Parenting for Peace and Justice

By Kathleen McGinnis and James McGinnis

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0883443767
• ISBN13: 9780883443767
• Release Date: January 1982
• Publisher: Orbis Books
• Length: 154 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 5.9" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

The touchstone for my parenting

Parenting for Peace and Justice: Ten Years LaterParenting for Peace and Justice[[ASIN:B0006XX48G Christian parenting for peace and justice: Program guide] I must have found this book shortly after my first child was born in 1982 because I can't remember parenting without it. The premise that children should be involved in peace and justice activities in age-appropriate ways with their parents became my touchstone for raising my sons, especially after my husband's death when they were 5 and 9. They began going with one or the other of us to deliver Meals on Wheels, (We told them we were all being "God's Helpers.") by age 2. The recipients' responses were usually rewarding in themselves. Later, they drew pictures to send to prisoners adopted by Amnesty International and pounded nails in Habitat houses with me. They were part of church youth groups, too, but I did not rely on those to impart the WHY of they were doing. We focused on what God wanted us to do, not the things to avoid or the practices or people to condemn. "Just Say No" didn't work for drugs, doesn't work for sex. Providing something to say "Yes" to is key. Over the years, the wisdom of Kathleen and James McGinnis has become clearer. Grown children of active Christians often fall away from the faith--and its justice component--because, IMHO, they never participated in individual, family or the larger ministries, only with a children's or youth group. As they age, they have no new age-based group to join and no vision, beyond affiliation, of what their adult participation should provide. My sons chose to be part of congregations while in college and have remained rather nonmaterialistic--no small feat in our culture. The older one is more policy oriented and uses his time on governmental impact while donating money to a variety of peace and justice issues. The younger one is more hands-on and has spent 5 college breaks rebuilding on the Gulf. While he was on a low-key evangelism semester with Thai college students (a fairly comfortable experience), he spent part of his "time off" with children in the Bangkok slums. Over this Christmas break, the three of us served breakfast to the hungry a few mornings because they thought we should do service together. I'm not so much proud as humbled by their behavior, and I give lots of credit to Parenting for Peace and Justice. The book is definitely Christian, but the practices described would work for parents of any faith (or maybe no faith) who want their children to be active for peace and justice as adults.

Parenting for Peace

An excellent resource in helping parents to train their children regarding social action. Topics included: Stewardship, Simplicity, Nonviolence, and resources for peace and justice. Note: a revised version of this book was released in 1990.