University of Exeter Press

Spiritual Development In The State School

A Perspective on Worship and Spirituality in the Education System of England and Wales

    • 176 Pages


    How can children 'develop' spiritually and how do their teachers know when 'development' has occurred? This volume traces the roots and growth of school worship and spiritual development from Victorian times and earlier through the 1960s and beyond in order to see how we have reached the present situation.



    The subject is examined in various contexts: its historical and cultural background; politics and legislation; philosophy and values; curriculum development. The book addresses the problem of how to define spiritual development and the contentious issue of compulsory school worship. It offers new insights and a thesis for the way forward.





    This volume traces the roots and growth of school worship and spiritual development from Victorian times and earlier through the 1960s and beyond in order to see how we have reached the present situation.




    ‘This is a very useful study for any teacher braving the quagmire of current thinking and practice in spiritual education.’ (The Sower, April 2000)





    Terence Copley is Professor at Harris Manchester College, Oxford. He is the author of more than thirty books in the field of religious education, including Teaching Religion: Fifty Years of Religious Education in England and Wales (Exeter, 1997).