Not spiritual, not educated

“Intellectuals” are not necessarily educated people. Many of them may be developed intellectually, but spiritually they are plain dummies! In the eyes of spirituality enlightened people, their ignorance and lopsided development are naked and pathetic. Both before and after the recent visit of famed Harvard Professor, Howard Gardner, I heard questions being raised as to why the Frames of Mind author omits a “spiritual intelligence” from his much heralded multiple intelligence theory package. I’m sure Gardener himself would admit that he has had to face this question before. But, frankly, up to now he could give no clear answer. However, basically, the answer is quite simple and straightforward.

Gardner, like many “intellectuals” and “distinguished educational theorists” may be good in intellect, but completely ignorant of the spiritual. Sadly, this makes their development, and consequently their offering, quite lopsided and inadequate. In the name of “scientific and intellectual rigours,” they may flaunt impressive language on “human cognition,” “existential intelligence” and even “fascinating revelations” on things like the cosmos, but they are barren spirituality. Many people we call “intellectuals” are not necessarily educated. They may have been considerably developed intellectually, but spiritually they are plain dummies! In some cases, they may have some information, but not education. In any event, how you use this information would indicate whether or not you are in fact educated. 

Although some of the ideas, concepts and theories of these “intellectuals” do count for something, in the eyes of spiritually enlightened people who know God experientially, their ignorance and weaknesses are naked and pathetic. If many of these non-spiritual “all-scientific” individuals should receive spiritual enlightenment, and then listen to their own (former) “intellectual, scientific, modern and post-modern arguments and concepts, they would be literally ashamed of their ignorance. It’s true that many supposedly respected scholars and educational theorists deliberately avoid the spiritual or religious, pretending that it’s not important to effective, relevant education.

But really, this ploy is only a means of trying to mask their own spiritual ignorance and frailties in matters related to God. Locally, the remarkable success of denominational or church schools provides compelling testimony of the immense value of God in education. Character is one’s greatest credential. Authentic character is developed only from a rich spiritual base, or more precisely, a regenerate heart. The heart of the human problem, is the problem of the human heart. Education that is not solidly rooted in a sound value system, is bogus and cannot be trusted. There is no such thing as holistic education that’s divorced from the spiritual. Man is first and foremost a spirit being. This aspect of his existence and development is too fundamental to be ignored. Similarly, there is no such thing as holistic curricula, without meaningful spiritual content and delivery.

The human heart (spirit) and conscience are designed by God, the Creator to function by divine influence. The redeemed spirit is directed by the Holy Spirit who “teaches us all things and guides us into all truth.” (Jn 16:13). Gardner’s definition of intelligence is “The capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more cultural setting. The Adjunct Professor of Neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine, lists eight criteria or “indicators” of an intelligence. They are:

• Potential isolation by brain damage.


• The existence of idiots, savants, prodigies and other exceptional individuals.


• An identifiable core operation or set of operations.


• A distinctive development history, along with a definable set of ‘end-state’ performances.


• An evolutionary history and evolutionary plausibility.


• Support from experimental psychological tasks.


• Support from psychometric findings.


• Susceptibility to encoding in a symbol system.

His seven intelligences are:

• Linguistic Intelligence. This involves sensitivity to spoken and written language, the ability to learn languages, the capacity to use language to accomplish certain goals and language as a means to remember information.


• Logical-Mathematical Intel-ligence. This consists of the capacity to analyse problems logically, carry out mathematical operations and investigate issues scientifically.


• Musical Intelligence. Skill in the performance, composition and appreciation of musical patterns.


• Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence. This particular capability entails the potential of using one’s whole body or parts of the body to solve problems.


• It is the ability to use mental abilities to co-ordinate bodily movements.


• Spatial Intelligence. The potential to recognise and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas.


• Interpersonal Intelligence. This trait is concerned with the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. It allows people to work effectively with others.


• Intrapersonal Intelligence. The capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one’s feelings, fears and motivations. It involves having an effective working model of oneself, and to be able to use such information to regulate one’s life.

While the professor’s offering (which was not entirely new, since similar concepts have been part of education well before the Gardner-era) does deserve some credit for practical value, the absence of the very fundamental and imperative spiritual element, leaves his package sadly lacking in terms of holistic human development.