Does Godly Play “Work?": A Qualitative Study Examining the Impact of Godly Play on the Spiritual Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults Who Participated in Godly Play in Early,Middle,and Late Childhood
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online April, 2025
Does Godly Play “Work?": A Qualitative Study Examining the Impact of Godly Play on the Spiritual Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults Who Participated in Godly Play in Early,Middle,and Late Childhood
“Does it work?” This is the question often posed by adults encountering Godly Play, a Montessori-inspired method of Christian religious education for children. While such a question comes from a place of care, it fails to consider the greater purpose of faith education with children. This study examined Godly Play's impact on children's spiritual lives by interviewing 13 youths and young adults about their recalled experiences of Godly Play. The participants demonstrated relational consciousness, suggesting that Godly Play can nurture children's spiritual well-being into adolescence and early adulthood.
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