Diverse Voices: Children’s Perceptions of Spirituality

Abstract

Children (N = 64; 6-11 years, 50% boy) from different religious and cultural backgrounds were interviewed using open-ended questions concerning their spiritual thoughts, beliefs, and experiences. Additionally, parents completed a demographic questionnaire and reported children's religious affiliation. Regardless of children's religious background, eighteen overarching themes emerged in the transcripts and include: 1) Feeling Good/Happy/Better when Praying/Thinking about God, 2) God's Location , 3) God Helps, 4) God the Creator, 5) God Listens, 6) Different People have Different Beliefs, 7) Soul and Spirit, 8) Prayer Location, 9) Description of God, 10) Thanking God, 11) God Watches, 12) Praying to God when Feeling Bad (sadness, loneliness, death), 13) God and Nature, 14) Body and Prayer, 15) Description of Faith, 16) God and Miracles, 17) God Grants Wishes, 18) Belief and Non/Belief. Children's understandings of the role of the divine and the purpose of prayer may influence social-emotional development, adjustment, and coping. In future research, the participants' coded responses will be developed into items for a children's spirituality measure. Keywords: spirituality, children, diversity

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