While spirituality has emerged as a topic of interest in adult education, much of the current scholarship considers spirituality as distinct from religion. This literature review questions those conclusions, including the use of theistic terminology to describe a concept (spirituality) that many posit is non-theistic. Spirituality is also…

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the processes and practices of mysticism found within the monotheistic traditions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, in an attempt to identify areas where these might inform, elaborate, and deepen our understanding of profound and transformative learning theory and practice. [For the complete volume,…

Action towards planetary well-being requires more than environmental awareness, acquisition of knowledge, or technological fixes; it necessitates a sacred connection, recognizing interdependence, and an ethic that maintains dignity for all non-human beings. It requires a shift in our ecological consciousness from the dominator and exploitative…

This article proposes a theoretical framework for research and pedagogy development in the context of education for sustainable development (ESD). It combines transformative learning theory with elements drawn from Buddhist and other Eastern spiritual perspectives. Firstly, it outlines the ESD context and its current gaps. Secondly, it analyzes…

This article examines the psychoanalytic concepts of object-relations theorist Christopher Bollas, applying them to a view of the Bible as "transformational object." Emphasizing the connection between psychological process and religious experience, this article suggests that each person's innate ability to choose and use objects is a key…

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of spirituality in higher education. This literature review explored the role of spirituality in the transformational learning process of students in higher education. In order for transformational learning to be comprehensive and authentic, the spiritual dimension must be considered in the…

Transformative learning theory is applied in a variety of fields, including archaeology, religious studies, health care, the physical sciences, environmental studies, and natural resource management. Given the breadth of the theory's application, it needs to be adaptable to broad contexts. This article shares insights gained from applying the…

Spirituality is gaining popularity within academics as discussions regarding the importance of spirituality within leadership and education increases. A biblical anthropology embraces human nature as physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual with recognition that adults are capable of learning within each of those realms. Embracing humans are…

The limited research on adult learners and spiritual formation has created a knowledge gap regarding whether bachelor's degree-completion students value the faith aspects of their education at Christian colleges. As this population grows, so does the need to better understand if the spiritual components of adult programs are having an impact and…

Incorporating spirituality and religious themes in environmental education is a way to link learners to their meaning systems. Research has shown that incorporation of a spiritual element in education provides a way for students to have authentic learning experiences and make meaning of the knowledge they acquire in the classroom. This mixed…

The purpose of this heuristic study was to explore the ways in which spirituality informed and impacted educators' own experience of learning as a transformative inner encounter. It inquired into the experience of learning from a spiritual perspective in order to determine the extent to which transformative learning could be described as a…

The purpose of this research is to study the learning experiences of participants in the Student Interracial Ministry (SIM) of Union Theological Seminary in New York. SIM provided the seminarians with an intense learning environment in which they crossed borders including race, gender, class, and culture. For many of these participants, this…

For many years, Robert Boyd has focused on the deeper emotional and spiritual dimensions of learning that many have suggested are underdeveloped in dominant conceptions of transformative learning. Boyd's work is grounded in the field of depth psychology, which is based on a fundamental belief in the powerful role that the dynamic unconscious plays…

The roles of spirituality and spiritual learning in transformative learning are discussed. The discussion was initiated from an anti-colonial perspective on engaging spiritually in the political project of transformative learning, and it is grounded in issues of African education and in the principle of teaching critically so that education serves…