Historical Examples of "Giving a Child to God"

October 8, 2014 9:00 AM

In the bible we have the example of the Prophet Samuel, whose mother is so grateful for him that she gives him to God to be raised by the priest Eli. Has this ever been a common practice – children being given over to an organized religious organization? Can anyone give me examples? More specifically, has the Vatican ever done this? [I'm not interested in the Philomena type of stories, with young girls getting pregnant, just because I'm already aware of them.]
posted by visual mechanic to Religion & Philosophy (17 answers total)

I'd suspect the Catholic version of this would be more smaller-scale than the Vatican, and would take the form of "God, if you let me carry this baby to term I'll make sure they become a priest/nun", and then when the kid grows up you take them to the local convent/monestary. I'll admit I have no proof of this, save reading about it in a 17th-century novel.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:10 AM on October 8, 2014

Best answer: In the middle ages, fairly young children were regularly entered into monasteries and nunneries to be raised by the church. Although not as young as babies, children under ten were not uncommon. The term to search for is 'oblate'.
posted by Thing at 9:17 AM on October 8, 2014 [8 favorites]

In medieval Europe, the youngest would relatively often become monks because they weren't going to inherit the land or title, and they would usually begin that path before adulthood. This was not a conscious decision by the parents, though; it was just the way inheritance worked.
posted by michaelh at 9:18 AM on October 8, 2014 [2 favorites]

An indirect, modern example: a parent will sometimes try to make a deal with God to raise a child more faithfully if the child's life is spared.

Also, some people believe that missions are very important and give their children the education, training and inclination to be a missionary. For example, I know of someone who was, by the time he was an adult, well educated and inclined to be a bush pilot serving missionaries, and that is what he did until he started working as an airplane mechanic in Canada.
posted by michaelh at 9:22 AM on October 8, 2014

Not just younger children, but orphans left as babies with convents and churches were often raised to be clergical students. Of course, they were also sold off to craftsmen and businessmen as apprentices.
posted by IAmBroom at 9:22 AM on October 8, 2014

Best answer: The Dali Lama was such a child
posted by canoehead at 9:23 AM on October 8, 2014

Forgot about oblates, thing; thanks.

to the OP - I'm still fairly confident that this would more so take the form of a parent taking their child to the little church in town rather than making the trek all the way to the Vatican and turning their child directly over to the Pope.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:24 AM on October 8, 2014

Best answer: To give two examples of young children entering the medieval church: Bede was seven when he was sent to Monkwearmouth and Jarrow, and Alcuin may have been even younger when he was sent to York.
posted by Thing at 9:31 AM on October 8, 2014

Best answer: This is very common in modern-day Tibet. The monasteries have much more money and more resources than average folks and it's seen as a way to have a good education and a secure life, not to mention religious benefits. I know some Tibetans who find this complicated and wish that resources could be better distributed among children rather than focused on monks-in-training rather exclusively.

Also, in Burma, orphaned children are very often raised by nuns.
posted by Cygnet at 9:44 AM on October 8, 2014

Best answer: You might find this interesting, it discusses the routes to education and career for British sons of the gentry in the 17th century. I was looking for a specific item and this paper discusses it in terms relevant to your question, specifically with the quote: "Heal and Holmes have suggested that "there is, even in the seventeenth century, a recurrent tendency to destine the second or third son for the law, the next for the Church and the youngest for trade, a patterning that must transcend any understanding of the needs of the individuals concerned‟."

It is not clear that there was a specific directing into the church or an obligation, more that there were more limited options available for the education and career of sons lower down the number order. The paper presents evidence that the sons born later were increasingly more likely to go down the church route (with the sixth child five times more likely to do so).
posted by biffa at 9:55 AM on October 8, 2014 [2 favorites]

In Thailand and some other countries many young people (mainly young men) ordain for a period of one or more rainy season. Some stay on as monks, but most don't.
posted by selfnoise at 11:04 AM on October 8, 2014

Best answer: Kumari, Nepal

Hijra, Khusra, India and Pakistan. In some cases during the initiation (castration) the child's life is dedicated to a deity.

Divine prostitution, India (also reputedly in the ancient world.)
posted by glasseyes at 11:46 AM on October 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

The Shakers took in orphans as a way of increasing their numbers.
posted by JanetLand at 12:20 PM on October 8, 2014

Best answer: A depressing example (as I think many of these historical customs likely were in practice), but the practice of ritual slavery of virgin girls to traditional shrine priests continues in parts of west Africa in spite of efforts by governments to suppress it.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 12:40 PM on October 8, 2014

Best answer: The Devadasi in India were young girls committed to serve or figuratively be "married" to the gods in a temple, and raised there.
posted by celtalitha at 3:19 PM on October 8, 2014

In a lot of muslim countries , Quran memorization schools often double as orphanages (or the other way round) and may be supported by the state religious apparatus. So a lot of orphans wind up in religious roles/careers.
posted by BinGregory at 6:32 AM on October 9, 2014

Galileo's daughters entered a convent at ages 12 and 13. You can read all about it in Galileo's Daughter.
posted by kristi at 9:59 AM on October 10, 2014