St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (Feb 2024)
Children and Christian Theology
Abstract
Children and childhood are increasingly considered as a theological concern. In this contribution, an overview of various perspectives on children, childhood, and Christian theology is presented. The article describes a diversity of images of children as they figure in social sciences, in biblical studies, in the history of theology, in ethics, and in practical and systematic theology. By considering these images, it will become clear how children are sometimes considered as passive objects but, in recent times, mostly as active subjects showing resilience and agency. Children are not only to be protected; they also have a voice. This idea is made explicit in recent scholarship on the relationship of church communities with children, on children and liturgy, religious education, and pastoral care.
