Education and the Soul: Toward a Spiritual Curriculum [Paperback]

John P. Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1999

Education and the Soul is the first book to comprehensively address how the soul can be nourished in educational settings. The book explores the nature of the soul and offers teaching/learning approaches that can be used to nurture the development of students' souls. It also examines how institutions such as schools have souls and what can be done to care for a school's spiritual life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John P. Miller is Professor in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, and Coordinator of the Holistic and Aesthetic Education Focus at OISE/UT. He has written many books including most recently The Contemplative Practitioner: Meditation in Education and the Professions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (September 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791443426
• ISBN-13: 978-0791443422
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #959,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John (Jack) P. Miller has been working in the field of holistic education for over 30 years. He is author/editor of more than a dozen books on holistic learning and contemplative practices in education which include Education and the Soul, The Holistic Curriculum and Educating for Wisdom and Compassion. His latest book Whole Child Education will be published in 2010. His writing has been translated into eight languages. The Holistic Curriculum has provided the framework for the curriculum at the Whole Child School in Toronto where Jack has served on the Advisory Board. Jack has worked extensively with holistic educators in Japan and Korea for the past decade and has been visiting professor at two universities in Japan. Jack was one of 24 scholars invited to Bhutan in 2009 to help that country develop its educational system to support the country's goal of Gross National Happiness. He teaches courses on holistic education and spirituality in education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto where he is Professor.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old Words for New Education Talk, August 18, 2000

By 

Sharadha Parthasarathi (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Education and the Soul: Toward a Spiritual Curriculum (Hardcover)

For those of us who are interested in bringing old values and giving new directions to our present day education talk- this is a good book.

The book begins with a brief thought provoking Foreword by Thomas Moore on the meaning of "real education".

The author, John Miller discusses "Education and the Soul" [book's title] in two parts. In the author's words Part-1:Exploring Soul, "explores the nature of the soul" and Part-2:Nurturing Soul, "deals with how we can bring the soul into our schools".

The first part is a dicussion of the relevance of the Soul in Education, different (religious, philosophic, and contemporary) views of the soul, and the love -soul- work relationship. The second part is a discussion of a spiritual curriculum. It offers practical suggestions for the evolution of a soulful- curriculum, teacher and school.

For those of us who believe in the primacy of the heart over the mind kind of education, where words like "loving kindness, mindfulness, ..." are important, this book will confirm our beliefs. It will encourage our endeavours with more ideas to think about and act upon. For skeptics, this book might make you want to pause and re-think your views and practices. It will invite you to "bring soul into our classrooms and schools".

This is good reading especially for teachers, researchers and educators.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spirituality and Reason, August 4, 2007

By 

Madelyn Fair (Durham, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Education and the Soul: Toward a Spiritual Curriculum (Paperback)

For those who would separate faith and reason, they are fooling themselves with a false dichotomy. Miller shows us through rational philosophy and concrete example how spiritual education is a must for our students. This book is inspirational as it illustrates how meditative practice, creative exploration, community building, and enhanced self-awareness make a classroom a place where students are not only stretched and challenged but also honored and nurtured. I recommend purchasing this book along with The Compassionate Classroom: Lessons That Nurture Wisdom and Empathy and Parker Palmer's and Rachael Kessler's works.