At the end of the twentieth century the United States, is left with a school system widely believed to be in decline. In Holy Sparks , Philip Wexler likens American schools to the broken vessels of the Old Testament, but sees in this decline sparks of divine inspiration. Drawing broadly on cultural criticism, social theory and religious tradition, Wexler discerns a spiritual reawakening that pervades all of late twentieth-century culture. He insists that only by paying attention to the 'holy sparks' that still exist in our children and in our schools will we ever be able to revive our educational system, and by extension, our future.

PART ONE: CRITIQUE AND CONTEXTUAL FOUNDATIONS - Revision and Social Theory, Education and Religion - Sociocultural Foundations - Social Theory: Precursors and Subtexts - PART TWO: FROM SOCIAL THEORY TO RELIGIOUS THEORY - Revitilazation: Religion, Society, Education - Resacralizing Education - Holy Sparks and Divine Explanation