Sociocultural
Faith Formation

I will open my mouth with a parable;
I will utter hidden things, things from of old
things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.

Psalm 78:2-4

How does faith develop in children?

Specifically, how does Christian faith form (develop, grow, mature) and express itself in the lives of our children? What is the influence of parents and households? What is the influence of the church community which the child is a part of?

These are the questions that spark my curiosity and fuel my research.

As a Reformed Practical Theology project, I am interested in bringing together the best understanding of child and human development from the social sciences into a conversation with confessional Christian theology.

I am particular curious about the role of the church community. How do all ages and all stages in the “village” of an intergenerational church help a child to express and understand their faith, right now as children, and as they continue to grow up in the household of believers?

Currently, I am enroled in a pre-PhD program in the field of educational psychology at Macquarie University (Sydney) pursuing a greater understanding of sociocultural child development and how the community of people around a child helps that child learn, remember and scaffold their values, beliefs and identity.

What you will find below are articles, essays and assessments that I’ve submitted at various points in my research journey at both Moore Theological College and Macquarie University.

THIS IS NOT PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH!
I link these, not because they are excellent (or even good!), nor because they represent my settled opinion on any topic. They should be read in the context in which they were written; as course work assessments, often late at night, fueled by various caffeine infused beverages and running close to the submission dead line. I link these as a matter of transparency and conversation. These writings show the development of my thought as I’ve played around with different ideas in different contexts.

I value feedback, collaboration, conversation, and most of all, learning from others. I would love to hear from other researchers, thinkers or practitioners in any of these intersecting fields of theology, children’s ministry, children’s spirituality, intergenerationality, educational psychology, and sociocultural development.