BOOKS
“A well-researched and accessible volume that will be useful not only to those in religious studies, but also to Christians in the social sciences, social history, and social welfare professions. This is a book that manages both to respect various theological traditions about childhood and to build on them in a positive way.”
—Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen, Eastern College; author of Gender and Grace
“This pathbreaking books provides a superb account of Christian theologians’ and leaders’ views of children across the centuries. The authors combine urgent concern for the well-being of children with impressive knowledge of a wide range of thinkers and historical periods. The Child in Christian Thought will both awaken theologians to a heretofore neglected topic and provide those who carer for children with a wealth of insights, images, warnings, and resources. I am grateful to have a book of historical theology of such great relevance, passion, and excellence–and espeically to have it on this most important of topics.”
—Dorothy C. Bass, Valparaiso University
“For many people, this was a ground-breaking research study…many, perhaps most, subsequent research studies made use of their definitions of spirituality and the broad perspective of spirituality that encompasses all children everywhere.’”
- Professor Don Ratcliff, Toccoa Falls College
“It is difficult not to be beguiled by Hay’s analysis. What might be called its seamless holisticity, its concern to wed the spiritual to practical and altruistic purpose, and its lack of religious dogmatism (despite Hay’s professed Roman Catholic affiliation) provide a sophisticated argument for educational and social purposiveness.”
- Clive Erricker, Editor, International Journal of Children’s Spirituality
“Joyce Ann Mercer’s Welcoming Children represents a breakthrough for religious education for the twenty-first century. This supurb work holds together a mastery of contemporary literature on religious education and child development, with a strong theological grounding, resulting in a comprehensive, practical proposal for the renewal of Christian education in today’s churches.”
—James Fowler, Emory University; author of Stages of Faith“Joyce Ann Mercer in thorough in research and thoroughly compassionate and wise regarding children. As a feminist practical theologian, she explores diverse sources in depth–biblical texts, socioeconomic studies, popular child-rearing manuals, church education and worship practices, and narrative of people in her life. Emerging from Mercer’s analysis of these sources is a spirit of welcome for children, an integrated theology of childhood, and rich proposals for ministering with children.”
—Letty M. Russell, Yale Divinity School
”Parents fear that because they can’t find the time and silence needed for prayer in the all-consuming whirlwind of caring for children, faith must be put on hold. In the Midst of Chaos challenges this assumption. Through personal stories, biblical text, and the ideas of religious thinkers and child psychologists, this book offers a fresh perspective on faith that reclaims routine practices of family as deeply spiritual.”
—Michele Borba, author of 12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know
“The flip of chaos and flop of quiescence are rejected in favor of finding God’s presence in the living complexity of every day. This deeply pondered and theologically literate book will not let you go without a blessing because the print will not stay on the pages. It is as good and true as it is beautiful.”
—Jerome W. Berryman, executive director, Center for the Theology of Childhood; author of Godly Play
“Let the Children Come blends the best insights of sources once thought to be incompatible–the Christian tradition, feminism, and the modern social sciences–all deliciously mixed with Miller-McLemore’s own personal experience of raising children.”
–Don Browning, University of Chicago; author of Marriage and Modernization
“In lucid, insightful prose, the author both challenges and empowers us for the task of caring for the children of our shared blessing and responsibility. Courageous and illuminating.”
–James W. Fowler, Emory University; author of Stages of Faith
“Here are essays on young people that tell of their various ways of seeking God’s presence in their ongoing lives–an aspect of faith observed and discussed with intelligence and sensitivity. Here is a book many of us will greatly value–its wisdom an important presence in our effort to understand children.”
–Dr. Robert Coles, Harvard University; author of The Spiritual life of Children
“Written in the best of the Evangelical tradition, Children’s Spirituality is a must read for all those interested in children, the spiritual life and Christian formation. Descriptive phrases include well conceived and edited, clearly written and well documented, thorough and all-encompassing, academically sound and popular, combining research and practical application. “
–The Rev. Dr. John Westerhoff, Duke University; author of Will Our Children Have Faith?
“Real Kids, Real Faith is thoughtful and practical, affirming and challenging, steeped in traditions and grounded in contemporary life. By avoiding pat answers on the one hand and abstract philosophy on the other, Karen Marie Yust offers the inspiration and tools needed to nurture life-shaping faithfulness in children.”
—Eugene C. Roehlkepartain, Search Institute
“This is the most balanced and useful guide to the spiritual growth of children that I know. Written by a wise professor and loving mother, this book will enrich the spiritual lives of children as it deepens the spiritual lives of parents.”
—Don Browning, University of Chicago; author of Marriage and Modernization
“In this excellent volume biblical scholars make visible the many children hidden from most of us in the pages of the Old and New Testaments. As we enter the narrative of these chapters we discover that the children we had barely noticed have major roles to play in the drama of Scripture. The authors take easily misunderstood phrases, explore their context and the meanings of words used, and uncover significant implications for children and adults. In texts where children seem to be virtually absent, the authors discover main themes and theological perspectives to guide our relationships with children. The Child in the Bible provides a wealth on insight for persons seeking to more fully understand children and their place in God’s kingdom.”
—Cathy Stonehouse, Asbury Theological Seminary
“This is a genius book, written by an enormously gifted child educator who will help you reconceptualize your ministry to children. Both the child and the adult will be transformed by this book.”
—Dan B. Allender, PhD, professor of counseling psychology, founding president, Mars Hill Graduate School
“Formational Children’s Ministry reaches beyond guided conversation, creative storytelling, and the mere calls to build relationships to challenge us to engage in story-based, meaningfully-patterned, real-life interactions to find fresh faith in children’s ministry.”
—Gregory C. Carlson, PhD, chair and professor of Christian ministries, Trinity International University
“Don and Brenda have made available much of what is known about children’s spirituality and adapted it for parents to use in the home. This will not only help parents nourish their children’s development but also will help parents be more open to how children can contribute to their spiritual maturity, as Jesus counseled.”
—Jerome W. Berryman, Founder of Godly Play
“Don and Brenda Ratcliff write out of their extensive study of child development, research, Scripture, and reflections on their experiences as parents. They examine many aspects of parenting with the desire that parents and their children will ‘discover the riches of fully knowing God and God’s love for them.’”
—Catherine Stonehouse, Asbury Theological Seminary
“Catherine Stonehouse and Scottie May have listened carefully to children, using interviews and interpreting their art, and they have listened to parents. Their conclusion is that setting the stage for children to wonder together about God, guided by a wise and skillful mentor in a carefully prepared environment, enables them to know God well and to express what they know by making room for the Holy Spirit to be their most important teacher.”
—Jerome W. Berryman, Center for the Theology of Childhood, Denver, Colorado; founder, Godly Play
“This book is an important addition to recent literature and research on the spiritual formation of children. The fine work by these authors, long committed to the spiritual nurture of children, should lay to rest any doubts about the capacity of children to know, love, worship, and experience God in ways that put to shame many adults.”
—Ivy Beckwith, Congregational Church of New Canaan, Connecticut; author, Formational Children’s Ministry
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Books for children that deal with spirituality are often a dicey proposition. Here Sasso, the second woman to be ordained as a rabbi, undertakes an ambitious project to help readers define for themselves the nature of God and their own connection to God. Using a variety of images–some from the natural world, some from everyday life, all of them well within a child’s frame of reference–the author presents a series of simple scenarios (a friend moving away; the ticklish quality of fizz on an ice cream soda) and then poses related questions (“How can you be God’s friend?” “What do you think would make God cry or laugh?”). Commendably, Sasso doesn’t presume to answer the questions but instead allows readers to ponder and formulate their own answers. However, the (somewhat lengthy) text presents an anthropomorphic view of God that may not fit in with some readers’ beliefs. Compton’s watercolors, though vigorous and multicultural, are somewhat amateurish. Overall, some will find this well-meaning book and its joyous spirit helpful, while others might consider it inappropriate. Ages 4-9.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc
Rabbi Sasso (God’s Paintbrush, not reviewed) is a woman with a mission: She wants to show that a singular God is universal, despite cultural variations of God’s identity. She creatively ties in the names people choose for God with their experiences. A young mother calls God “Mother,” a freed slave calls God “Redeemer,” a nurse calls God “Healer.” But what all of them don’t understand is that, despite the various names, God is one and the same for all of them. Finally, the people meet by a lake, God’s mirror, and realize that there is just one Creator, Healer, Redeemer, Father, and Friend. And they rename God together, calling God “One.” A little too earnest, perhaps. Stone’s illustrations are fine and uplifting. (Kirkus Reviews)
A cautionary Cold War tale (first told by Dr. Seuss back in 1984), The Butter Battle Book still has a lot to teach about intolerance and how tit-for-tat violence can quickly get out of hand. Explaining the very serious differences between the Zooks and the Yooks, a Zook grandpa tells his grandchild the unspeakable truth: “It’s high time that you knew of the terribly horrible thing that Zooks do. In every Zook house and every Zook town every Zook eats his bread with the butter side down!” He then recalls his days with the Zook-Watching Border Patrol, as he gave any Zook who dared come close “a twitch with my tough-tufted prickley Snick-Berry Switch.” But when the Zooks fought back, the switches gave way to Triple-Sling Jiggers, then Jigger-Rock Snatchems–even a Kick-a-Poo Kid that was “loaded with powerful Poo-a-Doo Powder and ants’ eggs and bees’ legs and dried-fried clam chowder.”
FILMS
Don’t miss the true coming-of-age story that follows a group of extraordinary 12-year-old boys from the most violent ghettos of Baltimore to an experimental boarding school 10,000 miles away in rural Kenya. An emotionally explosive journey shot over three years, the film zeroes in on a group of brave kids who are willing to cross the ocean to chase an opportunity – boys with a fierce determination to fight the label of “throw-away.”
The feverish spectacle of a summer camp for evangelical Christian kids is the focus of Jesus Camp, a fascinating if sometimes alarming documentary. For most of the film, we follow a charismatic teacher, Becky Fischer, as she trains young soldiers in “God’s Army” at a camp in North Dakota. Some of the kids emerge as likable and bright, and eager to continue their work as pint-sized preachers; elsewhere, the visions of children speaking in tongues and falling to the floor in ecstasy are more troubling. Even more arresting is the vision of a generation of children home-schooled to believe that the Bible is science, or Fischer’s certainty that America’s flawed system of democracy will someday be replaced by a theocracy. Filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady maintain neutrality about all this, maybe too much so (they throw in some interviews with radio host Mike Papantonio to provide a liberal-Christian viewpoint) and one would like to know more about the grown-ups presented here. Power broker Haggard is the creepiest person in the film, an insincere smooth talker whose advice to one of the young would-be campgoers comes across as entirely cynical. Time will tell whether the film’s Christian soldiers will be marching onward. –Robert Horton
“Central to John Campea’s engaging documentary is the question of how it is that 87 percent of self-defined Christians are able to rally fists in support of war when one would assume that conflict is not what Jesus would do.”
The Orlando Weekly
“Loved It! An Extensive look at how Christians went from preaching about love and peace to fighting for war.”
Peter Sciretta – Slahfilm.Com
“I urge you to give it a look and in all honesty, if your Religious Philosophy professor puts Just War on the curriculum, you may want to suggest he add this film as an introduction.”
Marina Antunes – MadAboutMovies.Net
“The documenary does a great job at presenting the facts, with the leading experts on Theology and Christianity and making you stop and think long and hard on a tough topic.”
MoviesOnline.Ca
In 2005, Oxford University Press released a very important book. Sociologists from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill had just released their findings of a comprehensive study of the religious views of American teenagers. And what they found was nothing less than shocking. According to Christian Smith, the primary author of the book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American teenagers, the actual professed religion of most young adults, whether they’re being raised in Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, or Jewish homes, is what he called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. What this means is that although many teens believe in God and go to church regularly, they end up defining belief in very vague and subjective terms, such as, God exists, He’s there when we need him, He wants us to be happy, The purpose of life is to feel good, Good people go to heaven, and so forth. Now, in 2007, a documentary film version of Soul Searching was just released by Revelation Studios. And on this edition of the White Horse Inn webcast, Michael Horton talks with Michael Eaton, the co-director of the film, as well as Christian Smith himself, the primary researcher behind the project, about their new documentary Soul Searching: A Movie About Teenagers & God. Based on a seven year study of the religious views of American teens, this film presents some troubling findings about the content and quality of the faith being passed on to the next generation. –Whitehorse Inn
