Endangered : Your Child in a Hostile World - Softcover

Johann Christoph Arnold

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0874869978 ISBN 13: 9780874869972

Publisher: The Plough Publishing House, 2000

Synopsis

There are more than enough books on parenting. That's the admission Johann Christoph Arnold makes right out of the gate. "A father of eight and grandfather of twenty-four, I have had ample opportunities to experience parenting in action," he writes in the opening lines of Endangered. "Rightly or wrongly, I sense that what today's parents lack most is not expertise or ideas, but daring. They simply lack the courage to put their children first - before their jobs, their houses, their cars, hobbies, and dreams - and to love them for what they are." Endangered, then, is not so much a parenting manual as it is a blueprint for a bold new alternative to the "way things are." It's no secret, Arnold writes, that we live in a culture hostile to children, that society needs to change, education needs revamping, culture needs a moral framework. If our children are ever going to be whole adults, they need an environment in which they can be children. But how, with the pressing demands of life, can we make time and space for our children? How can we protect them from the onslaught of influences and pressures that rob them of their innocence? It's a dilemma every caring mother or father knows. Arnold puts the ball squarely in the parent's court. What are you willing to give for your child? Where have we sacrificed their childhood for our own interests? Why are we so keen to mold them into successful adults and contributing citizens, instead of treasuring and learning from their carefree innocence? "Endangered" challenges and encourages every parent, grandparent, teacher, and policymaker to rediscover and defend the preciousness of childhood. Because in the end, if we are willing to put them first, our children can give us something greater than we could ever give them.

About this title

About the Author:

Johann Christoph Arnold's best-selling titles on parenting, sexuality, death and dying, forgiveness, and peace have sold over 100,000 copies. His books draw chiefly on experiences as a pastor at a Christian community movement, and from wisdom gleaned from a lifetime of counseling couples, singles, teens and young adults, prison inmates, the aged, and the terminally ill. Endangered, Your Child in a Hostile World, speaks to a broad secular audience while drawing closer to the heart of his spiritual message.

From Publishers Weekly:

Parents and societies around the world, says family counselor and father of eight Arnold (Why Forgive?; Seeking Peace, etc.), are hypocritical when it comes to their children. Declaring 2000 the Year of the Child does not put children first, nor do parents who work harder and longer to give their children everything they believe they need yet don't spend enough time with them. Children require the quality of love that comes with "reverence," he asserts. Teachers and caregivers are underpaid, schools are in dire need of resources and parents delude themselves by thinking they're spending time with their kids, when, in fact, they're watching TV while the kids are surfing the Web. With references to famous advocates (Jonathan Kozol, Mother Teresa and Mary Pipher), as well as everyday moms and dads who are changing their lives to put kids first (such as the father who quit his lucrative job at a prestigious law firm to spend more time with his daughters), Arnold presents a strong case for recovering the spiritual aspects of child rearing, such as "the power of a hug." ("Without such breadAthat is, without warmth, humor, kindness, and compassionAthe most carefully considered discipline will eventually backfire.") In our quest for greater meaning in our lives, let us not forget the children, begs Arnold in this lovingly written book, which is less a how-to than a bold instrument of advocacy for America's kids. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: The Plough Publishing House
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0874869978
• ISBN 13: 9780874869972
• Binding: Perfect Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192