The Place of Practice in Contemplative Pedagogy and Writing
K. Kinane
Across the Disciplines March 1, 2019 DOI: 10.37514/atd-j.2019.16.1.02 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Education |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key points | Proposes that contemplative pedagogy, defined by practice commitment, critical subjectivity, and character development, can be applied to course design and student writing assignments to harness the transformative potential of contemplative traditions. |
Abstract
Contemplative pedagogy is part of the larger emerging field of Contemplative Studies. Louis Komjathy (2018) has observed three characteristics shared by various aspects of Contemplative Studies: practice commitment, critical subjectivity, and character development. This paper uses these three characteristics to describe and define a “contemplative course” and “contemplative writing.” First, this paper describes a contemplative approach to the development of the General Education course “Curiosity, Playfulness, Creativity” in terms of the author’s practice commitment, critical subjectivity, and character development. Second, the paper discusses these three characteristics as they apply to students’ contemplative writing experiences and assignments in that course. These notes on theory and practice may provide inspiration for educators across disciplines to craft contextinformed contemplative courses and experiences that tap into the radical, transformative power of contemplative traditions.