EDRE 629: Assignment 2: Task 2 Reading 7: Reorientating the RE Curriculum Graham Rossiter (2011) Reorienting the religion curriculum in Catholic schools to address the needs of contemporary youth spirituality, International Studies in Catholic Education, 3:1, 57-72, DOI: /

EDRE 629: Assignment 2: Task 2 Reading 7: Reorientating the RE Curriculum 1.Defining spirituality and being religious. 2.Reflect on own context and impact on teaching 3.Rossiter’s (2011) strategy for meeting the needs of the young

Spirituality versus Religious Practice Rossiter (2011) SpiritualBeing Religious a spiritual/moral dimension enters into, or is implied in, the thinking and behaviour of individuals. engagement in religious activities and thinking; personal and communal prayer and participation in religious rituals in a community of faith are prominent

Spirituality versus Religious Practice Mason, Singleton and Webber (2007) spirituality in the life of the young has come to be used to signify their outlook and values, whether religious or not. It is essentially a search of their identity, a choosing of a world view and deciding on values to live by. Tacey (2003) …a revolution, with ‘spirituality now the concern of everyone, because we inhabit a world different in which spirit is making new and extraordinary demands… Ranson (2002) …holding a certain attentiveness to life with ‘a desire, hopefulness and anticipation. This awakens the awareness of a deepened relationship with ourselves and with others, with the world and with some greater sense of meaning…

Spirituality versus Religious Practice The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium The pluralism of modern society, a demographic that is now multi-ethnic and multi-religious is seen as both enrichment but also a source of further problems for the Church. There is also ‘a growing marginalisation of the Christian faith as a reference point and a source of light for both an effective and convincing interpretation of existence’ (par. 1)

Implications for teaching in own context

Students describe themselves as spiritual but not religious…. To be religious is to take part in rituals, prayers, attending mass with Church community… They often describe their own spirituality as an ongoing journey, investigating different spiritual mediums and one that is a choice they have, not necessarily the faith tradition of their parents..

Meeting the needs of the young Rossiter (2011) gives us two important strategies in re-orientating Catholic school religious education Access to individual’s inheritance of cultural religious meaning Critical interpretation and evaluation of culture

EDRE 629: Assignment 2: Task 2 Reading 7: Reorientating the RE Curriculum 1.Defining spirituality and being religious. 2.Reflect on own context and impact on teaching 3.Rossiter’s (2011) strategy for meeting the needs of the young

References Congregation for Catholic Education. (1997). The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium. In Church Documents on Catholic Education: (pp ). Strathfield, NSW, Australia: St. Pauls Publications. Mason, M., Singleton, A., & Webber, R. (2007). The Spirit of Generation Y: Young people's spirituality in a changing Australia. Mulgrave, Victoria: John Garratt Publishing. Ranson, D. (2002). Across the Great Divide: Bridging Spirituality and Religion Today. Strathfield, NSW: St Pauls Publications. Rossiter, G. (2009). The spiritual and moral dimension to the school curriculum: A perspective on across-the-curriculum studies. In M. de Souza, G. Durka, K. Engebretson, R. Jackson, & A. McGrady (Eds.), International Handbook of the Religious, Moral and Spiritual Dimensions in Education: Part One (Vol. 1, pp ). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer. Rossiter, G. (2011). Reorienting the religion curriculum in Catholic schools to address the needs of contemporary youth spirituality. International Studies in Catholic Education, 3(1), doi: / Tacey, D. (2003). The Spirituality Revolution: The emergence of contemporary spirituality. Sydney, NSW: Australia: Harper Collins Publishers.