The Vocation of The Child
The Vocation of the Child, Patrick McKinley Brennan, ed.
I don’t often use such language, but I believe that God led me to read a book recently. I don’t usually use that kind of language, because I believe that God typically leaves the titles on my reading list to me – or at the very least I would hate to blame Him for some of the real snoozers or mindless fiction I’ve read recently. My faith would truly be shaken, for example, if I believed that it was God’s specific will for me to read Twilight, a book I feel could fit well into either of the aforementioned categories.
But this was different. I was standing in my favorite bookstore on the planet, the Cokesbury Store in Fishers, IN. A title on the shelf grabbed my attention – The Vocation of the Child, edited by Patrick Brennan. As I read the description on the jacket, especially the line that said “The Vocation of the Child seeks to understand the child as a person in his or her own right, as a member of family and community, and as a son or daughter of God who came to earth as a child,” something deep inside me stirred and I knew this was a book I needed to read.
And so today I’m starting a new series on the blog which will review the various essays which make up the book. My plan is to tackle one essay a week, and with 15 essays, I should wrap this up sometime near the end of March. I invite you to read along. If you can get your hands on a copy, I urge you to do so. I know that you can order it from Amazon. And please, join in the discussion through the comments below.
Now, on to the first essay “The Vocation of the Child: Theological Perspectives on the Particular and Paradoxical Roles and Responsibilities of Children” by Dr. Marcia J Bunge. Dr. Bunge is a professor of humanities and theology at Christ College, Valparaiso University’s honor college. In this essay she pursues a well-rounded understanding of the calling of the child. (more…)
