Nurturing Children's Spirituality

Children's spiritual development is currently a hot topic in Christian circles, as well as in other fields and disciplines such as educational psychology, medicine, developmental psychology, education, and sociology. The key question for Christian scholars and educators is ""How do Christian beliefs and practices uniquely interrelate with children's spirituality?""
In 2003 and again in 2006, a national conference entitled ""Children's Spirituality Conference: Christian Perspectives"" examined children's spirituality from a distinctly Christian standpoint. This book is a collection of the best materials from the 2006 conference.
The first half of the book addresses definitional, historical, and theological concerns related to spiritual development in children. The second half explores best practices for fostering spiritual growth among our children--in our homes, families, churches, Christian schools, and among special populations of children--from a wide spectrum of Christian scholars and practitioners. The volume closes with John Westerhoff's moving keynote address and Catherine Stonehouse and Scottie May's eloquent, culminating plenary address. Nurturing Children's Spirituality provides a rich cross section of the current research and writing by Christian scholars on children's spirituality.

Contributors: Holly Catterton Allen, Michael J. Anthony, Stacy Berg, Chris J. Boyatzis, MaLesa Breeding, Marilyn Brownlee, Linda V. Callahan, Jane Carr, Mara Lief Crabtree, Karen Crozier, James Riley Estep Jr., Jeffrey E. Feinberg, Stephanie Goins, Judy Harris Helm, Dana Kennamer Hood, Sungwon Kim, Kevin Lawson, Scottie May, Marcia McQuitty, Heidi Schultz Oschwald, Donald Ratcliff, Pam Scranton, Timothy A. Sisemore, Catherine Stonehouse, La Verne Tolbert, T. Wyatt Watkins, John H. Westerhoff III

""In Nurturing Children's Spirituality, Holly Catterton Allen weaves together the experience and research of leading Christian scholars and practitioners to enrich and deepen understanding of childhood spirituality. With its fresh perspectives on history, social science, theology, and practical ministries, this volume is a welcomed addition to an important and growing movement to recognize, celebrate, and nurture the spiritual lives of the children in our midst.""
--Eugene C. Roehlkepartain, Codirector, Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence, Search Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota

""Reading these research-grounded chapters made me feel like I had discovered new veins of gold that were waiting to be mined and used in my own ministry. . . . [C]hurch practitioners, Sunday school teachers, and parents will all benefit . . . . This book, like precious metal, will have a front-and-center spot on my bookshelf. What's more important, I will use it.""
--Marlene LeFever, Vice President of Educational Development, David C. Cook

Holly Catterton Allen, PhD, is Associate Professor of Christian Ministries and the director of the Children and Family Ministry program in the Division of Biblical Studies at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Her areas of scholarly interest are children's spirituality and intergenerational issues; she has published articles and chapters on these topics in Christian Education Journal and other publications. She is a member of the Planning Team for the 2009 Children's Spirituality Conference: Christian Perspectives, to be held June 2009 at Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois.