< Issue No. 20 (2025/2026)
Sub-Reflections
Manifesto for a Pedagogy of the Soul
Salguero, C. Pierce, The Abington College of Pennsylvania State University
Abstract
This essay argues that the current historical moment—marked by ecological crisis, political upheaval, and a mental health emergency among young people—demands that humanities scholars move beyond a pedagogy centered exclusively on critique. While critical tools remain indispensable, a critique-only classroom risks reinforcing prejudice, alienating students seeking meaning, and compounding the marginalization of the very communities we study. In response, the author proposes a "pedagogy of the soul": a teaching practice that reclaims "soul" as a generative rather than religious category, opening classroom space for healing, self-discovery, and the cultivation of whole persons through contemplative activities, embodied learning, radical transparency, and power-flattening strategies. The essay closes with reflective prompts to help educators reimagine their teaching as a vital healing practice for a broken world.