Creating contemplative studies in the Southwest: theory and practice
International Journal of Dharma Studies November 21, 2016 Andrew O. Fort 4 citations
Contemplative pedagogy, which adds direct first-person experience to traditional third-person study, addresses central goals of liberal arts education by deepening insight into and critical reflection about self and others in their social and historical contexts. The Contemplative Studies initiative at Texas Christian University illustrates how such methods give a more accurate, lived understanding of worldviews and practices. Students themselves want contemplative methods in the classroom. Religion professors should introduce students to the historical and cultural contexts of contemplative traditions, enhancing understanding with firsthand exercises from religious and secular traditions. The article closes by questioning how scholars should address the appropriation, decontextualization, and commodification of most contemplative traditions today.