ISO Jesus for Dummies, Jr.
April 26, 2011 9:54 AM Subscribe
Is there a book (or books) that explains Christianity that's suitable for an atheist 10 year old?
Our family is atheist, but we are surrounded by Christian culture (Easter for example!) and I'm not always so good at explaining the whats/why/etc.. of religious holidays, observances, beliefs. I want her to get the Christian symbolism in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe for example.
So, I'd like a book that my daughter (age 10 - but a smart kid and a good reader so something for teens might be okay) can read (or browse through if it's a reference type book) to have a better understanding of Christianity. Something that covers the differences between the denominations/sects would be great. Something that puts it's relationship with Judaism and Islam into context would be awesome too. A compare and contract with other religions would be cool too. Perhaps I need more than one book?
Recommendations for me would be appreciated as well.
Our family is atheist, but we are surrounded by Christian culture (Easter for example!) and I'm not always so good at explaining the whats/why/etc.. of religious holidays, observances, beliefs. I want her to get the Christian symbolism in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe for example.
So, I'd like a book that my daughter (age 10 - but a smart kid and a good reader so something for teens might be okay) can read (or browse through if it's a reference type book) to have a better understanding of Christianity. Something that covers the differences between the denominations/sects would be great. Something that puts it's relationship with Judaism and Islam into context would be awesome too. A compare and contract with other religions would be cool too. Perhaps I need more than one book?
Recommendations for me would be appreciated as well.
I grew up in a fusion household in which I was exposed to multiple religions every day. My parents felt that, as religious scholars, the easiest way for me to understand the faiths of the world was to provide me with access to Bibles, Torahs, and the Bhagavad Gita. The thing that I found most useful in learning about the different religions of the world were the "children's" versions of those texts because they were watered down and illustrated, and their interpretations of the various materials weren't crazy hardcore or literal. From there I sought out texts from other faiths and my ability to discern their relevance and symbolism was greatly improved each time a new book was added.
If that doesn't appeal to you, perhaps seeking out social studies textbooks would provide you with what you are looking for. I would recommend getting multiple texts so as to provide your daughter with as broad a spectrum of input as possible since some texts can be biased because they're referencing flawed versions of the Bible and similar books of faith.
posted by patronuscharms at 10:07 AM on April 26, 2011
If that doesn't appeal to you, perhaps seeking out social studies textbooks would provide you with what you are looking for. I would recommend getting multiple texts so as to provide your daughter with as broad a spectrum of input as possible since some texts can be biased because they're referencing flawed versions of the Bible and similar books of faith.
posted by patronuscharms at 10:07 AM on April 26, 2011
I have no personal recommendations, but this link may help.
posted by elsietheeel at 10:26 AM on April 26, 2011
posted by elsietheeel at 10:26 AM on April 26, 2011
You might consider sending your daughter to Religious Education at a Unitarian Universalist Church/Fellowship/Meeting. My parents raised us UU, and our RE consisted of, essentially, age-appropriate comparative religion. UU groups vary wildly (some are functionally Christian, others will warn you if the sermon mentions God so people who don't want to hear it can leave) so YMMV.
posted by workerant at 10:30 AM on April 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by workerant at 10:30 AM on April 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
I think the Bible itself is a pretty fascinating read, especially for someone at that age. Of course, I had a children's illustrated Bible with lovely colored pictures, courtesy of my great-grandma, but it was still pretty cool and/or weirdly gripping. All of the stories of Jezebel being eaten by the dogs, or the crazy restrictions of Leviticus... fantastic conversation fodder.
(That was right when a lot of churches in our town were getting alternately serious or up in arms about the whole "open and affirming congregation" thing with GLBT folks, so I enjoyed stomping around going, "Oh yeah? Well, did YOU slaughter a goat when YOUR last period ended? HUH?")
I'd second the UU experiences, as they tend to be great for building strong, thoughtful kids in general. But mostly I'd commend you for providing a broad perspective on what other people believe and why they might believe it.
posted by Madamina at 10:41 AM on April 26, 2011
(That was right when a lot of churches in our town were getting alternately serious or up in arms about the whole "open and affirming congregation" thing with GLBT folks, so I enjoyed stomping around going, "Oh yeah? Well, did YOU slaughter a goat when YOUR last period ended? HUH?")
I'd second the UU experiences, as they tend to be great for building strong, thoughtful kids in general. But mostly I'd commend you for providing a broad perspective on what other people believe and why they might believe it.
posted by Madamina at 10:41 AM on April 26, 2011
I find the Very Short Introductions series to be really good for this sort of thing. Perhaps a little dry for a 10 year old, but they'd certainly be a quick read for you and if she had any trouble, she could always ask you for clarifications. Here's their Religion & Bibles list.
posted by ocherdraco at 10:42 AM on April 26, 2011
posted by ocherdraco at 10:42 AM on April 26, 2011
Best answer: The Church Across the Street (revised in 1962) was the basis of the UUA comparative religion religious education curriculum for many years. It's very outdated (and comes from a certain bias), but still interesting.
posted by Jahaza at 10:47 AM on April 26, 2011
posted by Jahaza at 10:47 AM on April 26, 2011
If your daughter is "a smart kid and a good reader so something for teens might be okay," why not the Bible? You might want to point her directly towards the Gospels, so she doesn't think she has to sit down and read the whole thing.
It wouldn't cover the "differences between the denominations" and "putting things in context" bases that you mention, but it would have the advantage of being the direct source, itself, and being a pretty mind-blowingly amazing work of literature to boot.
Other people have mentioned illustrated Bibles -- that might be a good way to go.
posted by fugitivefromchaingang at 10:48 AM on April 26, 2011
It wouldn't cover the "differences between the denominations" and "putting things in context" bases that you mention, but it would have the advantage of being the direct source, itself, and being a pretty mind-blowingly amazing work of literature to boot.
Other people have mentioned illustrated Bibles -- that might be a good way to go.
posted by fugitivefromchaingang at 10:48 AM on April 26, 2011
Seconding the Bible. I think if your kid is sophisticated enough to be an atheist at age 10, she's sophisticated enough to read the Bible. Don't worry about exposing her to the king James Version unless she is a language nut. There are many more simplified translations out there that will give her the story. I grew up with the Good News Bible, which is very simple and inclusive, although it drives fundamentalists up the wall.
The Gospels don't take much time to read and Jesus's life story told in a very four-voiced Laurence Durrell-ian way is pretty much all you need to know about the basics. If she wants to know why these particular versions of Jesus' life are important have her read the prophets next so she can see why the early Christians were keen to position Christ as the Messiah. From there the Pentateuch makes good reading and can lead into a similar investigation of Judaism.
After that, I like Job and the Psalms and Proverbs and Ecclesiastes if only because they give a lot of insight into the foundations of western culture. Like reading Shakespeare, she'll probably find herself seeing things in print and saying"Ahhhh...I've heard that before."
By the end of that romp, she ought to be thoroughly familiar with the foundations of Christianity and also firmly confused about doctrine and the multiple streams of religious tradition represented by that various denominations and sects. And that is, in a nutshell, the history of Christianity. One one level, it's a simple story that no one can agree upon and on the other hand it is a simple set of instructions and teachings full of paradox. The Christian life is one of constant struggling to make it fit.
posted by salishsea at 10:54 AM on April 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
The Gospels don't take much time to read and Jesus's life story told in a very four-voiced Laurence Durrell-ian way is pretty much all you need to know about the basics. If she wants to know why these particular versions of Jesus' life are important have her read the prophets next so she can see why the early Christians were keen to position Christ as the Messiah. From there the Pentateuch makes good reading and can lead into a similar investigation of Judaism.
After that, I like Job and the Psalms and Proverbs and Ecclesiastes if only because they give a lot of insight into the foundations of western culture. Like reading Shakespeare, she'll probably find herself seeing things in print and saying"Ahhhh...I've heard that before."
By the end of that romp, she ought to be thoroughly familiar with the foundations of Christianity and also firmly confused about doctrine and the multiple streams of religious tradition represented by that various denominations and sects. And that is, in a nutshell, the history of Christianity. One one level, it's a simple story that no one can agree upon and on the other hand it is a simple set of instructions and teachings full of paradox. The Christian life is one of constant struggling to make it fit.
posted by salishsea at 10:54 AM on April 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Learning what someone else thinks about religion isn't the best way to become a person who can think critically and empathetically about religion. She should read religious texts and you should discuss/question them together. For example, you can discuss why various creation stories were compelling in an era before science. There are many children's versions of the Bible and other religious texts that would be appropriate.
Secondly, reading the Bible/Koran/etc does not really communicate the whats and whys of faith. Without religious people to talk to, I would suggest sharing a book from the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Yes, it can be deeply corny and wildly sentimental, but as a 10 year old it really challenged me and opened my mind to new perspectives and experiences, including the feeling of faith which is a difficult concept to explain. I think there are books geared toward specific religions but the main books have plenty of stories related to religion too.
For understanding the concept and the thrill of rituals there's nothing better than The Egypt Game, a Newberry Honor novel about a group of children who create an elaborate fantasy world set in ancient Egypt.
For understanding persecution she can read books about the Holocaust like Number the Stars.
Also, I'd recommend visits to lots of different places of worship. I'm not sure if most schools do this but in elementary school I visited more than 10 different temples/churches/mosques which really helped me visualize the differences between various religions. It's not necessary to actually attend services but comparing a strict Catholic mass with a megachurch with strobe lights and rock music would be really educational, for instance.
posted by acidic at 11:02 AM on April 26, 2011
Secondly, reading the Bible/Koran/etc does not really communicate the whats and whys of faith. Without religious people to talk to, I would suggest sharing a book from the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Yes, it can be deeply corny and wildly sentimental, but as a 10 year old it really challenged me and opened my mind to new perspectives and experiences, including the feeling of faith which is a difficult concept to explain. I think there are books geared toward specific religions but the main books have plenty of stories related to religion too.
For understanding the concept and the thrill of rituals there's nothing better than The Egypt Game, a Newberry Honor novel about a group of children who create an elaborate fantasy world set in ancient Egypt.
For understanding persecution she can read books about the Holocaust like Number the Stars.
Also, I'd recommend visits to lots of different places of worship. I'm not sure if most schools do this but in elementary school I visited more than 10 different temples/churches/mosques which really helped me visualize the differences between various religions. It's not necessary to actually attend services but comparing a strict Catholic mass with a megachurch with strobe lights and rock music would be really educational, for instance.
posted by acidic at 11:02 AM on April 26, 2011
Ooops! Missed that part in your OP. Please ignore my careless post.
posted by tel3path at 11:04 AM on April 26, 2011
posted by tel3path at 11:04 AM on April 26, 2011
I've yet to meet a Christian whose religious practice closely resembles the literal teachings of Jesus, so I'm skeptical that just reading the Bible would provide much of a practical introduction to Christianity. It's also long and boring, and when I read it as a child it infuriated me and filled me with pity and contempt for people who believed in it, which I assume is not your desired outcome.
posted by milk white peacock at 11:24 AM on April 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by milk white peacock at 11:24 AM on April 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I'd recommend Religious Literacy or a similar book--either for your daughter, or for you.
I think the key is going to be framing Christianity as both a religion and a diverse community. She doesn't encounter Christianity the religion nearly as much as she encounters culturally and/or religiously Christian people. There are some tricky cultural things, like people who simply call themselves "Christian" when they really mean a particular (often narrow) view of Christianity, people who consider themselves Christian but are not considered such by others (sometimes Catholics, often LDS), people who take the Bible literally, people who don't, etc. Your daughter doesn't need to be able to explain the difference between a Pentacostal and a Fundamentalist, but it would be great if she knew that, while the story of Jesus is roughly what's in the Gospels, the religion of Christianity is much harder to define.
One other thing--reading the Bible as literature is a fantastic idea because it will mean a richer experience reading much of (western) literature throughout her education. However, she (and you) should know that even the strictest literal-interpreter of the Bible won't live in ways you might think they would (or should) based on the text you find there. For one thing, it's just not a very clear text. For another, believers have to find a way to live with the text in reality (e.g., many moderately conservative churches take a hard line on homosexuality but a softer approach to divorce because the reality is that they have many divorced members but few gay members).
posted by Meg_Murry at 11:30 AM on April 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
I think the key is going to be framing Christianity as both a religion and a diverse community. She doesn't encounter Christianity the religion nearly as much as she encounters culturally and/or religiously Christian people. There are some tricky cultural things, like people who simply call themselves "Christian" when they really mean a particular (often narrow) view of Christianity, people who consider themselves Christian but are not considered such by others (sometimes Catholics, often LDS), people who take the Bible literally, people who don't, etc. Your daughter doesn't need to be able to explain the difference between a Pentacostal and a Fundamentalist, but it would be great if she knew that, while the story of Jesus is roughly what's in the Gospels, the religion of Christianity is much harder to define.
One other thing--reading the Bible as literature is a fantastic idea because it will mean a richer experience reading much of (western) literature throughout her education. However, she (and you) should know that even the strictest literal-interpreter of the Bible won't live in ways you might think they would (or should) based on the text you find there. For one thing, it's just not a very clear text. For another, believers have to find a way to live with the text in reality (e.g., many moderately conservative churches take a hard line on homosexuality but a softer approach to divorce because the reality is that they have many divorced members but few gay members).
posted by Meg_Murry at 11:30 AM on April 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'm with Meg_Murry mostly on this, for what it's worth. You might want to call a Catholic School near you to ask what they assign for their comparative religion curriculum. IIRC they do comp rel around 5th and 11th grades. Maybe they'd let you borrow it even. Mind, I haven't been near a catholic church or school in 30 years: things change.
posted by putzface_dickman at 11:49 AM on April 26, 2011
posted by putzface_dickman at 11:49 AM on April 26, 2011
More general than you are looking for, but I loved reading and re-reading What is God?
posted by ghostbikes at 12:19 PM on April 26, 2011
posted by ghostbikes at 12:19 PM on April 26, 2011
It might not be your cup of tea, but my "halfie" daughters (spawn of collapsed Catholic/deformed Jew) loved the pictures and mythical retelling of Bible stories in this book, and fight over who gets ownership of it to this day. And none of us are believers!
posted by thinkpiece at 12:39 PM on April 26, 2011
posted by thinkpiece at 12:39 PM on April 26, 2011
Best answer: I would also consider going with the podcasts for "A History of the World in 100 Objects" as an educational tool for your kid in teaching them how religions have changed over the centuries. The podcasts don't focus on religion, they focus on world history, but religion is a big part of that. So your kid would get some perspective on the wide variety of religions that have existed in the world and what remains of them to this day.
posted by lizbunny at 1:22 PM on April 26, 2011
posted by lizbunny at 1:22 PM on April 26, 2011
The Narnia books are actually about medieval cosmology, but medieval cosmology was about Christianity so it works out. I digress...
Some books about Christianity I recall liking:
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare
A biography of Eric Liddell. Can't remember which one.
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Several G.A. Henty books about the Crusades and such. Quite pro-military, but fun and historical...
Child's Story Bible by Catherine Vos
World Book articles about Christianity (do these even exist anymore? We had 1991)
There were many others. Our library had huge biographical series that covered hundreds of famous people. Many of them were about Christians. I don't recall the names of the series but equivalents undoubtedly exist today.
You only have to provide 2-5 years of reading material before the child will be interested in much tougher reading and willing to tackle primary sources, assuming your goal is anything beyond cursory knowledge.
posted by michaelh at 1:28 PM on April 26, 2011
Some books about Christianity I recall liking:
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare
A biography of Eric Liddell. Can't remember which one.
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Several G.A. Henty books about the Crusades and such. Quite pro-military, but fun and historical...
Child's Story Bible by Catherine Vos
World Book articles about Christianity (do these even exist anymore? We had 1991)
There were many others. Our library had huge biographical series that covered hundreds of famous people. Many of them were about Christians. I don't recall the names of the series but equivalents undoubtedly exist today.
You only have to provide 2-5 years of reading material before the child will be interested in much tougher reading and willing to tackle primary sources, assuming your goal is anything beyond cursory knowledge.
posted by michaelh at 1:28 PM on April 26, 2011
Best answer: Oh, jesus, is there a perfect book for you: The Savvy Convert's Guide to Choosing a Religion (captured nicely in this review, I think).
It's hilarious, detailed, honest, comparative and did I mention hilarious? You can see enough of it with the "Look Inside" option at Amazon; try the table of contents or the questionnaire on page 22. I'm not saying your 10-year-old will get the humor unassisted (tho she might), but it's a wonderful book for helping you as a parent frame the differences among various religions with the appropriate light-hearted skepticism. I just discovered it myself and think it'd be a perfect gift for the smart pre-teen or teen skeptic.
posted by mediareport at 8:16 PM on April 26, 2011
It's hilarious, detailed, honest, comparative and did I mention hilarious? You can see enough of it with the "Look Inside" option at Amazon; try the table of contents or the questionnaire on page 22. I'm not saying your 10-year-old will get the humor unassisted (tho she might), but it's a wonderful book for helping you as a parent frame the differences among various religions with the appropriate light-hearted skepticism. I just discovered it myself and think it'd be a perfect gift for the smart pre-teen or teen skeptic.
posted by mediareport at 8:16 PM on April 26, 2011
I've yet to meet a Christian whose religious practice closely resembles the literal teachings of Jesus, so I'm skeptical that just reading the Bible would provide much of a practical introduction to Christianity. It's also long and boring,
Perhaps you have but they just aren't telling you about it (not supposed to practice righteousness before others) (but then, I know I don't meet that standard either) but the Bible is, indeed, realllllly long and boring. Had to force myself to read it as a kid. Books of Bible stories will likely sink in better.
posted by tel3path at 12:23 AM on April 27, 2011
Perhaps you have but they just aren't telling you about it (not supposed to practice righteousness before others) (but then, I know I don't meet that standard either) but the Bible is, indeed, realllllly long and boring. Had to force myself to read it as a kid. Books of Bible stories will likely sink in better.
posted by tel3path at 12:23 AM on April 27, 2011
Best answer: Jesus told his followers to turn their backs on their families, to sell all their possessions, to distribute the money among the poor, and never again to concern themselves with any earthly thing, but to live by god's providence alone. Do you know any Christians who've even taken a stab at that? They're few and far between. I think it would be tough to miss them.
I do think that if you want to understand western history and culture in any meaningful way, reading the Bible is pretty essential, but on its own it doesn't give a clear picture of what Christianity is today, for the huge effort it would take to read it there just isn't enough information there. It would be as if someone wanted to know what a Happy Meal is and in response you just showed them a cow. (Verily I say unto you.)
posted by milk white peacock at 9:46 AM on April 27, 2011
I do think that if you want to understand western history and culture in any meaningful way, reading the Bible is pretty essential, but on its own it doesn't give a clear picture of what Christianity is today, for the huge effort it would take to read it there just isn't enough information there. It would be as if someone wanted to know what a Happy Meal is and in response you just showed them a cow. (Verily I say unto you.)
posted by milk white peacock at 9:46 AM on April 27, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks for all the answers. I will probably get a few of these and pick up an bible stories book as well as a big fat annotated bible for the whole family.
I went to a UU church as a child, but didn't actually receive any religious instruction there!
posted by vespabelle at 10:18 AM on April 27, 2011
I went to a UU church as a child, but didn't actually receive any religious instruction there!
posted by vespabelle at 10:18 AM on April 27, 2011
To everyone suggesting the Bible - maybe the New Testament is fine, but I tried from start to end at age 12, and burned out by Proverbs. And I was a kid who devoured Tolkien and other dense epic-style fiction years earlier. I did get through all of Judges, though, which meant trying to make sense of some pretty disturbing shit, like Judges 19. I don't recommend it for 10 year olds.
posted by deludingmyself at 2:30 PM on April 27, 2011
posted by deludingmyself at 2:30 PM on April 27, 2011
Jesus told his followers to turn their backs on their families, to sell all their possessions, to distribute the money among the poor, and never again to concern themselves with any earthly thing, but to live by god's providence alone. Do you know any Christians who've even taken a stab at that? They're few and far between. I think it would be tough to miss them.
Yes. (I am not among them)
posted by tel3path at 4:43 PM on April 27, 2011
Yes. (I am not among them)
posted by tel3path at 4:43 PM on April 27, 2011
>>> "Something that covers the differences between the denominations/sects would be great. Something that puts it's relationship with Judaism and Islam into context would be awesome too. A compare and contract with other religions would be cool too..."
Patheos.
posted by KMH at 3:26 AM on May 3, 2011
Patheos.
posted by KMH at 3:26 AM on May 3, 2011
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posted by Faint of Butt at 10:01 AM on April 26, 2011