Customer Reviews

Exploring Spirituality and Culture in Adult and Higher Education (Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series)

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Part III is where the "rubber hits the road." Tisdell adeptly takes up the many threads of spiritual experiences, cultural heritage, spiritual and cultural development in adults, including the effects of gender, identity development, and the one-time "surprise occurrences" in these realms as well as the change over time as affected by all of these elements acting together and weaves them into an effective "theory-in-progress of a spiritually grounded and culturally relevant pedagogy" (p. xv). Unfortunately, near the end of the final chapter, a rather large flaw works its way to the surface of this wonderful tapestry.
Fundamentalists may find themselves feeling marginalized, overlooked, and perhaps even a bit pre-judged after reading this part. This is surely due mostly to the fact that none of the research participants ascribed to any faith or system of spirituality that could be classified as fundamentalist (of any flavor). However, the author did think to add a few comments about fundamentalism in the final few pages of the book, to the effect that "There is, of course, a chance of having to deal with religious fundamentalism in the classroom" (p. 252). Tisdell further implies that the fundamentalist idea that there is one truth indicates a reliance on "religious authorities." (No one could possibly believe there is one truth without being told to believe it.) Thus, the spiritual development of fundamentalists is obviously stalled at Fowler's stage three, the conventional faith stage. If there is one flaw in the book or in Tisdell's theory, it is in the conundrum of her absolute statement in relation to fundamentalism: "...there is no one right answer" (p. 242). This statement defies logic and produces a paradox in the same way as the statement "Everything I say is a lie" is paradoxical.
Regardless of this flaw, the tapestry is both practical, in that it is very useful and immediately applicable to practice in the classroom, and beautiful, in that it provides a glimpse at things of great wonder on which readers will reflect time and again. By overlooking the comments on fundamentalism and by dealing with fundamentalists according to the same general principles that Tisdell recommends for all others, practitioners and theorists alike will find this book useful for practice and for reflection. It provides a real opportunity for personal growth in itself.

I have used Dr. Tisdell's book in several university courses over the past three years. She brings to light the need for recognizing and honoring the cultural diversity that makes up American and global classrooms. I have adapted exercises in her book for use in a range of course topics. The idea of building cultural awareness and sharing cultural beliefs, regardless of course subject matter, has created a new depth in course work that has been very well received by students. The content in "Exploring Spirituality and Culture in Higher Education," helps the process of building inclusive communities, while fostering richer discussions and understanding. I recommend this book to every educator and their students.