Spiritual Development: Definition

Defining spiritual development - What is it?

Spirituality is the heart of what it means to be human.

Spiritual development relates to fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of life which affect everyone; it is not dependant on a person’s religious beliefs or affiliation. It has to do with the universal search for individual and communal identity, and with our responses to challenging experiences such as death, suffering, beauty and encounters with good and evil. It is to do with the search for ways to answer these existential questions and for values by which to live.

According to Rebecca Nye, spirituality can be defined as relational awareness. That means awareness of my relationship with:

The work of Rebecca Nye is developed by David Smith with his work on Spiritual Capacities that identified what our intentions are when we are developing Spirituality in pupils. He identified the following qualities to be developed and nurtured: -

• be guided by their beliefs and values and be willing to take a stand to defend them
• be self-aware and empathise with the experience of others in the school and wider community
• love themselves, care for themselves, believe in their potential to achieve, and find inner strength and resilience when facing challenges
• exercise imagination and creativity, appreciate beauty in the world and be alive to experiences of awe and wonder
• be intrigued by mystery and be open to an awareness of the transcendent in the whole of life
• be comfortable with stillness and silence and open to engage in reflection/meditation/prayer
• be ready to say sorry when mistakes are made, to forgive themselves and to forgive others
• be willing to take risks and to reflect, learn and grow following experiences of failure as well as success
• demonstrate curiosity and open mindedness when exploring life’s big questions
• appreciate and be thankful for what is good in life like friends and family, and show generosity towards others

  

We would strongly urge you to read and reflect upon Derek Holloway et al, in the Church of England guidance. Spiritual Development Interpretations of spiritual development in the classroom 2019 This will support and guide you as you reach your own school context definition in line with your school vision and values.