Book Description

A case for the inclusion of spiritual awareness as a cross-curricular element in the school syllabusSpirituality is increasingly acknowledged to be an essential part of child development. David Hay argues for the inclusion of spiritual awareness as a cross-curricular element in the school syllabus to promote the development of morality and social cohesion. While culturally constructed pressures and the decline in institutional religion have led to the suppression of spiritual expression, children are, the author maintains, capable of profound and meaningful beliefs from an early age. A three-year research study into young children's spirituality and its survival value informs Hay's view that spirituality in education needs to overcome traditional approaches and should adopt a theory of spirituality that includes religion but is not confined to it. This stimulating book will encourage educators, parents and others involved in teaching children to consider new approaches to foster children's natural spiritual development.

Review

The Spirit of the Child is a ground-breaking book providing a theoretical and practical text that attempts to offset the dearth of research and literature relating to children's spiritual experiences. Contrary to the increasingly prevalent view that religion is out of date and out of touch, this broader consideration of spirituality could be a valuable tool for developing young people's understanding issues of social injustice and the dynamics of becoming disenfranchized from society. This is an excellent publication that should be key reading for everyone in our education community. -- Pastoral Care

Dr David Hay is a former Director of the Religious Experience Research Unit (RERU) when it was in Oxford (it is now based in the University of Wales). Like Sir Alister Hardy FRS, who founded the RERU in 1969, David is a zoologist, studying as an undergraduate in Aberdeen University. Hardy was Professor of Zoology and Head of Department in Oxford University between 1946 and 1961. He was convinced that spiritual awareness has evolved through the process of Natural Selection, underlies all genuine religion, and is necessary for the wellbeing of the human community. Much of Hay's academic career has been spent exploring the plausibility of Hardy's conjecture and this has led him to publish numerous scientific articles and seven books on the subject The latter include Exploring Inner Space: Scientists and Religious Experience (1987); Religious Experience Today: Studying the Facts (1990); The Spirit of the Child (with Rebecca Nye) (2006), and Something There: the Biology of the Human Spirit (2006, 2007). Towards the latter part of his formal career, David was appointed Reader in Spiritual Education in Nottingham University and Visiting Professor in the Institute for the Study of Religion at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Currently he holds an Honorary Senior Research Fellowship in Aberdeen University, and also an Honorary Research Fellowship in the University of Wales at Lampeter. His latest book is a biography entitled God's Biologist: a Life of Alister Hardy (2011).