Top Ten Indispensable Books on Theology and Children

1. The Child in Christian Thought, (ed.) Marcia Bunge (Eerdmans, 2001)

2. The Child in the Bible, (ed.) Marcia Bunge (Eerdmans, 2008)

3. Graced Vulnerability: A Theology of Childhood by David Jenson (Pilgrim Press, 2005)

4. Welcoming Children: A Practical Theology of Childhood by Joyce Ann Mercer (Chalice Press, 2005)

5. Children and the Theologians: Clearing the Way for Grace by Jerome Berryman (2009)

6. The Vocation of the Child, (ed.) Patrick McKinley Brennan (Eerdmans, 2008)

7. Let the Children Come: Reimagining Childhood from a Christian Perspective by Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore (Jossey-Bass, 2003)

8. Children of God: Towards a Theology of Childhood, (ed.) Angela Shier-Jones (Epworth, 2007)

9. Jesus and the Children by Hans-Ruedi Weber (WCC, 1979)

10. Through the Eyes of a Child: New Insights in Theology from a Child's Perspective (2009)

Comments

[Jason Goroncy]

Some good choices Andy. For what it's worth, I'd include these two:

1. Karl Rahner, 'Ideas for a Theology of Childhood' in Theological Investigations, Volume 8: Further Theology of the Spiritual Life 2 (London/New York: Darton, Longman & Todd/Herder and Herder, 1971), 33-50.

2. Jürgen Moltmann, 'Child and Childhood as Metaphors of Hope', Theology Today 56, no. 4 (2000): 592-603.

I've written on some of these here: http://cruciality.wordpress.com/category/children/

By the way, are you planning on doing an advent series again this year?

[andy Goodliff]

Jason
there's obviously a chapter on Rahner in the Child in Christian Thought. The Moltmann article is good, its reprinted in slightly different form in his book In the End the Beginning (SCM).

Yes to Advent series - i'll be posting a sign up at hopeful imagination mid-november.

[John]

I much prefer this remarkable book which is based on an acute felt Understanding on what we are as human beings. And what our primary urge and motive IS. Which is to BE ecstatically happy.

http://www.dabase.org/happytxt.htm

A motive which all of what is usually called religion actively and systematically suppresses.

[Darren]

So, have you had the chance to read Berryman's recent book? I'm still waiting for it to arrive on my doorstep sometime in the next couple of weeks.

[andy goodliff]

I have a copy on order to. I only discovered a few days ago

[Christopher]

And then there's Unless You Become Like This Child, by Hans Urs von Balthasar (Ignatius Press)!

[Darren Wright]

cool,
mine arrived yesterday afternoon, will have to get to reading and reviewing it...