Spiritual literacy: the hidden discourse in the atheist Czech Republic
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F70883521%3A28150%2F22%3A63547818" target="_blank" >RIV/70883521:28150/22:63547818 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
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DOI - Digital Object Identifier
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Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Spiritual literacy: the hidden discourse in the atheist Czech Republic
Original language description
The key note presentation at international scientific conference "Discourses of Childhood and Social Education", under the patronage of UNICEF, Warsaw, Poland (2-3 of June 2022) The Czech Republic is one of the most atheistic countries in the world. The level of religiosity among young people is only around 9%, which is a radically different situation compared to its closest neighbours, which in other respects share similar cultural values and social and political orientations. The question that this situation raises is thus necessarily: does a low level of religiosity eo ipso imply a low level of spiritual education? Are children living in an atheistic country condemned to a merely superficial life devoid of high ideals and spiritual experiences? I am sure that this need not be the case. I base my answer on the concept of "spiritual literacy", namely the cultivation of child development in four dimensions: 1. relationship to self = skills of self-reflection and mindfulness, concentration on the "here and now", asking questions about the meaning of life; 2. relationship to other people = emphasis on pro-social orientation and altruism, i.e. the meaning and practice of social self-transcendence in the form of a friendly and loving attitude; 3. Relationship to nature = promotion of environmental sensitivity and kinship with the natural world; 4. Relationship to the totality of reality and to transcendence = cultivation of the capacity for wonder and amazement, experience of transcendence, deep connection, harmony or fusion - in the form of extraordinary states of consciousness, transformative experiences, etc. These aspects of experience have long been developed within traditional religions and in diverse spiritual traditions. In a secular society, defined by a pragmatic understanding of education in terms of employability, such discourse does not enter the curriculum directly. Certain sub-themes can be seen as part of educational psychology, social pedagogy and environmental education. However, in the form of a hidden curriculum, these aspects can undoubtedly be developed successfully in cross-curricular themes and links, in the traditions and spirit of the school, in the school ethos and climate, in the symbolism built up and in informal activities.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
O - Miscellaneous
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
50301 - Education, general; including training, pedagogy, didactics [and education systems]
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2022
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů