Trusting Children and God: Religiosity in Early Childhood
Network Conference on Child Theology,
Leuven/Mechelen, Belgium, February 25-26-27, 2015
Since the 1990’s the concept of Kindertheologie has influenced the vision on religious education in Europe. Starting
with the informal network of Kindertheologie Bewegung in Germany, the interest in Kindertheologie has been
growing across different European countries. The Jahrbuch für Kindertheologie (JaBuKi), published by Calwer
Verlag from 2002 onwards, has become a channel for research and practice related to this movement. In 2009 the
network arranged its first conference in Loccum, extending the German network to include people from several
European countries. The second and third conference (Kampen, the Netherlands (2011) and Trondheim, Norway
(2013)) gave the opportunity for other countries to draw the card of theologizing with children and the Child
Theology Network (CTN) was born. The forth conference (2015) in Leuven/Mechelen continues the tradition of
an international conference of the CTN every other year.
The preparation for the conference is coordinated by a committee consisting of the following persons:
Univ.-Prof. (i. R.) Dr. theol. Gerhard Büttner, Emeritus at Technische Universität, Dortmund, Germany
Prof. Dr. Annemie Dillen, Associate Professor in Pastoral and Empirical Theology at Katholieke
Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Dr. Joke Maex, Lecturer Religious Education at Thomas More Kempen, Vorselaar, Belgium
The concepts of theology, philosophy and spirituality connected to children’s expressions continue to challenge
both the academic disciplines and the education of children. The concepts of the child, of childhood and of learning
are changing in public education as well as in church life. This process varies across Europe.
OBJECTIVES
The conference hopes to gather insights in the development of religiosity of young children and good practices of
religious education in kindergarten.
The aim of the conference is to bring together researchers from different countries who are interested in a)
religiosity in (early) childhood and b) in theologizing and philosophizing with (young) children.
Participants are asked to share empirical studies as well as discussions of specific theological, philosophical or
spiritual issues that affect the interplay between (young) children and adults. There should be an emphasis on the
possible significance children’s voices could have on theology, as there is an extensive discussion going on
concerning child theology as theology of, by, for or with the child.
FINAL PROGRAMME
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25th, 2015: THEOLOGISING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, Sint-Michielsstraat 4 , Leuven
9u-9u30
Welcome with coffee
9u30-9u45
Introduction by Lieven Boeve, Director-General of the Flemish Secretariat for Catholic
Education (VSKO)
9u45-10u15
Introduction by Annemie Dillen en Joke Maex
10u15-11u15
Children theology in the context of the Kindergarten Framework for theologizing with
children of preschool age, by Angela Kunze-Beiküfner (in English with written
translation in Dutch)
11u15-11u45
Coffee Break
11u45-13u
Workshops: choice between A, B, C and D
A.
Papersession (English)
•
Speaking of faith: young children’s moral development and the cultivation of
child theologizing, by Karen-Marie Yust
•
B.
Creative drama and stories in the family, by Elzbieta Osewska
Stapsgewijs leren vertrouwen! Met jonge kinderen filosoferen en theologiseren bij
een kunstwerk en een bijbelverhaal, door Christa Borré (Dutch)
C.
Theologiseren en ervaringsgericht kleuteronderwijs, door Jan de Vriese (Dutch)
D.
Godly Play: het verhaal van de grote familie, door An Mollemans (Dutch)
13u-14u
Lunchbreak
14u-15u15
Workshops: choice between E, F, G, H and I
E.
Between fact and fiction – how children understand biblical stories, by Hanna
Roose and Juliane Schrader (English)
F.
Visual Literacy in Faith Formation, by Peter Batchelor (English)
G.
Met (jonge) kinderen filosoferen en theologiseren over Jona en Joenoes, door
Henk Kuindersma (Dutch)
H.
‘Kleine voeten op grote wegen’ – ouders uitnodigen om aan de slag te gaan met
spirituele opvoeding, door Johan Van Der Vloet en Ilse Cornu (Dutch)
I.
Godly Play: de parabel van de kostbare parel, door An Mollemans (Dutch)
15u15-15u45
Coffee Break
15u45-16u45
Child theology as constructive theology, by Jos de Kock (in English with written
translation in Dutch)
16u45-17u
Conclusion by Annemie Dillen
20u
Evening programme for participants of the Network Conference:
Movie Oscar et la dame Rose (with English subtitles)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26th, 2015: PHILOSOPHIZING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN IN RELATION TO RELIGION/THEOLOGY
Thomas More University College, campus Kruidtuin, Lange Ridderstraat 44, Mechelen
9u30-10u
Welcome with coffee
10u-10u15
Introduction by John Maes
10u15-11u
Philosophizing with little philosophers, by Elisabeth Schwarz (English)
11u-11u20
Coffee Break
11u20-12u30
Paneldiscussion of experts on philosophizing with children
12u30-13u
Discussion with the participants and conclusion by Joke Maex
13u-14u
Lunchbreak
14u30-17u
Afternoon programme for participants of the Network Conference:
Walk in the city of Mechelen
17u30
Evening programme for participants of the Network Conference:
Dinner at Hof De Merode
and discussion of doctoral research with speakers/participants
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27th, 2015: EXPERT MEETING
(all lectures and papersessions in English)
Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, Sint-Michielsstraat 4 , Leuven
9u00-9u45
Meditation - Godly Play, by Katie Velghe
9u45-11u
Doing theology with young children – caveats and vistas, by Sturla Sagberg
11u-11u30
Coffee Break
11u30-13u
Papersession: choice between A, B and C
A.
Diversity
•
Child Theology in religious pluralism, by Anke Edelbrock
•
Experiences of death and grief in a multicultural interreligious Kindergarten/
School setting, by Manfred Kwiran
B.
Spiritual practices
•
Cultivating safe and listening families. Everyday spiritual practice with children
at home in a diaconal perspective, by Magne Torbjørnsen
•
Using silence, listening exercises, reflective exercises and visualisation exercises,
by DurgaMata Chaudhuri
C.
Godly Play and Deep Talk
•
The beginning of the path to a new method of developing communities, by Tuula
Valkonen
13u-14u30 Lunch and discussion of doctoral projects with speakers/participants
14u30-16u Papersession: choice between D and E
D.
Celebrating
•
Instead of Halloween we now celebrate Saint Martin, by Sabine Blaszcyk
•
Religious Feasts in Early Childhood Education in Norway, by Helene Lund
E.
Theologizing with children
•
What do preschoolers know about the ‘human being’?, by Gerhard Büttner
•
Thinking Theologically with Children: Practical Examples from the Netherlands
and Flanders, by Marleen Willems
And possibly also other papers by KULeuven and Thomas More researchers
(added to the actual programme)
16u-16u15
Greetings and thanking