: The Story of Chaplaincy on the Chelmsford Campus of Anglia Ruskin University. The impetus for the book though did not come because of the felt need to mark a significant historical occasion. It came from the fact that some years previously three of its authors the full time Chaplain an academic liaison librarian and a senior lecturer in the Built Environment through two dissertations for MA's in Pastoral Theology and a Doctoral thesis respectively were engaged on an academic theological assessment of what it meant from their different professional standpoints to be members of a Chaplaincy serving a Higher Education institution. When the time came to present a coherent synthesis of all this thinking and writing Living and Learning was born and we were joined in its production by a fourth participant in the Chaplaincy team a member of the Academic Secretariat. Primarily the writing of this book was an academic exercise written by academic staff who themselves happened also to be members of the Chaplaincy team who were seeking to present to the university a credible relevant and respected piece of work that would have cross-curricula appeal and speak to students and staff for whom the academic process is the lifeblood of the institution about the mission and ministry of Chaplaincy and the impact of faith and belief on the university campus. pp. 227-242
The Use of Text in Theological Education in Nigeria
Richard Seed
This article argues that when students create theological meaning from a text they approach this task from a culturally determined perspective. This perspective is identified and shown to replicate aspects of oral interpretation. The result is that in some instances the output of such cognitive processes are not compatible with what Western educationalists call deep or critical thinking. pp. 243-271
