Children and spirituality

Children’s spirituality as a formal area of academic focus is relatively new, with research occurring within a number of different fields. Context as well as socio-cultural sensitivities are among the main factors that contribute to the shaping of academic reflection in this area. Thus, while the urbanization and industrialization of society in the second half of the nineteenth century led to the recognition of the existence of childhood, and consequently of the material, moral, religious and spiritual needs of the child, for most of the past three decades, globalization and the surge in interest in the general area of spirituality, as distinct from religion, has spurred current research in children’s spirituality, especially in the areas of education, psychology, health and social care.

The essay explores what led to the emergence of the more scientific investigation of spirituality during childhood and adolescence, the current perspectives and the issues and challenges that the discipline is facing. Even though the area of study is relatively new, the disciplinary ramifications within the area make it extremely hard to do justice to the width and depth of the research that has been done and that is still emerging.

© 2019 selection and editorial matter, Laszlo Zsolnai and
Bernadette Flanagan; individual chapters, the contributors.