Spiritual Curriculum from the Perspective of Dwayne Huebner: From Thematic Shift to Pluralism

Introduction and Objectives: Dwayne Huebner is a contemporary and prominent scholar in curriculum studies in general and spiritual curriculum in particular; He is known for shaking the foundations of the curriculum field. Scholars like Pinar regard him as a paragon and believe that understanding his views is essential for the development of curriculum studies. This study familiarizes with Huebner and his views on spiritual curriculum. Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions: What is Huebner's spirituality? What are the characteristics of spiritual education from his perspective? What are the features of the spiritual curriculum in Huebner's theory?
Method: This study employs an analytical-inferential method of transcendental logical analysis. This type of analysis, suitable for transcendental activities, is characterized by generality and necessity, as it discusses the necessary conditions for realizing something. This method involves two stages: description and determination of required conditions. A phenomenon is described in the first stage, and the conditions for such a description are addressed in the second stage. In other words, in this study, the characteristics of the spiritual curriculum from Huebner's perspective are described initially, followed by an explanation of the necessary condition for this phenomenon, which is the nature of spiritual education from Huebner's viewpoint. Finally, the second condition, from Huebner's perspective on spirituality, is inferred.
Findings: After years of effort and study in politics, Huebner, recognizing the importance of spirituality in the curriculum, shifted his approach and presented the transcendence theory. He made a thematic shift towards the theology of the curriculum and spent the rest of his research life explaining this topic. For him, spirituality is postmodern, encompassing a wide range and not fitting into a single category of existing classifications of spirituality. The spirituality he envisions is both religious and secular, traditional and humanistic, and also includes affirmative postmodernism. He believes in a spirituality that is independent of religious law (Sharia), and his view of spirituality can be considered pluralistic. This perspective is reflected in the concept of spiritual education from Huebner's viewpoint and, consequently, in the components of the spiritual curriculum. From his perspective, spiritual education has ten characteristics: It should be religious. 2. It should lead to duty. 3. It should involve giving importance to Allah. 4. It should be accompanied by respect. 5. It should be a means of the lure of transcendence. 6. It should involve holistic. 7. It should be personal, participatory, and external. 8. It should be attentive to the stranger. 9. It should understand the necessity of love. 10. It should understand the limits of ignorance and knowledge. Huebner's view of spirituality and spiritual education should not be overlooked when examining the components of the spiritual curriculum. The meaning and characteristics of each are rooted in Huebner's thoughts and beliefs about spirituality and are embedded throughout his transcendence theory and spiritual curriculum. He considers educational perspectives as goals with great freedom within a specific path. He views content as a stranger, evaluation as critical, and the teacher as a loving companion.
Conclusion: Huebner's curriculum theories and their connection to spirituality can guide and assist in our formulation and utilization of Islamic spirituality in the field of education. However, our intention in this study is not necessarily practical application but to explain that the new theoretical perspective Huebner has opened towards the curriculum can provide a suitable platform for dialogue and entry into the discussion of curriculum knowledge. The legacy Huebner has left behind opens the way for a theological view of the curriculum and the fundamental reform that specialists in this field in our country are considering. After spending half of his research life, Huebner courageously abandoned his specialized field of curriculum policy and turned to the theology of the curriculum, indicating the importance of this topic. Attention should also be paid to how such theories are approached. Generally speaking, these theories are either accepted and revered by specialists or rejected without consideration. However, it should be noted that unreasonable rejection and irresponsible acceptance of Western theories will not help the progress of education in our country. This research and similar studies can create a platform for dialogue.