Reverence for the Heart of the Child

Are children little angels or little devils, or are they like their parents a little of each? Must they go through a definite moment of conversion or can they grow up always knowing themselves to be Christian? How do theological ideas about human nature, sin and salvation affect how parents see and treat children? Starting with Horace Bushnell's classic 19th-century study, Christian Nurture, Leander Harding brings the discussion up to date with the help of insights from contemporary psychoanalytic thought and Family Systems Theory. Included are practical suggestions for parents and parishes.

Leander S. Harding, PhD, is ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church. After many years of service in parish ministry he now teaches pastoral theology at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, an evangelical seminary in the Anglican tradition. He is also the author of, In the Breaking of the Bread: A User's Guide to a Service of Holy Communion in the Anglican Tradition.