Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality: Perspectives from the World's Religious Traditions provides a forum for prominent religious scholars to examine the state of religious knowledge and theological reflection on spiritual development in childhood and adolescence. Featuring essays from thinkers representing the world's major religious traditions, the book introduces new voices, challenges assumptions, raises new questions, and broadens the base of knowledge and investment in this important domain of life. It specifically and intentionally focuses on theological and philosophical perspectives from within religious traditions, creating space for the religious traditions to find their voices.Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality is firmly grounded in the language and priorities of religious studies, and helps stimulate explorations of whether and how religious communities are tapping their own wisdom and strengths in nurturing today's young people in a complex and changing world.Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality will set the stage for new waves of scholarship and dialogue within and across traditions, disciplines, and cultures that will enrich understanding and strengthen how the world's religious traditions, and others, understand and cultivate the spiritual lives of children and adolescents around the globe.

Karen Marie Yust, Th.D., is associate professor of Christian education at Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education.Aostre N. Johnson, Ed.D., is associate professor of education at Saint Michael's College, where she teaches curriculum and pedagogy courses and directs the master's program in curriculum.Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, D.D., is the rabbi of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck.Eugene C. Roehlkepartain is senior advisor and director of Family and Congregation Initiatives for Search Institute, Minneapolis. He serves as co-director for the institute's initiative on spiritual development in childhood and adolescence.

Chapter 1 Traditional Wisdom: Creating Space for Religious Reflection on Child and Adolescent SpiritualityChapter 2 Awakening Latent Spirituality: Nurturing Children in the Hindu TraditionChapter 3 The Child as Compassionate Bodhisattva and as Human Sufferer/Spiritual Seeker: Intertwined Buddhist ImagesChapter 4 Learning to Be Righteous: A Jewish Theology of ChildhoodChapter 5 The Dignity and Complexity of Children: Constructing Christian Theologies of ChildhoodChapter 6 Filling the Heart with the Love of God: Islamic Perspectives on Spirituality in Childhood and AdolescenceChapter 7 Saintly Children: Roman Catholicism and the Nurture of ChildrenChapter 8 After a Child's First Dance with God: Accompanying Children on a Protestant Spiritual JourneyChapter 9 In Right Relationship with God: Childhood Conversion in Evangelical Christian TraditionsChapter 10 From Naming to Initiation: Childhood and Adolescence in African Christian SpiritualityChapter 11 The Child on Loan: The Pathway from Infancy through Adolescence in Islamic StudiesChapter 12 Entering the World Entering Torah: Moving from the Natural to the Sacred in the Jewish Life CycleChapter 13 Educating the Warrior: A Tibetan Buddhist Approach to Spiritual GrowthChapter 14 Young MindsYouthful Buddhas: Developmental Rituals and Practices in Tibetan BuddhismChapter 15 Narrative and Imagination: The Role of Texts and Storytelling in Nurturing Spirituality in JudaismChapter 16 Sanctifying Time: A Jewish Perspective on Prayer, Holy Days,mand Blessings in the Life of ChildrenChapter 17 Schooling the Heart: Introducing Catholic Youth to the Meaning and Practice of PrayerChapter 18 Sacred Celebrations: The Role of Festivals in Nurturing Hindu Children's SpiritualityChapter 19 Reformed Spirits: Christian Practices in Presbyterian Preschools in South Korea and the United StatesChapter 20 A Way of Mind and Life: The Relationship of Adolescent Catholic Spirituality to Life StructureChapter 21 Singing Hope and Practicing Justice: Adolescent Emancipatory Hope Embodied in the Life of Ruby Doris SmithChapter 22 Repairing the World: The Place of Mitzvoth in Children's Spiritual LivesChapter 23 Young People's Spirituality as a Force for Social Change: A Bahá'í PerspectiveChapter 24 Children and the Five Pillars of Islam: Practicing Spirituality in Daily LifeChapter 25 Value-Creating Education: A Nichiren Buddhist PerspectiveChapter 26 At Home with Faith and Family: A Protestant Christian PerspectiveChapter 27 Sunday School for Buddhists? Nurturing Spirituality in ChildrenChapter 28 Personal Responsibility with Communal Support: The Spiritual Education of Muslim ChildrenChapter 29 Understanding Dharma, Performing Karma: Shared Responsibilities for Spiritual Grooming in Hindu TraditionsChapter 30 Transforming Bar/Bat Mitzvah: The Role of Family and CommunityChapter 31 Teaching Correct Principles: Promoting Spiritual Strength in LDS Young PeopleChapter 32 Scarce Discourse: Exploring GenderSexuality and Spirituality in BuddhismChapter 33 Identity Jihads: The Multiple Strivings of American Muslim YouthChapter 34 Countering a Malforming Culture: Christian Theological Formation of Adolescents in North AmericaChapter 35 Resistance and Resilience: Cultivating Christian Spiritual Practices among Brazilian Children and YouthChapter 36 Spiritual Economies of Childhood: Christian Perspectives on Global Market Forces and Young People's SpiritualityChapter 37 Born with a Knife in Their Hearts: Children and Political Conflict in the Middle East