Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality Perspectives from the World's Religious Traditions

by Yust, Karen-Marie; Johnson, Aostre N.; Sasso, Sandy Eisenberg; Roehlkepartain, Eugene C.; Agarwal, Vishal; Ascherman, Arik; Blumberg, Sherry H.; Brown, Richard C.; Bunge, Marcia J.; Caldwell, Elizabeth F.; Charry, Ellen T.; Dawson, Kathy; Dollahite, David

• ISBN13: 9780742544628
• ISBN10: 0742544621
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-12-27
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality: Perspectives from the World's Religious Traditions provides a forum for prominent religious scholars to examine the state of religious knowledge and theological reflection on spiritual development in childhood and adolescence. Featuring essays from thinkers representing the world's major religious traditions, the book introduces new voices, challenges assumptions, raises new questions, and broadens the base of knowledge and investment in this important domain of life. Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality will set the stage for new waves of scholarship and dialogue within and across traditions, disciplines, and cultures that will enrich understanding and strengthen how the world's religious traditions, and others, understand and cultivate the spiritual lives of children and adolescents around the globe.

Table of Contents

Editors' Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Traditional Wisdom: Creating Space for Religious Reflection on Child and Adolescent Spirituality	p. 1
Children and Adolescents in Major Religious Traditions	p. 15
Awakening Latent Spirituality: Nurturing Children in the Hindu Tradition	p. 19
The Child as Compassionate Bodhisattva and as Human Sufferer/Spiritual Seeker: Intertwined Buddhist Images	p. 33
Learning to Be Righteous: A Jewish Theology of Childhood	p. 43
The Dignity and Complexity of Children: Constructing Christian Theologies of Childhood	p. 53
Filling the Heart with the Love of God: Islamic Perspectives on Spirituality in Childhood and Adolescence	p. 69
Spiritual Change and Rites of Passage	p. 81
Saintly Children: Roman Catholicism and the Nurture of Children	p. 83
After a Child's First Dance with God: Accompanying Children on a Protestant Spiritual Journey	p. 95
In Right Relationship with God: Childhood Conversion in Evangelical Christian Traditions	p. 108
From Naming to Initiation: Childhood and Adolescence in African Christian Spirituality	p. 122
The Child on Loan: The Pathway from Infancy through Adolescence in Islamic Studies	p. 132
Entering the World, Entering Torah: Moving from the Natural to the Sacred in the Jewish Life Cycle	p. 143
Educating the Warrior: A Tibetan Buddhist Approach to Spiritual Growth	p. 157
Rituals and Practices to Nurture the Inner Life	p. 171
Young Minds, Youthful Buddhas: Developmental Rituals and Practices in Tibetan Buddhism	p. 175
Narrative and Imagination: The Role of Texts and Storytelling in Nurturing Spirituality in Judaism	p. 191
Sanctifying Time: A Jewish Perspective on Prayer, Holy Days, and Blessings in the Life of Children	p. 199
Schooling the Heart: Introducing Catholic Youth to the Meaning and Practice of Prayer	p. 209
Sacred Celebrations: The Role of Festivals in Nurturing Hindu Children's Spirituality	p. 223
Reformed Spirits: Christian Practices in Presbyterian Preschools in South Korea and the United States	p. 236
Connecting the Inner Life with Ethical Action	p. 249
A Way of Mind and Life: The Relationship of Adolescent Catholic Spirituality to Life Structure	p. 253
Singing Hope and Practicing Justice: Adolescent Emancipatory Hope Embodied in the Life of Ruby Doris Smith	p. 264
Repairing the World: The Place of Mitzvot in Children's Spiritual Lives	p. 275
Nurturing Young People's Spirituality as a Force for Social Change: A Baha'i Perspective	p. 285
Children and the Five Pillars of Islam: Practicing Spirituality in Daily Life	p. 296
Value-Creating Education: A Nichiren Buddhist Perspective	p. 309
Who is Responsible for Nurturing Spirituality?	p. 321
At Home with Faith and Family: A Protestant Christian Perspective	p. 325
Sunday School for Buddhists? Nurturing Spirituality in Children	p. 338
Personal Responsibility with Communal Support: The Spiritual Education of Muslim Children	p. 352
Understanding Dharma, Performing Karma: Shared Responsibilities for Spiritual Grooming in Hindu Traditions	p. 366
Transforming Bar/Bat Mitzvah: The Role of Family and Community	p. 380
Teaching Correct Principles: Promoting Spiritual Strength in LDS Young People	p. 394
Social and Cultural Forces That Shape Spirituality	p. 409
Scarce Discourse: Exploring Gender, Sexuality, and Spirituality in Buddhism	p. 411
Identity Jihads: The Multiple Strivings of American Muslim Youth	p. 423
Countering a Malforming Culture: Christian Theological Formation of Adolescents in North America	p. 437
Resistance and Resilience: Cultivating Christian Spiritual Practices among Brazilian Children and Youth	p. 449
Spiritual Economies of Childhood: Christian Perspectives on Global Market Forces and Young People's Spirituality	p. 458
Born with a Knife in Their Hearts: Children and Political Conflict in the Middle East	p. 472
Postscript: Expanding the Conversation	p. 481
About the Editors	p. 487
Contributors	p. 489
Index	p. 495
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