When I Was a Child

Children's Interpretations of First Communion

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Reference, Ritual & Practices, Christianity, Denominations, Catholic, Catholicism, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science
Cover of the book When I Was a Child by Susan B. Ridgely, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Susan B. Ridgely ISBN: 9780807876763
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: May 18, 2006
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Susan B. Ridgely
ISBN: 9780807876763
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: May 18, 2006
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

First Communion is generally understood as a rite of passage in which seven- and eight-year-old Catholic children transform from baptized participants in the Church to members of the body of Christ, the universal Catholic Church. This official Church account, however, ignores what the rite actually may mean to its participants. In When I Was a Child, Susan Ridgely Bales demonstrates that the accepted understanding of a religious ritual can shift dramatically when one considers the often neglected perspective of child participants.

Bales followed Faith Formation classes and interviewed communicants, parents, and priests in an African American parish and in a parish containing both white and Latino congregations. By letting the children speak for themselves through their words, drawings, and actions, When I Was a Child stresses the importance of rehearsal, the centrality of sensory experiences, and the impact of expectations in the communicants' interpretations of the Eucharist. In the first sustained ethnographic study of how children interpret and help shape their own faith, Bales finds that children's perspectives give new contours to the traditional understanding of a common religious ritual. Ultimately, she argues that scholars of religion should consider age as distinct a factor as race, class, and gender in their analyses.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

First Communion is generally understood as a rite of passage in which seven- and eight-year-old Catholic children transform from baptized participants in the Church to members of the body of Christ, the universal Catholic Church. This official Church account, however, ignores what the rite actually may mean to its participants. In When I Was a Child, Susan Ridgely Bales demonstrates that the accepted understanding of a religious ritual can shift dramatically when one considers the often neglected perspective of child participants.

Bales followed Faith Formation classes and interviewed communicants, parents, and priests in an African American parish and in a parish containing both white and Latino congregations. By letting the children speak for themselves through their words, drawings, and actions, When I Was a Child stresses the importance of rehearsal, the centrality of sensory experiences, and the impact of expectations in the communicants' interpretations of the Eucharist. In the first sustained ethnographic study of how children interpret and help shape their own faith, Bales finds that children's perspectives give new contours to the traditional understanding of a common religious ritual. Ultimately, she argues that scholars of religion should consider age as distinct a factor as race, class, and gender in their analyses.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book From Welfare to Workfare by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book Well-Read Lives by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book Understanding Health Inequalities and Justice by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book Time in Ezra Pound's Work by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book A Government by the People by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book The AIDS Pandemic by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book The Work of Self-Representation by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book Carolina Catch by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book The Heart of Confederate Appalachia by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book Two Troubled Souls by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book Distilling the South by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book Silk Stockings and Socialism by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book France Restored by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book Holy Smoke by Susan B. Ridgely
Cover of the book Nature's Civil War by Susan B. Ridgely
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy