Children Religion And Development Perspectives On Spirituality And Practice

Drawing from teachings and practices of diverse and distinct religious traditions this volume takes a unique approach to exploring spiritual aspects of child development which may apply universally to children of all backgrounds. Research with children demonstrates how spirituality is a universal trait an innate aspect of humanity which may be and indeed often is nurtured within religious traditions. Though spirituality is not inherently religious in nature its connection to religion has proven near impossible for scholars to sever. Nonetheless spirituality is an integral aspect of human development with universal relevance. Child spirituality has been linked to aspects of well-being including prosocial coping skills avoidance of risky behaviours confidence-building forging of meaningful affective ties development of generosity mental health and psychosocial well-being. While each chapter brings a unique religious perspective it offers insight case studies and practical applications that help nurture children’s development regardless of the child’s own religious tradition – in other words the starting point is religion but the ending point is a shared vision for the well-being of children. With contributions from Malaysia Sri Lanka India Ghana Bosnia and Herzegovina the UK Australia Canada and the USA this book will be of particular interest to scholars of religion theology development studies and humanitarian studies. |Children Religion and Development Perspectives on Spirituality and Practice