The term learning covenant adds a spiritual dimension to the notion of learning contracts. The learner develops and enters into a written contractual agreement with a facilitator, who creates a space that fosters learning and spiritual growth. (SK)

Loyola University's Institute for Ministry Education uses such techniques as learning covenants and critical reflection to nourish the development of lay ministers. It demonstrates how adult education principles can contribute to spiritual growth. (SK)

Reviews themes, issues, and challenges addressed by the articles in this issue. Provides an annotated list of six recommended readings on adult education and spirituality. (SK)

Considers where theories of spiritual development fit into the constellation of student development theories. Highlights the work of Sharon Daloz Parks to reinforce the relationship of spiritually related developmental theories and traditional ones, especially the cognitive-structural. (Contains 12 references.) (GCP)

A practitioner and faculty member reflects upon her spiritual journey through higher education, drawing on her life experiences and her ethnic background. Outlines ways to encourage others to explore their own journey and to live authentically, and discusses the challenge of communities of difference within this context. (Contains 17 references.)…

Spirit-driven leadership requires an inner journey, wholeness, and reflection.

In this paper, the author states that, as a religious educator, she has come to believe that insufficient attention has been given to the formative influence of religious studies as an academic discipline on the faith lives of undergraduates. She describes the activity of faith as that which brings together the interrelated dimensions of human…

Old age is characterized as a period of resiliency when the older person uses internal and external resources to overcome the challenges presented by this stage of life. By acknowledging older adults' resiliency and spiritual resources in light of past and present risk factors, care providers can focus on capabilities, assets, and positive…

This article is based on research at Bhaktivedanta Manor, the main UK centre of the Hare Krishna movement, and it examines ecstatic dreams of Lord Krishna which devotees at the Manor claim to experience. With a focus on one key informant's account of such dreams, the article explores the role the dreams play in spiritual and devotional life.…

Ever since the irruption of Pentecostal spirituality within Protestant and Roman Catholic denominations, there has been a gradual emergence of what might be called "charismatic theology". To be sure a lot of this theology is and has been written at a popular level, but within the last twenty years there has evolved a distinct theology with…

In this short essay I respond to Kevin Gary's generous review of my book "Reclaiming Goodness" by considering his two main concerns, that I tend to conflate spirituality and morality and that I am not sufficiently sensitive to tensions between spirituality and critical thinking. I respond by noting that Gary has not taken adequate account of the…

Leadership scholars are confronted with the challenges of integrating spirituality into existing theories of leadership and developing new models that incorporate the leader's spiritual self and ontological power. These challenges call for multidisciplinary research in both quantitative and qualitative traditions and beg for collaboration between…

Spiritual formation is a critical concern for any Christian religious educator. While Scripture provides a depiction of spiritual growth, we have often turned to the developmental theorists to better understand the ecology of spiritual formation. One neglected voice in this instance is the late Russian developmentalist Lev S. Vygotsky. His unique…

A key challenge for education is to encourage children to act responsibly. If "spiritual literacy" does not involve an autonomous, rational soul capable of "reading and writing the world as God intended", it must refer to ethical (and perhaps religious) capacity in relation to contingent actions in a context free of moral absolutes. In relation to…

Three commonly mentioned aspects of the idea of spirituality are transcendence, raised awareness and spiritualism. The interrelationships among these three "strands" of spirituality are explored. It is argued that each strand expresses itself along a continuum, ranging from the mundane to the profound. The second part of the article focuses on the…