Spiritual Dimension of Childhood

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.

One of the strengths of the book is that its arguments are well supported with both academic references and children's own accounts of their experience - an important factor when dealing with a subject as elusive as "spirituality". The book is engagingly written because the authors are passionate about their subject. They persuade us that if we engage more fully with how children experience their inner world, we can better understand how the inner and outer worlds interact to shape the spiritual dimension of their lives. We are then in a better position to help children regain their spiritual voice, which many struggle to find... the authors' willingness to engage positively with so many of the issues raised is truly inspiring.

• Introduction. Clearing the Ground: A Geography of Contemporary Spirituality. Part I: Children's Voices. 1. Silenced by Society: Hearing the Child's Voice. 2. Identity: Spirituality, the Self and the Search for One's Voice. Part II: Children's Worlds. 3. Children's Worlds: the Variety of Spiritual Experience. 4. Connecting to Something Greater: Spirituality and Respect for Personhood. 5. The Construct of `Spiritual Intelligence': Is It Really Plausible? Part III: Children's Lives. 6. Relatedness: Spirituality and Children's Worldviews. 7. The Significance of Context for Spirituality: `Australian Spirituality' as a Case Study. 8. Unforgettable Dreams: The Impact of Spiritual Dreams upon Children's Lives. 9. Conclusion. References. Index.