Promoting ecological consciousness in the classroom: A search for spiritual union.

摘要

The necessity of promoting an ecologically based curriculum is examined from both an educational and spiritual perspective. Beginning with a reflection upon the people, events, and experiences that have shaped my acceptance of Catholicism, my interest in the study of nature, and my decision to chose teaching as a career, this dissertation attempts to seek within the Catholic spiritual tradition a valid position from which I can address, as an educator, questions concerning humanity's ethical treatment of nature.;Chapter One provides an historical perspective on the moral and ethical position Western societies have adopted towards the natural world. I suggest that because of an anthropocentric interpretation of Christian theology and the rise of modern science during the Enlightenment, Western societies have distanced themselves from moral and ethical questions concerning humanity's relationship with nature.;Chapter Two focuses on an examination of the historical importance and influence of mysticism within the Catholic faith. The central feature of this chapter is an in-depth examination and interpretation of Nature Mysticism and the promise it holds for my own search for spiritual union.;Chapter Three develops the position that science education in the United States has contributed to bringing the world to the brink of ecological disaster as a result of its failure to promote wide-spread ecological consciousness. In response, the essential characteristics of a curriculum that promotes environmental awareness and the adoption of an ethical code of conduct concerning humanity's relationship with nature is examined.;In Chapter Four the refusal of Western societies to include nature within the boundaries of ethical consideration is envisioned as a fundamentally moral concern. I discuss my spiritual obligation to address the cultural context within which this tendency has developed and continues to be promoted. I conclude that although I have a spiritual responsibility to promote the acceptance of a curriculum that promotes ecological consciousness, I have come to accept that my ability to teach the essential components of ecological literacy to the fullest extent of my spiritual calling is limited given my position as a teacher in a secular setting.