The Spiritual Dimension of Childhood

This book takes an in-depth look at spirituality and its continual expression in children, to support those working with children in developing their own perceptions and interaction with them.The authors outline exactly what is understood by contemporary spirituality, and discuss the importance of context in a consideration of spirituality. They explore key issues in understanding children's spirituality under three broad headings: children's voices - how they are often lost in the context of spirituality and what the implications of that loss are; children's worlds - how children draw on the spiritual as a means of addressing notions of meaning and value in life; and children's lives - how context shapes the spiritual dimension.Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, this accessible book will enrich the working practices of educators and other professionals who work with children, and will also be of interest to parents and anyone interested in children's spirituality.

Kate Adams, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer at Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln, England. Her Ph.D. comes from the Faculty of Education at the University of Glasgow, where she undertook a multi-faith study of children's dreams and their implications for the education system. Her research interests include the significance of dreams for children, and children's spiritual lives. Brendan Hyde, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the National School of Religious Education at Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia, where he was also awarded his Ph.D. Brendan's research interest is in the spirituality of children. His research interests include exploring the characteristics of children's spirituality, and the implication these have for education in the primary school context. Richard Woolley, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer in primary education and Teaching Fellow at Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln, England. His Ph.D. was awarded by the University of Sheffield, where he undertook research in collaboration with the Urban Theology Unit. His current interests include children's spirituality and global citizenship education, and developing standards in initial teacher education.