Overview

Over a period of fifteen years, Johns Hopkins pediatrician Pat Fosarelli, MD, a professor at St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute, surveyed approximately 9,000 children, adolescents, and teens about their understand of God. This book reveals their answers to a single query: “If you could ask God a question, what would that question be?” The candid, unvarnished responses Fosarelli received from this racially and socioeconomically diverse group are hardly the precious, saccharine content of Hallmark cards. They are illuminating, profound, curious, and weighty, revealing how these children understand themselves and their existence. Some of their responses focus on the nature of God (“Who are God’s parents?”); others focus on themselves (“Why can’t friendships last forever?) and people around them (“Why are some people poor?”); some responses address suffering (“Why do people die?”) and creation (“Why do some animals hurt people?”) and heaven (“Will I see my mother?”). Fosarelli guides readers through children’s stages of development, explaining how these stages correlate with the content and sophistication of their questions, and suggesting how parents and teachers can respond most effectively to questions children may ask about God. In the final chapter she explores how these children’s questions can help parents, teachers, and other child/youth professionals better understand the dreams, concerns, anxieties, wishes, and fears of young people today.

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9781538195970

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Reviews

In a world that far too frequently discounts children and their experiences, Dr. Fosarelli instead invites them to wonder and question, taking their concerns and hopes seriously. Her acknowledgement of their sacred worth and their full humanity is a witness to us all. --Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan, coauthor of When Kids Ask Hard Questions: Faith-Filled Responses for Tough Topics, Vol. I & II With questions about God ranging from amusing to thought-provoking, Why Can't There be Peace in the World? is both a window into the minds of children and a guide to open-hearted communication. The strength of the book lies in its honesty and humility: it models a willingness to meet children and adolescents where they are, to listen attentively and without judgment, to be a companion in wondering, and to admit, 'I don't know.' --Laura Alary, author of Read, Wonder, Listen: Stories from the Bible for Young Readers, and other books for children

Author Information

Dr. Pat Fosarelli, MD, has served on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics, and for the last 15 years she has been the Chair of the Johns Hopkins Professional Advisory Group (PAG). She has also acted as an associate dean at St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute and is currently director of the MA in Christian Ministries program. Additionally, she served as a pastoral associate and director of religious education at Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church (Baltimore) between 2001 to 2008. Dr. Fosarelli regularly contributes as a book reviewer for the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and is the author of twelve books and numerous articles and pamphlets in the medical and theology/ministry fields. Her books include Paths to Prayer: A Field Guide to Ten Catholic Traditions (2010), Celebrating Your Child’s First Communion ( 2012), Celebrating Your Child’s First Reconciliation (2012), and more. Dr. Fosarelli currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland.

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