[Children's Spirituality Chpt 13 "A Child's Concept of God" by Joyce E. Bellous , Simone A. de Roos (author of Educating Faith: An Approach to Christian Formation), and William Summey - an international team of authors.This is a fascinating chapter. ]
More ideas to ponder:
"...God-concepts are personal rather than accurate. They are made from primary experience." (p. 216) We want to give children the words (language) and skills to articulate their own thoughts and ideas but also to observe "what the scriptures reveal about God through the person and works of Christ".
Question: Does religious education actually do this or does it give us language or boxes that we must somehow fit our own experience into?
"God concepts may be repressed or transformed but they do not go away."(p. 204) yet "Having a concept of God is different than having a personal relationship with God." ( p. 213)
They have a very good section addressing Christian educators who use the old (I hope) image of self or God "on the throne." : "It is not by casting one's self off the 'heart's throne' that maturity begins. Rather, obtaining a fresh and enlivened vision of God's own Self enables people to grow up in the faith...revised in light of scripture, communal knowledge, self-examination, and experiencing God 'face to face'. . ." The authors say that unless this happens "God concepts are merely products of imagination." (p. 215) Scary!
"The working out of identity is a conversation." (emotionally charged-rich in meaning- conversation). (p. 216) We need other people in order to know ourselves.
"Religious educators are wise if they treat children differently depending on the God concept that is already formed in a child's mind. . ." "the task of teaching religion to children demands exquisite attention to the experience of the child as well as to what [teachers present to children]" (p. 207)
Question: How do we connect the God of scripture with the God a child "knows" whether their God-concept is accurate or inaccurate? Is it for us to do or is it enough to present the Word, enter into discussion and let a child wrestle with the ways their ideas about God and their experience collide?
The authors say that for faith to survive, children (and adults) have to wrestle everytime they experience an emotional or developmental crisis. They are trying to mesh what they thought they knew of God with their experiences and expectations of God and the outside world.
One of the wonderful things about this book is the way these faith-filled scientists find that their observations help them make sense of scripture and visa versa. Not fudging their faith. Not fudging real science (their observations of all that God has made).
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