• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.45
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• pp.69-102
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• 2023

There has been a growing demand for spiritual education in public education in recent years. In fact, the concept of spirituality was included in the national religious curriculum in 2022. However, compulsory spiritual education based on the national curriculum is different from individual or private organization-based spiritual education which can be characterized as voluntary. This article aims to discuss the potential problems that may arise when making spiritual education compulsory in public education. This discussion includes the expansion of spiritual discourse and the scope of spirituality, the contents and examples of spiritual education, and the implications of compulsory spiritual education. My perspective on this topic is that the religious curriculum, being a national curriculum, should be applicable to all schools and learners. The channels for expanding spiritual discourse include studies for measuring each individual's spirituality or religiosity and spiritual tourism. Both exclusive and inclusive spirituality coexist within spiritual discourse. Furthermore, spiritual educators criticize knowledge-based education for its tendency towards romanticization, while overlooking reflective education in national religious curriculum. Additionally, the normative nature inherent in the concept of spirituality is often overlooked, despite the potential recurrence of problems seen in faith-based education. This article suggested that the minimum principle for the nation's religious curriculum should be that "religious or normative knowledge is not to be injected or delivered but rather reflected upon." This principle aims to provide an opportunity for learners to reflect on their religious experiences or lives subjectively. When this principle is applied, spirituality becomes the object of reflection and selection for learners. Above all, learners with reflective thinking skills will be able to live independently, even if their experiences and lives change. We hope that this article will serve as an opportunity to continually reflect on the form of religious education found in public education.