Children's Spirituality: What it is and Why it Matters

by Rebecca Nye

This concise guide is an ideal introduction to the increasingly popular topic of children's spirituality. Mixing theory with tips on 'good practice', leading expert Rebecca Nye shows how choices made in churches and homes can stimulate or stifle a child's spiritual development,

Genres: Parenting, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Faith

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent discussion of why children's spirituality is important. Nice format that could be used for group reading and discussion.

[Penny Reeve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book after attending a 'Godly Play' training which challenged me to think more deeply about childhood spirituality and its implications for the way we share faith with children.
The book is easy to understand and split into useful chapters, including 'Children's spirituality - what is it?' and 'Nurturing children's spirituality 1: some guiding principles'.
The book is accessible and thought provoking, encouraging both theoretical and practical critique. Throughout the text, author Rebecca Nye has left questions for thought and discussion.
This is certainly a book I'll be returning to as I continue to wrestle through my understanding of this important subject and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the spirituality of children.

[Christine V. Hides · Rating 5 out of 5]

In seven concise chapters Nye provides a definition of children’s spirituality, affirms the essentiality for spirituality for being whole, suggests guiding principles, and provides answers to questions frequently asked by church people who work with children. Her three definitions for children’s spirituality are cited often in child theology books. The simplest is “God’s way of being with children and children’s ways of being with God.” She also includes an evidence-based definition and an analogy. Her principles for nurturing spirituality are space, process, imagination, relationship, intimacy, and trust.

[Laura Kisthardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book for Children's Spirituality class at Yale Divinity School. I found the SPIRIT principles to be helpful in envisioning what children's ministry could look like from a strategic perspective. Personally, I don't know if I will do Godly Play in future congregations, but I think the ideas and practices are still relevant.

[Trey Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like 2.5 for the rating. There were some good thoughts this book had and some that were just wrong.

[Kathryn McGregor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some nuggets of good info, but overall a little dry.