| Description | In this article Elizabeth Taylor Cadbury explores 'the ever increasing necessity of fostering and cultivating the spiritual instinct' within education. Repeating the message of her 1910 address to the National Union of Women Workers entitled 'Whereunto?', Taylor Cadbury suggests that amidst the modern emphasis on examinations, scholarships and universities 'we forget to cultivate the spiritual side of our complex nature.'
Referring to the controversy surrounding 'the right to impart religious instruction' in schools, Taylor Cadbury suggests that 'the development of the spiritual faculties is too elusive to be influenced by ordinary and conventional religious instruction', remarking that spiritual enlightenment 'comes mainly from an appreciation of the 'Immanence of the Divine' in daily life.' Taylor Cadbury argues that this appreciation would 'counteract the growth of materialism', suggesting that the impression of God's influence could be 'strengthened' by external influences.
Echoing the message of 'Whereunto?', Taylor Cadbury concludes her address by stating that 'the greatest stimulus to our own spiritual life is to try to foster it in others. The greatest need of England to-day is the revival of spiritual life.' |