Brendan Hyde – författare

This book brings together leading academics and practitioners to provide research-informed strategies for nurturing young children as spiritual beings. Globalization and performativity have led to a narrowing of education in early years settings and schools, and this book considers the types of knowledge and capabilities children and educators need to address the challenges this presents. The chapters explore and critique existing practices in a range of areas including sustainability, inclusion, relationships with parents, ethics of care, and the role of the arts. Written by contributors based in Australia, Canada, Malta, the UK and the USA, the book offers theoretical discussion and practical strategies to help educators nurture young children’s spirituality emphasising holistic approaches and caring relationships as an antidote to current neoliberal discourse.

This book brings together leading academics and practitioners to provide research-informed strategies for nurturing young children as spiritual beings. Globalization and performativity have led to a narrowing of education in early years settings and schools, and this book considers the types of knowledge and capabilities children and educators need to address the challenges this presents. The chapters explore and critique existing practices in a range of areas including sustainability, inclusion, relationships with parents, ethics of care, and the role of the arts. Written by contributors based in Australia, Canada, Malta, the UK and the USA, the book offers theoretical discussion and practical strategies to help educators nurture young children’s spirituality emphasising holistic approaches and caring relationships as an antidote to current neoliberal discourse.

Brendan Hyde identifies four characteristics of children's spirituality: the felt sense, integrating awareness, weaving the threads of meaning, and spiritual questing. These characteristics can be observed in children if those who work with them know what to look for and are alert to the time, place and space in which children find themselves.This book provides ways in which schoolteachers and parents can nurture and foster these particular characteristics of children's spirituality. It also considers two factors, material pursuit and trivialising, which may inhibit children's expression of their spirituality.Children and Spirituality will be of great interest to educators, policy makers, parents, and others who work with and seek to nurture the spirituality of children.