How does one develop a space for one's children free from the worst aspects of the surrounding culture? How to foster a spiritual life where children can develop a vision of God, themselves, and the world, and an approach to Him through prayer and the hab

A new examination of how and why American religious parents seek to pass on religion to their children The most important influence shaping the religious and spiritual lives of children, youth, and teenagers is their parents. A myriad of studies show that the parents of American youth play the leading role in shaping the character of their religious and spiritual lives, even well after they leave home and often for the rest of their lives. We know a lot about the importance of parents in faith transmission. However we know much less about the actual beliefs, feelings, and activities of the parents themselves, what Christian Smith and Amy Adamczyk call the "intergenerational transmission of religious faith and practice." To address that gap, this book reports the findings of a new national study of religious parents in the United States. The findings and conclusions in Handing Down the Faith are based on 215 in-depth, personal interviews with religious parents from many traditions and different parts of the country, and sophisticated analyses of two nationally representative surveys of American parents about their religious parenting. Handing Down the Faith explores the background beliefs informing how and why religious parents seek to pass on religion to their children; examines how parenting styles interact with parent religiousness to shape effective religious transmission; shows how parents have been influenced by their experiences as children influenced by their own parents; reveals how religious parents view their congregations and what they most seek out in a local church, synagogue, temple, or mosque; explores the experiences and outlooks of immigrant parents including Latino Catholics, East Asian Buddhists, South Asian Muslims, and Indian Hindus. Smith and Adamczyk step back to consider how American religion has transformed over the last 100 years and to explain why parents today shoulder such a huge responsibility in transmitting religious faith and practice to their children. The book is rich in empirical evidence and unique in many of the topics it explores and explains, providing a variety of sometimes counterintuitive findings that will interest scholars of religion, social scientists interested in the family, parenting, and socialization; clergy and religious educators and leaders; and religious parents themselves.

Rosa sat so Martin could march. Martin marched so Barack could run.Barack ran so Our children can soar. This is the seed of a unique and inspirational picture book text, that is part historical, part poetry, and entirely inspirational. It symbolically takes the reader through the cumulative story of the US Civil Rights Movement, showing how select pioneers' achievements led up to this landmark moment, when we have elected our first black President. Each historical figure is rendered by a different award-winning African-American children's book illustrator, representing the singular and vibrant contribution that each figure made. Lending historical substance, the back matter includes brief biographies of: George Washington Carver, Jesse Owens, Hattie McDaniel, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama.

A fresh account of the lives of some of the most popular saints in the history of the Church--plus, the lessons to be derived from them. Written to help parents inspire love for the Faith in their children through examples from the lives of the saints, it is also one of the best lives of the saints we have seen, and as such is great reading for all, especially because of the lessons it teaches. Extremely thought-provoking. Impr.

Celebrate the Faith with your kids — all year round! For over half a century, Catholic families have treasured the practical piety and homespun wisdom of Mary Reed Newland's classic of domestic spirituality, The Year and Our Children. With this new edition, no longer will you have to search for worn, dusty copies to enjoy Newland's faithful insights, gentle lessons, and delightful stories. They're all here, and ready to be shared with your family or homeschooling group. Here, too, you'll find all the prayers, crafts, family activities, litanies, and recipes that will help make your children ever-mindful of the beautiful rhythm of the Church calendar. Learn how to make an Advent wreath — and how to make it more than just a pretty ornament. Teach your children about the real Santa (the one who was a bishop) and how to celebrate all twelve days of Christmas, giving them a holy wonder that will continue long after all the presents have been opened and the wrapping thrown away. When Lent comes, read Newland's simple secrets to helping your kids embrace their sacrifices with enthusiasm. Then, let her show you how to make your home a place where Holy Week and Easter are duly treated as the highest, holiest days of all the year. She'll teach you ways to reclaim All Souls' and All Saints' from the popular occultism of modern Halloween. She'll also show you why Church tradition accords special meaning to certain foods, colors, and symbols, and how these add to the incarnational character of Catholic spirituality — allowing children to experience the Faith through sight, smell, touch, and taste. Mary Reed Newland wrote numerous beloved books for Catholic families, but The Year and Our Children is her undisputed masterpiece. Read it, cherish it, share it, put it into practice — and give your kids the gift of a fully lived faith, every day and in every season.

For 10 years, kids have had fun learning about Scripture with The One Year Devotions for Kids series. Now The One Year Devotions for Kids, Volume 1 is available with a great look for a new generation of readers. Each day’s lesson focuses on a key theme from a Bible story. A contemporary story, application questions, a memory verse, and an action phrase combine to reinforce the theme for each day. A great way to help kids connect with God!

[This title] operates on the radical premise that neither child nor parent must dominate. -- Review.