Synopses & Reviews
A volume in International Advances in Education: Global Initiatives for Equity and Social JusticeSeries 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, themarginalized and other disadvantaged groups in societies and cultures around the globe. Religiousmovements and spiritual traditions work to improve social outcomes for disenfranchised groups byenriching educational, political, and social agendas, and by providing a wide variety of justice-drivenprograms and services. Values underpinning these services include the dignity of the human person, thesanctity of human life, the foundational role of families and communities, the transformative power oflearning, and the advancement of shared personal and social rights and responsibilities. These values act as acounter-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 excitingand enriching examples of theory, research and practice that directly contribute to our understanding of howreligion and spirituality promote and facilitate social justice and equity in diverse social and cultural contexts - with a particular focus on educationalsettings, contexts, processes and outcomes.Religious communities invest heavily in schools, colleges and universities in the belief that these educational institutions enable them to inculcate intotheir 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 andspirituality. These depth-dimensions provide the pool of values which enable citizens to enact equity, mercy and justice in society in the name of Godand for the sake of humanity. The chapters which comprise this volume demonstrate the possibility of a healthy integration between religion andeducation from a truly global, transdisciplinary and ecumenical perspective. From contexts within Asia, Africa, the USA and Australia, and fromdisciplines ranging from ethics to social work, from health to educational curriculum, from personal identity to community-consciousness; this volumemakes a unique contribution to the theory and practice of the educational and religious inter-face. It is a contribution which holds a great deal ofpromise for being pro-humanitas.