To Touch Hearts: The Pedagogical Spirituality of St. John Baptist de La Salle

This book draws from two essential Lasallian works – The Conduct of Schools and the Meditations of John Baptist de La Salle – and develops characteristics of the pedagogical spirituality that they represent. The educational charism started in Reims in 1680 by De La Salle and his Brothers reaches around the globe today, touching educators of every kind. The book provides a deeper examination of what lies behind that popularity and ongoing relevance.

Author: George Van Grieken, FSC

Publisher: Christian Brothers Conference

Paperback (403 Pages)

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Categories: Animators Education Educators History Leaders Print Scholars Spirituality

This book is a slightly updated version of the Ph.D. dissertation by George Van Grieken, FSC, in 1995 for Boston College. It is the first published version of the work. It provides both a biography of St. John Baptist de La Salle and a detailed overview of the pedagogical spirituality that he developed for the “Christian Schools” that he and his Brothers founded and operated. As an innovator with both deeply spiritual and eminently practical interests, De La Salle was a transformative influence for many educational orders of the 18th and 19th century, shaping Catholic education for future centuries. The book is based on a careful reading of two of his seminal works, the Meditations and the Conduct of Schools. The shape and substance of his unique pedagogical spirituality emerges from these writings.

Author: George Van Grieken, FSC

Publisher: Christian Brothers Conference

Paperback (403 Pages)