The Child in Christian Thought

Marcia J. Bunge is the Drell and Adeline BernhardsonDistinguished Professor in Religion at Gustavus AdolphusCollege, Saint Peter, Minnesota.

Academy of Parish Clergy, Top Ten Books of the Year (2001)

Michael Welker
"A seminal book on the history of Christian thinking on the child."

Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen
"A well-researched and accessible volume that will be useful not only to those in religious studies but also to Christians in the social sciences, social history, and social welfare professions This is a book that manages both to respect various theological traditions about childhood and to build on them in a positive way."

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
"Bunge's book is more than a compendium of Christian views on children and childhood, for its masterfully written essays actually represent a survey of the diverse views of human nature that are held in Christendom."

Publishers Weekly (Religion Notes)
"A perceptive set of essays. . . Editor Marcia Bunge has selected essays that focus less on raising Christian children than on what it has meant, throughout history, to be a Christian child. From the New Testament's emphasis on children as models for faith to writings by 20th-century theologians Karl Barth and Karl Rahner, the various essays critically explore past and present understandings of childhood. . . Catherine Brekus contributes a memorable piece on Jonathan Edwards, whose 'particularly severe' emphasis on infant damnation and childhood depravity has been neglected by scholars."

Dorothy C. Bass
"This pathbreaking book provides a superb account of Christian theologians' and leaders' views of children across the centuries. The authors combine urgent concern for the well-being of children with impressive knowledge of a wide range of thinkers and historical periods. The Child in Christian Thought will both awaken theologians to a heretofore neglected topic and provide those who care for children with a wealth of insights, images, warnings, and resources. I am grateful to have a book of historical theology of such great relevance, passion, and excellence—and especially to have it on this most important of topics."