Meaning and connectedness: Australian Perspectives on Education and Spirituality

Meaning and connectedness: Australian Perspectives on Education and Spirituality

Books and Monographs

Published: 6 Dec 10

Code: BM19

Education and spirituality are two major human endeavours which have retained their importance throughout history. Sometimes the two have had a supportive relationship: today that relationship is often uncomfortable. In this important new publication for the College, distinguished authors have turned their attention to it, emphasizing not just its importance but its continued relevance. An interest in spirituality is mirrored in Australia amongst social, health and youth workers in particular, but to date there has been limited resource material in the field of education in the Australian setting. Elsewhere educators have been discussing and researching the links between spirituality and education and their education systems have been reflecting the corresponding changes. Now this book takes up the challenge of providing a comprehensive perspective of the Australian   scene. This book of ten chapters contains a wealth of ideas and insights about contemporary spirituality and its role in education for the twenty-first century. Each of the chapters focuses on a particular aspect of education and points the way forward for those interested in developing education programs that will address the spirituality of their students thereby enhancing their sense of self and place.

Contents

Foreword: Phillip Hughes, AO

Meaning and connectedness: Australian perspectives on education and spirituality - an introduction. Marian de Souza

Spirituality in a secular society. David Tacey

Spirituality and the public school. Terence Lovat

The roles of conscious and non-conscious learning in impeding and enhancing spirituality: Implications for learning and teaching. Marian de Souza

The arts and spirituality: A means or an end in themselves? Being, doing and learning in education. Karl Kaltenbach OAM

Spirituality education in secondary school: A Deweyan and existential approach. R. Scott Webster

Living in the middle ground. Julie Rimes

Adolescent spirituality education. Kevin Wanden and Sian Owen

Agency, play, and spirituality development in the early years' curriculum. Brendan Hyde

Reflections on publications relating to spirituality in Australian education. John Fisher

This book on Education and Spirituality focuses on these two major human endeavours which have retained their importance throughout history. Sometimes the two have had a supportive relationship: today that relationship is often uncomfortable.  Here many distinguished authors turn their attention to it, emphasizing not just its importance but its continued relevance. In all these contributions in the book, one notable voice is missing. That missing voice has been steady and persuasive in stressing the connections between the two and also their wide importance.

Christopher Newell has done more than most people to address this complex relationship between education and spirituality.  Sadly, following his recent death, this voice is absent.  All concerned with this subject feel conscious of the gap left by his passing. This book is a reminder to us all of the contribution that Christopher made in words and actions to stress the importance of the two elements and their many connections.

Christopher Newell will be missed not only by his parents, Bishop Phillip Newell and Mrs Merle Newell and his wife Jill, his daughter Christine, and step-daughters Hannah and Hayley.  A wide range of friends and colleagues, as well as the many Australians, for whom he was such an ardent and fluent advocate, will feel the loss.  All of us who appreciated his honesty, his sincerity and his persistence over recent decades will join them in mourning that his voice is not here.

Christopher was Associate Professor in Medical Ethics within the School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, an appointment to which he brought distinction and great energy.  He dedicated his professional life to improving not only the educational but also the social outcomes of people with disabilities.  He placed this emphasis within a wider focus on the promotion and protection of human rights and equal opportunity. Not satisfied to confine his efforts to the university level his concern was for the educational outcomes of students in schools. In this effort he developed a wide range of associations: as Adjunct Lecturer in ethics with the Trinity College Theological School; postgraduate supervisor for the Melbourne College of Divinity; and, Honorary Research Associate, at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He was also a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators, the College Medallist for 2008 and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  In addition to his many professional commitments, Christopher was a Canon of the Anglican Church and his Christian faith was an important part of his concern for others and particularly for the disadvantaged. Special services in All Saints Church, Hobart paid tribute to his faith and to his expression of that faith in service.

Christopher was never content simply to be a member of institutions whose aims he supported. He received recognition for his work and achievements from many quarters:

  • in 1999 he was Highly Commended in the Australian Human Rights Awards;
  • in 2001 he was awarded the 'Australian Achiever' award in the Australia Day

Awards, presented by the Prime Minister and was also appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, for service to people with disabilities;

  • in 2002 he was awarded the Tasmania Day Award for community service;
  • in 2004 he was the recipient of the University of Tasmania Distinguished Alumni Award.
  • in 2005 Christopher was (jointly) awarded the 'Non-Fiction Human Rights Award'
  • in the 2005 Australian Human Rights Awards for the book Disability in Australia;
  • in 2006 he was joint winner (with C Newman) of the 'Diana Goss Memorial Essay Prize' of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ANZACPE) for the paper 'Embracing Cancer: A Conversation of Theology, Health and Ethics'.
  • in 2007 The Bulletin listed Christopher as one of Australia's "Smart 100" and was presented with the 2007 Tasmanian Award for Humanitarian Activities.

The list of achievements is massive but it represents a consistent effort over the years which is so substantial that we regret even more the loss of his capacities.  In the many endeavours of Christopher's life, in his eloquent writing, in his personal charm, in his deep concern for others we appreciate the honesty and directness of his thinking and his actions. This book is an appropriate tribute to a life valued by so many and cut short too soon.

Phillip Hughes, AO, FACE
Adjunct Professor, Australian National University.
Emeritus Professor, University of Tasmania.