Religion and Wellbeing

Congratulations to our colleague, Dr. Amalee Meehan, who has just had an article published in the journal, Religious Education, on the interconnections between religion, spirituality, wellbeing and religious education. Amalee notes that internationally, student wellbeing is emerging as a core concern in the field of education. But what is the role of religion in wellbeing? Is there a relationship between wellbeing on the one hand, and religion and spirituality on the other? And what role might Religious Education have in all of this? This paper looks to three recent, high-profile, international studies to illustrate the relationship between religion and wellbeing. It highlights the relationship between religion and spiritual development (as a dimension of wellbeing). The second part of the paper demonstrates the potential of Religious Education to address the wellbeing concern at the heart of the new Irish Junior Cycle. With recourse to this practical illustration, it proposes Religious Education as a resource for student wellbeing.

This paper is very well worth reading, highlighting the developments in Religious Education at Junior Cycle in Ireland and the contribution it can make to wellbeing.

Details can be found on the link below: Meehan, A. (2020). Religion as a Source of Well-Being: Implications for Second-Level School Programs in Ireland and Beyond, DOI: 10.1080/00344087.2020.1789416

Religious Education - The Official journal of the Religious Education Association