cover image Circle of Grace: Praying With--And For--Your Children

Circle of Grace: Praying With--And For--Your Children

Gregory Wolfe, Suzanne Wolfe. Ballantine Books, $25 (400pp) ISBN 978-0-345-41717-6

HIn an eloquent and thoughtful fashion, the Wolfes tackle an important but rarely written-upon subject: praying with one's children. ""When your children begin to attend to the divine, they will become more deeply and fully human,"" the Wolfes, who have four children themselves, explain. They argue that children who ""turn outward in prayer"" by praying with family members ""become far more vibrant individuals"" than those who pray alone or with little guidance. The first half of the book is a wonderful treatise on praying with, and for, one's children, including some pointers on how to get started and how to overcome various obstacles (especially kids who don't want to pray). Pointing out that they are neither clergy nor theologians (he is publisher and editor of Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion, while she created and edits The Golden Key, a mail-order catalog of outstanding children's books), they call on their own experiences in parenting, friends' stories, and remarks from famous writers, such as child psychologist Robert Coles and poet W.H. Auden, to help parents along. The second part of the book includes prayers from various cultures; while predominantly Christian, the Wolfes also embrace from Native American, Jewish, African and Muslim traditions, mostly addressing rhythms of life, rites of passage, grace and blessings, thankfulness, and mindfulness of others' needs. This is a wonderful book for anyone who wishes to impart strong spiritual values to the children in their lives. (Oct.)