The Spirit of the Child

Spirituality is increasingly acknowledged as an essential part of child development, but at the same time spiritual awareness is not embedded within current education systems. David Hay argues that children are capable of profound, meaningful beliefs from an early age, despite cultural pressures and the decline in institutional religion, and makes the case for spirituality in education as a means of fostering morality and social inclusion. A three-year research study into children's spirituality and its survival informs Hay's view that spirituality in education needs to move beyond traditional approaches to a theory of spirituality that includes religion but is not confined to it. This thought-provoking book encourages educators, parents and others involved in teaching children to consider new approaches to nurture children's development. Book jacket.

David Hay is a zoologist and Honorary Senior Research Fellow of the Department of Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen Rebecca Nye is a child psychologist and a member of staff in the faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University