- Title
- "The cowl and the curriculum": the new monasticism, values and schools
- Creator
- Mudge, Peter
- Relation
- The Routledge International Handbook of Education, Religion and Values p. 168-181
- Relation
- Routledge International Handbooks of Education
- Relation
- http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415519199/
- Publisher
- Routledge
- Resource Type
- book chapter
- Date
- 2013
- Description
- This chapter explores the significant relationship between 'the cowl and the curriculum' - that is, between the 'new' secular monastic movements - the new monasticism or neomonasticism - and the total curriculum of the school. In particular, and first, it examines the significance of the new monasticism (originally spawned from Christian religious orders and their charisms), with their patterned emphasis on the deliberate and systematic cultivation of values such as - stability, conversatio, detachment, simplicity, silence and speech, hospitality, and humility. Second, it examines possible links between the values of the new monasticism and the school curriculum, focusing in particular on how certain values either confirm or challenge all those who work within schools. The chapter begins with an acknowledgement that topics such as 'values' and virtues' are typically understood in monastic spirituality and in the new monastic communities (NMCs) within the context of 'monastic practices, steps or stages'. It then explores in detail the literal and deeper meanings of 'cowl' and 'curriculum', arguing that the monastic cowl symbolises values and practices that need to be passed on to schools, and that the curriculum is more than a processing of topics, checklists or activities, but should be concerned with the teaching, learning and wellbeing of students across the total curriculum. Like the ancient monastic communities before them, NMCs have practised and promoted foundational values of great relevance and ongoing challenge to schools - hospitality, justice, humility, peace-making, love ofbeauty, and inner silence. In the context of typical school mottos and crests, as well as a selection of monastic literature, the chapter concludes with a brief examination of two types of values - those that confirm the essential values orientation of the school and those that challenge and 'disrupt' that orientation. It advocates that schools need to confirm the more commonly held and comforting values such as justice, hospitality and peace, while at the same time embrace more challenging and disruptive values such as humility, listening, suffering and asceticism.
- Subject
- neomonasticism; new monasticism; school curriculum; Christianity; values; virtues
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1061414
- Identifier
- uon:16950
- Identifier
- ISBN:9780415519199
- Language
- eng
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