Mindfulness and Ethos: Compatibility, Challenges and Opportunities in the Irish Catholic Primary School

This book provides a comprehensive study of the intersection of mindfulness and ethos in Irish Catholic primary schools. Charting the Buddhist origins of mindfulness to the contemporary evolutions, reinterpretations and iterations of the practice the study asks if, and when, mindfulness is (and isn’t) compatible with the educational vision underpinning Catholic primary schools in an increasingly secularised, detraditionalised Irish society. The book contextualises the explosive popularity of mindfulness across many sectors of society, including Irish educational policy and curricular reform, particularly around wellbeing. The book presents a rich analysis of Church teaching and theological research and literature on Catholic education both nationally and internationally, enabling an authentic dialogue with mindfulness practice in Catholic schools to see if common ground can be identified. This is a compelling account of a new chapter in Catholic education's encounter with contemporary culture.