The Child in Christian Thought and Practice (Religion, Marriage, and Family)

The Child in Christian Thought and Practice (Religion, Marriage, and Family)

by Marcia Bunge (Author)

Synopsis

This volume offers the first major survey of the history of Christian thought on children. Each chapter, written by an expert in the field, discusses the particular perspectives on children held by influential theologians and Christian movements throughout church history, asking what resources they can contribute to a sound contemporary view of childhood and child-rearing. Intended for all readers, this needed book will be a valuable resource for laying the foundation for a new, more meaningful Christian view of childhood today.

Contributors:
Clarissa W. Atkinson
Margaret Bendroth
Catherine Brekus
Marcia J. Bunge
Dawn DeVries
Richard P. Heitzenrater
Mary Ann Hinsdale
Judith Gundry-Volf
Vigen Guroian
Keith Graber Miller
Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore
Barbara Pitkin
Marcia Y. Riggs
Martha Ellen Stortz
Jane E. Strohl
Cristina L. H. Traina
William Werpehowski

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 527
Publisher: William B Eerdmans Publishing Co
Published: 15 Jan 2001

ISBN 10: 0802846939
ISBN 13: 9780802846938

Media Reviews
Academy of Parish Clergy, Top Ten Books of the Year (2001)

Michael Welker
-A seminal book on the history of Christian thinking on the child.-

Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen
-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.-

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
-Bunge's book is more than a compendium of Christian views on children and childhood, for its masterfully written essays actually represent a survey of the diverse views of human nature that are held in Christendom.-

Publishers Weekly (Religion Notes)
-A perceptive set of essays. . . Editor Marcia Bunge has selected essays that focus less on raising Christian children than on what it has meant, throughout history, to be a Christian child. From the New Testament's emphasis on children as models for faith to writings by 20th-century theologians Karl Barth and Karl Rahner, the various essays critically explore past and present understandings of childhood. . . Catherine Brekus contributes a memorable piece on Jonathan Edwards, whose 'particularly severe' emphasis on infant damnation and childhood depravity has been neglected by scholars.-

Dorothy C. Bass
-This pathbreaking book 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 care 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 especially to have it on this most important of topics.-