THE INNER PLACE is written in response to the Curriculum Framework for Senior Cycle Religious Education. The textbook is divided into three sections: The Search for Meaning; Christianity; and Morality, which correspond comprehensively to the first three sections of the framework. The Inner Place firmly locates the context for Religious Education within the lives and experiences of teenagers. The author appreciates the enormous challenges and difficulties involved in engaging students at this level and responds with an imaginative approach that strikes a chord with Irish teenagers today.
The section on the Search for Meaning resonates deeply with young people in contemporary Ireland and challenges them to adopt and appreciate Christian values in their lifelong quest for meaning. It challenges students to reflect on the purpose of their lives and how that purpose may affect others. It invites them to critically evaluate the messages from culture, society and the media regarding where meaning and happiness can be found in modern life. The section on Christianity has been widely accepted as a dynamic and innovative approach to a difficult area for senior students. It invites students to critically evaluate contemporary images of Jesus and assess how accurate they really are. The text allows students to reflect on a more provocative and challenging image of the historical Jesus.
The Morality section investigates some of the most contemporary and groundbreaking ethical issues that students will be faced with in their future lives. It investigates the advances in medical science and locates these developments in the context of a Catholic morality. The Morality section will provoke much discussion and debate in any senior Religious Education class.
