Fundamentals of religion for children. Bible for children

In different families, parents can treat their attitude to religion in their own way, but basically they agree that the child needs knowledge in religion. For children, the Bible should not be a textbook, literature imposed by society and parents. Some parents regard religion as an adult topic for the child, but basic knowledge in this area has not harmed anyone. The main thing is not to go deep into extremes and not try to teach a lesson. Then the Bible will be perceived as fun and harmonious.

Important conversation

Do not close the child in the fictional world of fairy tales, otherwise real life will be a blow for him. For children, the Bible must be a faithful companion of life, an assistant and counselor. Talk about religion does not need to be postponed for the period of adulthood.

Religion is part of the world, and the more complete the knowledge of the child about the world, the more it is developed. Talking about religion is a contribution to the formation of a person, as tolerance and tolerance are brought up in the process. Let religion not play the first violin in modern society, but children should know about it and have their own point of view on this topic. In the end, many holidays have a direct connection with world religions, and without knowing about them, the child will perceive the world in a distorted way. Even if the family adheres to atheistic views, the child must make his choice independently, without coercion from the outside.

Information overload

For children, the Bible should start with a game in order to generate interest. It is necessary to build a conversation in an understandable and accessible language, without delving into theological reasoning. It should be borne in mind that religious beliefs are very abstract and the child can become entangled in them, and therefore the story needs to be built on facts and life experience. It is important to choose the right intonation and the exact time for the conversation. Do not rest on secrecy, pathos or reverence.

The conversation should be conducted in a cozy atmosphere and at the mutual desire of the parties. You can start the game based on the biblical stories, choose an interesting character and try to disassemble his line of conduct. Now there are coloring books with biblical motifs, which can be painted with the child. So for the children the Bible will not be terrible, it will not be difficult. The study of faith will go hand in hand with the game; The child will not be afraid to ask questions and listen to the answers with interest. The starting point for a conversation can be a visit to the church, celebration of a religious holiday or even a joint television show.

With an eye for age

If a child is of the Garden Age, then he easily believes in mysticism and the existence of God will be received with enthusiasm. But interest in religion is superficial, and the field itself seems unnecessarily complex. Do not inspire the child with fear of God, talk about the omnipotence of God and his all-seeing. God should not be associated with Santa Claus or a good magician from a fairy tale.

Closer to the first class, the child begins to ask complex questions about death, the presence of the soul and life after death. This is the period when the illustrated Bible for children is relevant. Let the kid look at the pictures, study their semantic background, discuss them and get acquainted with the plot. You can compare different religions, because the basic stories in them have similar features.

By the age of 11, the child can already understand many rites and religious norms. He understands the meaning of the prohibitions and can explain them. At this age, verbal associations with the surrounding world are good.

A teenager of 12-15 years is able to support a conversation about religion, and he can tell controversial stories from the Bible, discuss them and offer to express his opinion.

Children's Science

Begin studying with actions, namely with the right gift. If the celebration has a special occasion, for example, it's Easter or Christmas, then the gift can be thematic. Children's Bible - for children the original thing, a gift "with stuffing." The Children's Bible is a retelling of some themes of the Holy Scripture with the adaptation to an accessible language. Sometimes it is difficult to decide in the choice, because there are hundreds of variants of books. Let the ideal Bible for the child is not, but if you choose a gift individually, you can help yourself with a choice.

Books by age

It is clear that the age of the child should be taken into account when choosing literature. A five-year-old should choose a book with a lot of pictures and explanations to them. The text should not be very much, and the font should be bright and catchy. For a baby, retelling should be brief, but there must always be morality, so that the child benefits from reading. For older children, retelling can be more detailed, with explanations, comments and reference material to facilitate understanding and add to the meaning.

From the history

Children's bibles appeared only in the late nineteenth century, but during the Soviet era they did not appear, and therefore one can divide all the editions into prerevolutionary and modern ones. A later Bible for children and adults is at once suitable, since it allows for communication and common interests.

You can read the Bible as a fairy tale, but supplement it with examples from life, so that the child realizes the importance of the book. For children, you can take the excellent book "The History of the Church", compiled according to the textbook by Protoirea Pyotr Smirnov. Adult edition will also be interesting, because there are a lot of detailed information, submitted in an accessible form. "The sacred story in simple stories" from Alexander Sokolov's Protopriest in Russia is reprinted more often than others. There are almost 500 pages, including a fairly detailed retelling of the Old and New Testaments. This is a classic example of what the Bible can be for children. Reviews about this book are mostly positive, although for the modern reader the language of the presentation is somewhat difficult.

The antipode for severity may be the "Gospel in retelling for children" of the authorship of Natalia Davydova. She is a methodologist in literature, a professional teacher and a writer specializing in Old Russian literature, religion and literature. She writes in a simple and pleasant language, and that is why children read it with pleasure. For younger schoolchildren and pupils of nurseries, her books are the most relevant. Moms respond positively and with the help of her books even agree with the child about attending Sunday school.