A pedagogy of the spirit: Situating primary religious education within the greater ambit of spirituality

A review of the literature in an Australian context has indicated little emphasis on the pedagogical dimension of learning in religious education (Hackett, 1995; White, 2003). This article seeks to address and to contribute to this area by suggesting the possibility of a pedagogical approach to primary religious education in which religious education is situated within the larger sphere of spirituality. It discusses four interrelated pedagogical principles that underlie such a consideration. An exploration of two particular forms of awareness common to young children that may contribute a conscious spirituality then follows to illustrate how these might be drawn upon in planning a religious education curriculum that begins from the common base of spirituality, and which situates religious education within this wider sphere.