To Touch Hearts - Pedagogical Spirituality and St. John Baptist de La Salle
Description:... This work
addresses Lasallian pedagogical spirituality, defined as the dynamic
integration of foundational convictions, basic operative commitments, and
consistent practices permeating the teaching dimensions of schools that claim
the heritage of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the Brothers of the Christian Schools. The dissertation examines the
content of Lasallian pedagogical spirituality and proposes measures for
realizing its vitality within Lasallian school life. Particular pedagogical
characteristics, components of an overall pedagogical spirituality, are present
in the original charism of St. John Baptist de La Salle. The basic operative
commitments that underlie those characteristics ought to be integrally realized
in a pedagogy that claims to be Lasallian and wholly incorporated in the
formation of Lasallian educators.
There are three sequential parts to
the dissertation: 1) an overview of the St. John Baptist de La Salle's context and personal history, 2) an overview of his literature followed by
an analysis of aspects of Lasallian pedagogical spirituality evidenced in that
literature according to five pedagogical elements: the teacher, the student,
the teacher/student relationship, the activity of teaching, and the school in
general, and 3) a contemporary articulation of the Lasallian basic operative
commitments that characterize his spirituality today, along with their
implications for the formation of Lasallian educators
Extrapolating from the life and
writings of De La Salle, ten Lasallian operative commitments are proposed. The
commitments are presented in the form of attributes that may be applied to
Lasallian institutions and their pedagogical components: 1) centered in and nurtured by the life of
faith, 2) trusting providence in discerning God's
will, 3) with creativity and fortitude, 4) through the agency the Holy Spirit,
5) incarnating Christian paradigms & dynamics, 6) with practical
orientation, 7) devoted to education, accessible and comprehensive, 8)
committed to the poor, 9) working in association, 10) expressing a lay
vocation.
The dissertation concludes by
presenting teacher formation structures and strategies for introducing
Lasallian operative commitments and by providing a Lasallian Mission and Vision
Statement.
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