The spirit of the child - David Hay

In this revealing and thoughtful book, David Hay explores the nature of children's spirituality and their understanding of God, and explores ways of nurturing the spiritual awareness of children in an age which is searching for authentic faith.The search for faith and belief grows at an increasingly fast pace, yet institutional religion is declining. The world into which children are inducted is often destructive to spirituality. Yet children emerge from infancy with a simplicity that is open to all experience. How can this be and what does such a phenomena tell us about the mind of the child and the nature of belief?Dr Hay looks at research done over many years which shows that children are capable of having deep and meaningful beliefs even at very young ages. Rigorously argued, this book will stand up to academic scrutiny but is also of great importance to parents and those who work with children as well as church leaders.