Contemplative pedagogy is a broad field. When I use the term, I am thinking particularly of approaches to teaching and learning that encourage participation in “critical first-person,” “experiential,” “introspective” exercises, many of which are derived from religious or spiritual traditions, though they are sometimes reframed as secular.
I teach in a religious studies department at a public university that serves students from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. I regularly teach students about contemplative practices—including mindfulness meditation and yoga as well as prayer and devotional Bible reading—but I do not ask students to perform religious or “secularized” versions of any of these practices.
This essay articulates ethical and legal reasons for preserving the distinction between teaching about and encouraging performance of contemplative practices.