Re-Learning Listening as a Contemplative Practice of the Religious Education Teacher. The Wisdom of Benedict, Hadewijch and Eckhart

Christian mystical and spiritual traditions can deepen the contemporary understanding of the meaning of silence and listening in education. In this article, we explore mystical traditions on listening and their relevance for RE teachers and teacher education. Three spiritual masters – Benedict of Nursia, Hadewijch, and Meister Eckhart – enlighten us about the significance of contemplative silence and listening for personal formation and spiritual maturity in teacher education. They teach us how to become grounded listeners who are open to God, the world, students and themselves. These spiritual masters provide clues, such as non-dualism, becoming more human by open listening and shaping the senses through love. These clues potentially renew and deepen the education of contemporary RE teachers.