John Baptist de la Salle

This volume in the Classics of Western Spirituality makes available to a broad readership a selection of the core writings of John Baptist de La Salle (1651-1719), a French priest and educator who changed the face of education in his time and whose reforms continue to influence the ways we educate our children today. Born to a wealthy family, de La Salle turned his attention early on to the education of the poor and the marginalized and, at the same time, unwittingly founded a new type of religious community: Brothers who were teachers and active religious. Through his dedication to the vocation of teaching, de La Salle instituted several procedures that are still in practice in public and parochial institutions. student cooperative learningtuition-free attendanceinvolvement of parentsstudent service and ownership. De La Salle's spirituality for educators, which melds prayer and action, compassion and practicality, can be read afresh in every age: it transcends time and place.