Theology about the child is a very old and very new area of study. Theological perspectives of children are included in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, and many theologians throughout history have commented on children. Yet over the last century or so children have been marginalized by theology, overlooked by most theologians as apparently irrelevant to their main concerns. In recent years there has been a move to rediscover some of the classic issues raised by theologians in regards to children, such as the nature of the child, when children should be able to join the church or partake of the Eucharist or communion, what Jesus meant by making an example of children, and the like. Marcia Bunge has been an instrumental catalyst to the rediscovery of this area of theology.
A similar area of study is "Child Theology" a phrase perhaps first used by Keith White, to describe the difference that "placing a child in the midst" of the theological process could make. In some respects, this can be compared with feminist theology or liberation theology--it is an approach to doing theology that asks, "What difference would it make if we did as Jesus did, placing a child in the midst, and letting the child's perspective guide our approach to theology.
A third area of concern is the theology created by the child. Rather than being something that creates amusement, the distinctive quality of the theology of children may reveal not only the kind of thinking that is taking place, but also the nature and quality of the relationship between God and the child. The study of children's theology is perhaps more a social science process than a theological process, yet the object of study is the child's theology.
This web page offers links to web sites that relate to these three areas of study, all of which are potentially emerging areas of interest among theologians and others who care about children. The goal for this page is to encourage networking between people who have an interest in these areas, as well as organizations and leaders in this area. If you have suggestions for additions to this page, please email webs@ratcliffs.net.
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