This article explores children's spirituality and its significance for health care providers seeking to provide “spiritually competent care” of children amidst religious and spiritual diversity. Four metaphors of different spiritualities evidenced among children are explored: mystics, activists, sages, and holy fools. The article addresses issues clinicians face such as the problem of defining spirituality in relation to religion, and countertransference around religious and spiritual matters. Current research shows that spiritual and religious involvements constitute positive factors promoting resiliency and health in children. James W. Fowler's theory of faith development facilitates an exploration of questions concerning how children develop a belief system, leading to a view of children's spirituality as multidimensional. This article preserves the less formal conversational style of an earlier version's presentation in Grand Rounds at the UCLA Medical Center's Neuropsychiatric Hospital on December 10, 2003.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Ashley, M. (2002). The spiritual, the cultural, and the religious: What can we learn from a study of boy choristers? International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 7, 257–272.
Barnes, L. L., Plotnikoff, G. A., Fox, K., & Pendleton, S. (2000). Spirituality, religion, and pediatrics: Intersecting worlds of healing. Pediatrics, 104, 899–908.
Benson, P., Donahue, M. J., & Erickson, J. A. (1989). Adolescence and religion: A review of the literature from 1970 to 1986. In M. L. Lynn & D. O. Moberg (Eds.), Research in the social scientific study of religion: A research annual (pp. 153–181). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press Inc.
Boyatzis, C. J., & Janicki, D. L. (2003). Parent-child communication about religion; Survey and diary data on unilateral transmission and bi-directional reciprocity styles. Review of Religious Research, 44, 252–270.
Brown, M. W., & Hurd, C., (Illustrator). (1991). Goodnight moon. New York: HarperFestival. (Original work published 1947)
Bruner, J. (1986). Actual minds, possible worlds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Coles, R. (1990). The spiritual life of children. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Fowler, J. W. (1981). Stages of faith: The psychology of human development and the quest for meaning (1st ed.). San Francisco: Harper & Row.
Fowler, J. W. (1995). Stages of faith: The psychology of human development and the quest for meaning. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.
Fowler, J. W. (1996). Faithful change: The personal and public challenges of postmodern life. Nashville: Abingdon.
Garmezy, N. (1991). Resilience in children's adaptation to negative life events and stressed environments. Pediatric Annals, 20, 459–466.
Hackney, C. H., & Sanders, G. S., (2003) Religiosity and mental health: A meta-analysis of recent studies. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 42, 43.
Haight, W. (1998). ‘Gathering the Spirit’ at First Baptist Church: Spirituality as a protective factor in the lives of African American children. Social Work, 43, 213–221.
Hay, D. (2000). Spirituality versus individualism: Why we should nurture relational consciousness. International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 5, 37–48.
Hay, D., & Nye, W. R. (1998). The spirit of the child. London: HarperCollins.
Jessor, R. (1991). Risk behavior in adolescence: A psychosocial framework for understanding and action. Journal of Adolescent Health, 12, 597–605.
Kujawa-Holbrook, S. A. (2001). Courage and resistance: Spiritual formation and mentoring girls for religious leadership. International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 6, 299–310.
Lamott, A. (1999). Traveling mercies. New York: Random House.
Mahoney, A., Pargament, K. I., Tarakeshwar, N., & Swank, A. B. (2001). Religion in the home in the 1980s and 1990s: A meta-analytic review and conceptual analysis of links between religion, marriage, and parenting. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 559–596.
McEvoy, M. (2003). Culture and spirituality as an integrated concept in pediatric care. The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 28, 39–43.
Mercer, J. A. (2003). The idea of the child in Freud and Jung: Psychological sources for divergent spiritualities of childhood. International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 8, 115–132.
Miller, L., & Gur, M. (2002). Religiosity, depression and physical maturation in adolescent girls. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 31, 206–214.
Pargament, K. I. (1997). The psychology of religion and coping: Theory, research, practice. New York: Guildford Press.
Pendleton, S. M., Cavalli, K. S., Pargament, K. I., Nasr, S. Z. (2002). Religious/spiritual coping in childhood cystic fibrosis: A qualitative study. Pediatrics, 109, e1–e11.
Peterson, E. H. (2003). Missing ingredient: Why spirituality needs Jesus. Christian Century, 120, 30–37.
Resnick, M. D., Bearman, P. S., Blum, R. W., Bauman, K. E., Harris, K. M., Jones, J. I., Tabor, J., Beurhring, T., Sieving, R. E., Shew, M., Ireland, M., Bearinger, L. H., & Udry, J. R. (1997). Protecting adolescents from harm; Findings from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health. Journal of the American Medical Association, 278,823–832.
Resnick, M. D., Harris, L. J., & Blum, R. W. (1993). The impact of caring and connectedness on adolescent health and well-being. Journal of Pediatric Child Health, 29, S3–S9.
Richards, P. S., & Bergin, A. E. (Eds.) (2000). Handbook of psychotherapy and religious diversity. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Rizzuto, A. M. (1980). The birth of the living God. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Stern, D. N. (1985). The interpersonal world of the infant: A view from psychoanalysis and developmental psychology. San Francisco: Basic Books/Harper Collins.
Varon, S. R., & Riley, A. W. (1999). Relationship between maternal church attendance and adolescent mental health and social functioning. Psychiatric Services, 50, 799–805.
Wallace, J. M., Jr., & Forman, T. A. (1998). Religion's role in promoting health and reducing risk among American youth. Health Education and Behavior, 25, 721–741.
Wegener, L. M., Furrow, J. L., Ebstyne King, P., Leffert, N., & Benson, P. (2003). Religious involvement and developmental resources in youth. Review of Religious Research, 44, 271–284.
Wright, W. M. (2003). Seasons of a family's life: Cultivating the contemplative spirit at home. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Yust, K. M. (2003). Toddler spiritual formation and the faith community. International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 8, 133–150.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mercer, J.A. Children as Mystics, Activists, Sages, and Holy Fools: Understanding the Spirituality of Children and Its Significance for Clinical Work. Pastoral Psychol 54, 497–515 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-005-0013-y
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-005-0013-y