Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A volume in Research on Religion and EducationSeries Editors Stephen J. Denig, Niagara Universityand Lyndon G. Furst, Andrews UniversityTwo major real-world problems prompted this study: maintaining the Catholic identity of theCatholic schools, and increasing interest in character education. Traditionally, Catholic schoolsin the United States were staffed exclusively by priests, sisters, and brothers. Today, they arepredominately staffed by laypersons. This change has influenced the essential religiouscharacter and culture of Catholic schools. While Religious filter their teachings through theirown religious training and emphasize the mission and charisma of Catholic education, lay staffoften lack the same intensely religious experiences to bring to the teaching/learningenvironment. This qualitative interview study explored the influence that a series of spiritualityand virtue seminars had on lay teachers' perceptions of the Catholic school and charactereducation.